PIP4K2A is an insufficiently
studied type II lipid kinase that
catalyzes the conversion of phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate (PI5P)
into phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI4,5P2). The
involvement of PIP4K2A/B in cancer has been suggested, particularly
in the context of p53 mutant/null tumors. PIP4K2A/B depletion has
been shown to induce tumor growth inhibition, possibly due to hyperactivation
of AKT and reactive oxygen species-mediated apoptosis. Herein, we
report the identification of the novel potent and highly selective
inhibitors BAY-091 and BAY-297 of the kinase PIP4K2A by high-throughput
screening and subsequent structure-based optimization. Cellular target
engagement of BAY-091 and BAY-297 was demonstrated using cellular
thermal shift assay technology. However, inhibition of PIP4K2A with
BAY-091 or BAY-297 did not translate into the hypothesized mode of
action and antiproliferative activity in p53-deficient tumor cells.
Therefore, BAY-091 and BAY-297 serve as valuable chemical probes to
study PIP4K2A signaling and its involvement in pathophysiological
conditions such as cancer.