1. Academic Validation
  2. Drugging MYCN through an allosteric transition in Aurora kinase A

Drugging MYCN through an allosteric transition in Aurora kinase A

  • Cancer Cell. 2014 Sep 8;26(3):414-427. doi: 10.1016/j.ccr.2014.07.015.
William Clay Gustafson 1 Justin Gabriel Meyerowitz 2 Erin A Nekritz 1 Justin Chen 3 Cyril Benes 4 Elise Charron 5 Erin F Simonds 6 Robert Seeger 7 Katherine K Matthay 1 Nicholas T Hertz 8 Martin Eilers 9 Kevan M Shokat 10 William A Weiss 11
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Pediatrics, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
  • 2 Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
  • 3 Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
  • 4 Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02114, USA.
  • 5 Department of Pediatrics, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
  • 6 Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
  • 7 Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Boulevard, Mailstop #57, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
  • 8 Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
  • 9 Theodor Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Wurzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
  • 10 Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
  • 11 Department of Pediatrics, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. Electronic address: waweiss@gmail.com.
Abstract

MYC proteins are major drivers of Cancer yet are considered undruggable because their DNA binding domains are composed of two extended alpha helices with no apparent surfaces for small-molecule binding. Proteolytic degradation of MYCN protein is regulated in part by a kinase-independent function of Aurora A. We describe a class of inhibitors that disrupts the native conformation of Aurora A and drives the degradation of MYCN protein across MYCN-driven cancers. Comparison of cocrystal structures with structure-activity relationships across multiple inhibitors and chemotypes, coupled with mechanistic studies and biochemical assays, delineates an Aurora A conformation-specific effect on proteolytic degradation of MYCN, rather than simple nanomolar-level inhibition of Aurora A kinase activity.

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