Distinct Concentration-Dependent Effects of the Polo-like Kinase 1―Specific Inhibitor GSK461364A, Including Differential Effect on Apoptosis

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 69; no. 17; pp. 6969 - 6977
• Main Authors: GILMARTIN, Aidan G, BLEAM, Maureen R, SUTTON, David, DIAMOND, Melody A, JACKSON, Jeffrey R, LAQUERRE, Sylvie G, RICHTER, Mark C, ERSKINE, Symon G, KRUGER, Ryan G, MADDEN, Lenore, HASSLER, Daniel F, SMITH, Gary K, GONTAREK, Richard R, COURTNEY, Mary P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01.09.2009
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; Animals; Antineoplastic agents; Apoptosis - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor; Cell Cycle Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Cell Line, Tumor; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; G2 Phase - drug effects; Humans; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Nude; Mitosis - drug effects; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - enzymology; Neoplasms - pathology; Neoplasms, Experimental - drug therapy; Neoplasms, Experimental - enzymology; Neoplasms, Experimental - pathology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Polo-Like Kinase 1; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Thiophenes - pharmacology; Thiophenes - therapeutic use; Tumors; Enzyme; Kinase; Cell death; Transferases; Inhibitor; Concentration; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445
• DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-0945

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a conserved serine/threonine kinase that plays an essential role in regulating the many processes involved in mitotic entry and progression. In humans, Plk1 is expressed primarily during late G(2) and M phases and, in conjunction with Cdk1/cyclin B1, acts as master regulatory kinases for the myriad protein substrates involved in mitosis. Plk1 overexpression is strongly associated with cancer and has been correlated with poor prognosis in a broad range of human tumor types. We have identified a potent, selective, reversible, ATP-competitive inhibitor of Plk1, GSK461364A, capable of inhibiting cell growth of most proliferating cancer cell lines tested. We observe distinct cell cycle effects of GSK461364A depending on the dose used. The predominant phenotype for cells treated with GSK461364A is prometaphase arrest with characteristic collapsed polar polo spindle. At high concentrations, GSK461364A delays mitotic entry in G(2) followed by gradual progression into terminal mitosis; in some cell lines, this correlates with decreased apoptosis. Cell culture growth inhibition by GSK461364A can be cytostatic or cytotoxic but leads to tumor regression in xenograft tumor models under proper dose scheduling. Finally, we describe pharmacodynamic biomarkers of GSK461364A activity (pHH3 and Plk1) that are currently being evaluated in human cancer clinical trials.