A peptide biosensor for detecting intracellular Abl kinase activity using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Many cancers are characterized by changes in protein phosphorylation as a result of kinase dysregulation. Disruption of Abl kinase signaling through the Philadelphia chromosome (causing the Bcr–Abl mutation) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has provided a paradigm for development of kinase inhibitor drugs such as the specific inhibitor imatinib (also known as STI571 or Gleevec). However, because patients are treated indefinitely with this drug to maintain remission, resistance is increasingly becoming an issue. Although there are many ways to detect kinase activity, most lack the ability to “multiplex” the analysis (i.e., to detect more than one substrate simultaneously). Here we report a novel biosensor for detecting Abl kinase activity and sensitivity to inhibitor in live intact cells overexpressing a CML model Abl kinase construct. This straightforward methodology could eventually provide a new tool for detecting kinase activity and inhibitor drug response in cancer cells that overexpress oncogenic kinases.