MCL1 S159A

Cytotoxicity, apoptosis and protein expression and turnover were measured in FLT3-ITD-expressing cell lines and AML patient blasts treated with the FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib and/or the Pim inhibitors AZD1208 or TP-3654. The data are consistent with c-Myc T58 and Mcl-1 S159 phosphorylation by activated GSK-3β as the mechanism of action of gilteritinib and Pim inhibitor combination treatment, further supporting GSK-3β activation as a therapeutic strategy in FLT3-ITD AML.  .

The serine/threonine kinase GSK-3β regulates c-Myc and Mcl-1 protein via phosphorylation at T58 and S159, respectively; we hypothesized downregulation of both proteins by combination treatment through phosphorylation by GSK-3β. FLT3-ITD cells lines (Ba/F3-ITD, MV4-11, and MOLM-14) and primary FLT3-ITD AML patient blasts were cultured with the pan-Pim kinase inhibitor AZD1208, the FLT3 inhibitors gilteritinib or quizartinib and the GSK-3β inhibitor TCG-24...To measure protein half-lives, cells were pretreated with cycloheximide with and without the proteasome inhibitor MG-132... Pim inhibitors enhance efficacy of FLT3 inhibitors via GSK-3β activation and GSK-3β-mediated enhanced proteasomal degradation of c-Myc and Mcl-1, highlighting GSK-3β as a key target in cells with FLT3-ITD.