1. Academic Validation
  2. Selective small molecule inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase-3 modulate glycogen metabolism and gene transcription

Selective small molecule inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase-3 modulate glycogen metabolism and gene transcription

  • Chem Biol. 2000 Oct;7(10):793-803. doi: 10.1016/s1074-5521(00)00025-9.
M P Coghlan 1 A A Culbert D A Cross S L Corcoran J W Yates N J Pearce O L Rausch G J Murphy P S Carter L Roxbee Cox D Mills M J Brown D Haigh R W Ward D G Smith K J Murray A D Reith J C Holder
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Department of Vascular Biology, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Essex, UK. matthew_coghlan-1@sbphrd.com
Abstract

Background: Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a serine/threonine protein kinase, the activity of which is inhibited by a variety of extracellular stimuli including Insulin, growth factors, cell specification factors and cell adhesion. Consequently, inhibition of GSK-3 activity has been proposed to play a role in the regulation of numerous signalling pathways that elicit pleiotropic cellular responses. This report describes the identification and characterisation of potent and selective small molecule inhibitors of GSK-3.

Results: SB-216763 and SB-415286 are structurally distinct maleimides that inhibit GSK-3alpha in vitro, with K(i)s of 9 nM and 31 nM respectively, in an ATP competitive manner. These compounds inhibited GSK-3beta with similar potency. However, neither compound significantly inhibited any member of a panel of 24 other protein kinases. Furthermore, treatment of cells with either compound stimulated responses characteristic of extracellular stimuli that are known to inhibit GSK-3 activity. Thus, SB-216763 and SB-415286 stimulated glycogen synthesis in human liver cells and induced expression of a beta-catenin-LEF/TCF regulated reporter gene in HEK293 cells. In both cases, compound treatment was demonstrated to inhibit cellular GSK-3 activity as assessed by activation of glycogen synthase, which is a direct target of this kinase.

Conclusions: SB-216763 and SB-415286 are novel, potent and selective cell permeable inhibitors of GSK-3. Therefore, these compounds represent valuable pharmacological tools with which the role of GSK-3 in cellular signalling can be further elucidated. Furthermore, development of similar compounds may be of use therapeutically in disease states associated with elevated GSK-3 activity such as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and neurodegenerative disease.

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