Pa. Eyers et al., CONVERSION OF SB 203580-INSENSITIVE MBP KINASE FAMILY MEMBERS TO DRUG-SENSITIVE FORMS BY A SINGLE AMINO-ACID SUBSTITUTION, Chemistry & biology, 5(6), 1998, pp. 321-328
Background: Specific inhibitors of protein kinases have great therapeu
tic potential, but the molecular basis underlying their specificity is
only poorly understood, We have investigated the drug SE 203580 which
belongs to a class of pyridinyl imidazoles that inhibits the stress-a
ctivated protein (SAP) kinases SAPK2a/p38 and SAPK2b/p38 beta 2 but no
t other mitogen-activated protein kinase family members. Like inhibito
rs of other protein kinases, SE 203580 binds in the ATP-binding pocket
of SAPK2a/p38. Results: The SAP kinases SAPK1 gamma/JNK1, SAPK3 and S
APK4 are not inhibited by SE 203580, because they have methionine in t
he position equivalent to Thr106 in the ATP-binding region of SAPK2a/p
30 and SAPK2b/p38 beta 2. Using site-directed mutagenesis of five SAP
kinases and the type I and type II TGF beta receptors, we have establi
shed that for a protein kinase to be inhibited by SE 203580, the sidec
hain of this residue must be no larger than that of threonine, Sensiti
vity to inhibition by SE 203580 is greatly enhanced when the sidechain
is even smaller, as in serine, alanine or glycine. Thus, the type I T
GF beta receptor, which has serine at the position equivalent to Thr10
6 of SAPK2a/p38 and SAPK2b/p38 beta 2, is inhibited by SE 203580. Conc
lusions: These findings explain how drugs that target the ATP-binding
site can inhibit protein kinases specifically, and show that the prese
nce of threonine or a smaller amino acid at the position equivalent to
Thr106 of SAPK2a/p38 and SAPK2b/p38 beta 2 is diagnostic of whether a
protein kinase is sensitive to the pyridinyl imidazole class of inhib
itor.