Slowly on, Slowly off: Bisubstrate-Analogue Conjugates of 5-Iodotubercidin and Histone H3 Peptide Targeting Protein Kinase Haspin

The atypical protein kinase Haspin serves as one of a key players in mitosis by catalysing phosphorylation of Thr3 in histone H3, and thus sustaining the normal functioning of the chromosomal passenger complex. Here, we report the development of bisubstrate-analogue inhibitors targeting Haspin. The compounds were constructed by linking 5-iodotubercidin moiety to the N-terminal sequence of histone H3. The new conjugates possessed high affinity (KD in the subnanomolar range) towards Haspin as well as slow kinetics of association and dissociation (residence time on the scale of several hours), which reflected their unique binding mode and translated into improved selectivity. The latter was confirmed in a biochemical binding/displacement assay with a panel of 10 protein kinases, in thermal shift assay with off-targets of 5-iodotubercidin represented by adenosine kinase and the Cdc2-like kinase family, as well as in assay with spiked lysates of HeLa cells.