Cell-based screen identifies a new potent and highly selective CK2 inhibitor for modulation of circadian rhythms and cancer cell growth

Compounds targeting the circadian clock have been identified as potential treatments for clock-related diseases, including cancer. Our cell-based phenotypic screen revealed uncharacterized clock-modulating compounds. Through affinity-based target deconvolution, we identified GO289, which strongly lengthened circadian period, as a potent and selective inhibitor of CK2. Phosphoproteomics identified multiple phosphorylation sites inhibited by GO289 on clock proteins, including PER2 S693. Furthermore, GO289 exhibited cell type-dependent inhibition of cancer cell growth that correlated with cellular clock function. The x-ray crystal structure of the CK2α-GO289 complex revealed critical interactions between GO289 and CK2-specific residues and no direct interaction of GO289 with the hinge region that is highly conserved among kinases. The discovery of GO289 provides a direct link between the circadian clock and cancer regulation and reveals unique design principles underlying kinase selectivity.