The protein kinase DYRK1A is involved
in Alzheimer’s disease,
Down syndrome, diabetes, viral infections, and leukemia. Leucettines,
a family of 2-aminoimidazolin-4-ones derived from the marine sponge
alkaloid Leucettamine B, have been developed as pharmacological inhibitors
of DYRKs (dual specificity, tyrosine phosphorylation regulated kinases)
and CLKs (cdc2-like kinases). We report here on the synthesis and
structure–activity relationship (SAR) of 68 Leucettines. Leucettines
were tested on 11 purified kinases and in 5 cellular assays: (1) CLK1
pre-mRNA splicing, (2) Threonine-212-Tau phosphorylation, (3) glutamate-induced
cell death, (4) autophagy and (5) antagonism of ligand-activated cannabinoid
receptor CB1. The Leucettine SAR observed for DYRK1A is essentially
identical for CLK1, CLK4, DYRK1B, and DYRK2. DYRK3 and CLK3 are less
sensitive to Leucettines. In contrast, the cellular SAR highlights
correlations between inhibition of specific kinase targets and some
but not all cellular effects. Leucettines deserve further development
as potential therapeutics against various diseases on the basis of
their molecular targets and cellular effects.