NF-B-induced gene expression contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. I B kinase (IKK) is the converging point for the activation of NF-B by a broad spectrum of inflammatory agonists and is thus a novel target for therapeutic intervention. We describe a small molecule, selective inhibitor of IKK-2, SC-514, which does not inhibit other IKK isoforms or other serine-threonine and tyrosine kinases. SC-514 inhibits the native IKK complex or recombinant human IKK-1/IKK-2 heterodimer and IKK-2 homodimer similarly. IKK-2 inhibition by SC-514 is selective, reversible, and competitive with ATP. SC-514 inhibits transcription of NF-B-dependent genes in IL-1-induced rheumatoid arthritis-derived synovial fibroblasts in a dosedependent manner. When the mechanism of NF-B activation was evaluated in the presence of this inhibitor, several interesting observations were found. First, SC-514 did not inhibit the phosphorylation and activation of the IKK complex. Second, there was a delay but not a complete blockade in I B␣ phosphorylation and degradation; likewise there was a slightly slowed, decreased import of p65 into the nucleus and a faster export of p65 from the nucleus. Finally, both I B␣ and p65 were comparable substrates for IKK-2, with similar K m and K cat values, and SC-514 inhibited the phosphorylation of either substrate similarly. Thus, the effect of SC-514 on cytokine gene expression may be a combination of inhibiting I B␣ phosphorylation/degradation, affecting NF-B nuclear import/ export as well as the phosphorylation and transactivation of p65.
Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) is a ubiquitous, inducible transcription factor that regulates the initiation and progression of immune and inflammatory stress responses. NF-B activation depends on phosphorylation and degradation of its inhibitor protein, IB, initiated by an IB kinase (IKK) complex. This IKK complex includes a catalytic heterodimer composed of IB kinase 1 (IKK1) and IB kinase 2 (IKK2) as well as a regulatory adaptor subunit, NF-B essential modulator. To better understand the role of IKKs in NF-B activation, we have cloned, expressed, purified, and characterized the physiological isoform, the rhIKK1/rhIKK2 heterodimer. We compared its kinetic properties with those of the homodimers rhIKK1 and rhIKK2 and a constitutively active rhIKK2 (S177E, S181E) mutant. We demonstrate activation of these recombinantly expressed IKKs by phosphorylation during expression in a baculoviral system. The K m values for ATP and IB␣ peptide for the rhIKK1/rhIKK2 heterodimer are 0.63 and 0.60 M, respectively, which are comparable to those of the IKK2 homodimer. However, the purified rhIKK1/rhIKK2 heterodimer exhibits the highest catalytic efficiency (k cat / K m ) of 47.50 h ؊1 M ؊1 using an IB␣ peptide substrate compared with any of the other IKK isoforms, including rhIKK2 (17.44 h ؊1 M ؊1 ), its mutant rhIKK2 (S177E, S181E, 1.18 h ؊1 M ؊1 ), or rhIKK1 (0.02 h ؊1 M ؊1 ). Kinetic analysis also indicates that, although both products of the kinase reaction, ADP and a phosphorylated IB␣ peptide, exhibited competitive inhibitory kinetics, only ADP with the low K i of 0.77 M may play a physiological role in regulation of the enzyme activity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.