Selective pyrrolo-pyrimidine inhibitors reveal a necessary role for Src family kinases in Bcr-Abl signal transduction and oncogenesis.

Abstract

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is defined by the presence of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome, which results in the expression of the 210 kDa Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase. Bcr-Abl constitutively activates several signaling proteins important for the proliferation and survival of myeloid progenitors, including the Src family kinases Hck and Lyn, the Stat5 transcription factor and upstream components of the Ras/Erk pathway. Recently, we found that kinase-defective Hck blocks Bcr-Abl-induced transformation of DAGM myeloid leukemia cells to cytokine independence, suggesting that activation of the Src kinase family may be essential to oncogenic signaling by Bcr-Abl. To investigate the contribution of Src kinases to Bcr-Abl signaling in vivo, we used the pyrrolo-pyrimidine Src kinase inhibitors PP2 and A-419259. Treatment of the Ph+ CML cell lines K-562 and Meg-01 with either compound resulted in growth arrest and induction of apoptosis, while the Ph- leukemia cell lines TF-1 and HEL were unaffected over the same concentration ranges. Suppression of Ph+ cell growth by PP2 and A-419259 correlated with a decrease in Src kinase autophosphorylation. Both inhibitors blocked Stat5 and Erk activation, consistent with the suppressive effects of the compounds on survival and proliferation. In contrast, the phosphotyrosine content of Bcr-Abl and its endogenous substrate CrkL was unchanged at inhibitor concentrations that induced apoptosis, blocked oncogenic signaling and inhibited Src kinases. These data implicate the Src kinase family in Stat5 and Erk activation downstream of Bcr-Abl, and identify myeloid-specific Src kinases as potential drug targets in CML.

• Authors: Matthew B Wilson, Steven J Schreiner, Hyun-Jung Choi, Joanne Kamens, Thomas E Smithgall
• Journal: Oncogene (Oncogene) Vol. 21 Issue 53 Pg. 8075-88 (Nov 21 2002) ISSN: 0950-9232 [Print] England
• PMID: 12444544 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• A 419259
• AG 1879
• DNA-Binding Proteins
• Enzyme Inhibitors
• Milk Proteins
• Neoplasm Proteins
• Pyrimidines
• Pyrroles
• STAT5 Transcription Factor
• Trans-Activators
• Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
• Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl
• src-Family Kinases
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

Topics

• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Cell Division (drug effects)
• Cell Transformation, Neoplastic (drug effects, metabolism)
• DNA-Binding Proteins
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Enzyme Activation (drug effects)
• Enzyme Inhibitors (pharmacology)
• Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl (physiology)
• Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (pharmacology)
• Humans
• K562 Cells (drug effects, enzymology)
• Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute (enzymology, pathology)
• Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive (enzymology, pathology)
• Milk Proteins
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 (metabolism)
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (metabolism)
• Monocytes (drug effects, enzymology)
• Neoplasm Proteins (antagonists & inhibitors, physiology)
• Phosphorylation (drug effects)
• Protein Processing, Post-Translational (drug effects)
• Pyrimidines (pharmacology)
• Pyrroles (pharmacology)
• STAT5 Transcription Factor
• Signal Transduction (drug effects, physiology)
• Trans-Activators
• Tumor Cells, Cultured (drug effects, enzymology)
• src-Family Kinases (antagonists & inhibitors, physiology)