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  • Parthenolide Covalently Targets and Inhibits Focal Adhesion Kinase in Breast Cancer Cells.

Parthenolide Covalently Targets and Inhibits Focal Adhesion Kinase in Breast Cancer Cells.

Cell chemical biology (2019-05-14)
Charles A Berdan, Raymond Ho, Haley S Lehtola, Milton To, Xirui Hu, Tucker R Huffman, Yana Petri, Chad R Altobelli, Sasha G Demeulenaere, James A Olzmann, Thomas J Maimone, Daniel K Nomura
ABSTRACT

Parthenolide, a natural product from the feverfew plant and member of the large family of sesquiterpene lactones, exerts multiple biological and therapeutic activities including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Here, we further study the parthenolide mechanism of action using activity-based protein profiling-based chemoproteomic platforms to map additional covalent targets engaged by parthenolide in human breast cancer cells. We find that parthenolide, as well as other related exocyclic methylene lactone-containing sesquiterpenes, covalently modify cysteine 427 of focal adhesion kinase 1 (FAK1), leading to impairment of FAK1-dependent signaling pathways and breast cancer cell proliferation, survival, and motility. These studies reveal a functional target exploited by members of a large family of anti-cancer natural products.

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Sigma-Aldrich
Calyculin A, Discodermia calyx, Calyculin A, CAS 101932-71-2, is a cell-permeable inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (IC₅₀ = 0.5-1 nM) and protein phosphatase 1 (PP1; IC₅₀ = 2 nM).