Indirubin, the active constituent of a Chinese antileukaemia medicine, inhibits cyclin-dependent kinases

Nat Cell Biol. 1999 May;1(1):60-7. doi: 10.1038/9035.

Abstract

Indirubin is the active ingredient of Danggui Longhui Wan, a mixture of plants that is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat chronic diseases. Here we identify indirubin and its analogues as potent inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). The crystal structure of CDK2 in complex with indirubin derivatives shows that indirubin interacts with the kinase's ATP-binding site through van der Waals interactions and three hydrogen bonds. Indirubin-3'-monoxime inhibits the proliferation of a large range of cells, mainly through arresting the cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. These results have implications for therapeutic optimization of indigoids.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / chemistry
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • CDC2-CDC28 Kinases*
  • Cell Cycle / drug effects
  • Cell Division / drug effects
  • Cell Line
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / chemistry
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Humans
  • Indigo Carmine
  • Indoles / chemistry
  • Indoles / pharmacokinetics
  • Indoles / pharmacology
  • Isatin / chemistry
  • Isatin / pharmacokinetics
  • Isatin / pharmacology
  • Jurkat Cells
  • K562 Cells
  • Leukemia L1210
  • Medicine, Chinese Traditional
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Spodoptera
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Indoles
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Isatin
  • Indigo Carmine
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • CDC2-CDC28 Kinases
  • CDK2 protein, human
  • Cdk2 protein, mouse
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinases
  • indirubin