Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor dinaciclib interacts with the acetyl-lysine recognition site of bromodomains.
M.P.Martin,
S.H.Olesen,
G.I.Georg,
E.Schönbrunn.
ABSTRACT
Bromodomain-containing proteins are considered atypical kinases, but their
potential to interact with kinase inhibitors is unknown. Dinaciclib is a potent
inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), which recently advanced to Phase
III clinical trials for the treatment of leukemia. We determined the crystal
structure of dinaciclib in complex with CDK2 at 1.7 Å resolution, revealing an
elaborate network of binding interactions in the ATP site, which explains the
extraordinary potency and selectivity of this inhibitor. Remarkably, dinaciclib
also interacted with the acetyl-lysine recognition site of the bromodomain
testis-specific protein BRDT, a member of the BET family of bromodomains. The
binding mode of dinaciclib to BRDT at 2.0 Å resolution suggests that general
kinase inhibitors ("hinge binders") possess a previously unrecognized
potential to act as protein-protein inhibitors of bromodomains. The findings may
provide a new structural framework for the design of next-generation bromodomain
inhibitors using the vast chemical space of kinase inhibitors.