A Previously Unknown Unique Challenge for Inhibitors of SYK ATP-Binding Site: Role of SYK as A Cell Cycle Checkpoint Regulator

• SYK is a cell cycle regulatory kinase that phosphorylates CDC25C at S216
• SYK is a master regulator of cell cycle regulatory checkpoint genes in human cells
• Inhibitors of SYK ATP binding site may increase the risk for secondary cancer

The identification of SYK as a molecular target in B-lineage leukemia/lymphoma cells prompted the development of SYK inhibitors as a new class of anti-cancer drug candidates. Here we report that induction of the SYK gene expression in human cells causes a significant down-regulation of evolutionarily conserved genes associated with mitosis and cell cycle progression providing unprecedented evidence that SYK is a master regulator of cell cycle regulatory checkpoint genes in human cells. We further show that SYK regulates the G2 checkpoint by physically associating with and inhibiting the dual-specificity phosphatase CDC25C via phosphorylation of its S216 residue. SYK depletion by RNA interference or treatment with the chemical SYK inhibitor prevented nocodazole-treated human cell lines from activating the G2 checkpoint via CDC25C S216-phosphorylation and resulted in polyploidy. Our study provides genetic and biochemical evidence that spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) has a unique role in the activation of the G2 checkpoint in both non-lymphohematopoietic and B-lineage lymphoid cells. This previously unknown role of SYK as a cell cycle checkpoint regulator represents an unforeseen and significant challenge for inhibitors of SYK ATP binding site.