Identification of a Class of WNK Isoform-Specific Inhibitors Through High-Throughput Screening. 2023

Julita Chlebowicz, and Radha Akella, and John M Humphreys, and Haixia He, and Ashari R Kannangara, and Shuguang Wei, and Bruce Posner, and Elizabeth J Goldsmith
Department of Biophysics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.

WNK [with no lysine (K)] kinases are serine/threonine kinases associated with familial hyperkalemic hypertension (FHHt). WNKs are therapeutic targets for blood pressure regulation, stroke and several cancers including triple negative breast cancer and glioblastoma. Here, we searched for and characterized novel WNK kinase inhibitors. We used a ~210,000-compound library in a high-throughput screen, re-acquisition and assay, commercial specificity screens and crystallography to identify WNK-isoform-selective inhibitors. We identified five classes of compounds that inhibit the kinase activity of WNK1: quinoline compounds, halo-sulfones, cyclopropane-containing thiazoles, piperazine-containing compounds, and nitrophenol-derived compounds. The compounds are strongly pan-WNK selective, inhibiting all four WNK isoforms. A class of quinoline compounds was identified that further shows selectivity among the WNK isoforms, being more potent toward WNK3 than WNK1. The crystal structure of the quinoline-derived SW120619 bound to the kinase domain of WNK3 reveals active site binding, and comparison to the WNK1 structure reveals the potential origin of isoform specificity. The newly discovered classes of compounds may be starting points for generating pharmacological tools and potential drugs treating hypertension and cancer.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D006973 Hypertension Persistently high systemic arterial BLOOD PRESSURE. Based on multiple readings (BLOOD PRESSURE DETERMINATION), hypertension is currently defined as when SYSTOLIC PRESSURE is consistently greater than 140 mm Hg or when DIASTOLIC PRESSURE is consistently 90 mm Hg or more. Blood Pressure, High,Blood Pressures, High,High Blood Pressure,High Blood Pressures
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000076204 WNK Lysine-Deficient Protein Kinase 1 A serine-threonine kinase which plays an important role in the regulation of electrolyte homeostasis, cell signaling, survival, and proliferation. It functions as an activator and inhibitor of sodium-coupled chloride co-transporters and as an inhibitor of potassium-coupled chloride co-transporters. Mutations in the WNK1 gene are associated with type 2C PSEUDOHYPOALDOSTERONISM and type 2A HEREDITARY SENSORY AND AUTONOMIC NEUROPATHIES. WNK Lysine Deficient Protein Kinase 1
D017346 Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases A group of enzymes that catalyzes the phosphorylation of serine or threonine residues in proteins, with ATP or other nucleotides as phosphate donors. Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases,Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase,Serine-Threonine Protein Kinases,Protein-Serine Kinase,Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinase,Protein-Threonine Kinase,Serine Kinase,Serine-Threonine Kinase,Serine-Threonine Kinases,Threonine Kinase,Kinase, Protein-Serine,Kinase, Protein-Serine-Threonine,Kinase, Protein-Threonine,Kinase, Serine-Threonine,Kinases, Protein Serine-Threonine,Kinases, Protein-Serine-Threonine,Kinases, Serine-Threonine,Protein Kinase, Serine-Threonine,Protein Kinases, Serine-Threonine,Protein Serine Kinase,Protein Serine Threonine Kinase,Protein Serine Threonine Kinases,Protein Threonine Kinase,Serine Threonine Kinase,Serine Threonine Kinases,Serine Threonine Protein Kinase,Serine Threonine Protein Kinases
D057166 High-Throughput Screening Assays Rapid methods of measuring the effects of an agent in a biological or chemical assay. The assay usually involves some form of automation or a way to conduct multiple assays at the same time using sample arrays. High-Throughput Screening,High-Throughput Biological Assays,High-Throughput Chemical Assays,High-Throughput Screening Methods,Assay, High-Throughput Biological,Assay, High-Throughput Chemical,Assay, High-Throughput Screening,Biological Assay, High-Throughput,Chemical Assay, High-Throughput,High Throughput Biological Assays,High Throughput Chemical Assays,High Throughput Screening,High Throughput Screening Assays,High Throughput Screening Methods,High-Throughput Biological Assay,High-Throughput Chemical Assay,High-Throughput Screening Assay,High-Throughput Screening Method,High-Throughput Screenings,Screening Assay, High-Throughput,Screening Method, High-Throughput,Screening, High-Throughput
D020033 Protein Isoforms Different forms of a protein that may be produced from different GENES, or from the same gene by ALTERNATIVE SPLICING. Isoform,Isoforms,Protein Isoform,Protein Splice Variant,Splice Variants, Protein,Protein Splice Variants,Isoform, Protein,Isoforms, Protein,Splice Variant, Protein,Variant, Protein Splice,Variants, Protein Splice

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