Discovery of an allosteric ligand binding site in SMYD3 lysine methyltransferase

SMYD3 is a multifunctional epigenetic enzyme with lysine methyl transferase activity and various interaction partners. It is implicated in the pathophysiology of cancers but with an unclear mechanism. To discover tool compounds for clarifying its biochemistry and potential as a therapeutic target, a set of drug-like compounds was screened using a biosensor-based competition assay. Diperodon was identified as an allosteric ligand. The ( R )-and ( S )-enantiomers of the racemic drug were isolated and their affinities determined ( K D > = 42 and 84 μM). Co-crystallization revealed that both enantiomers bind to a previously unidentified allosteric site in the C-terminal protein binding domain, consistent with its weak inhibitory effect. No competition between diperodon and HSP90 (a known SMYD3 interaction partner) was observed although HSP90-SMYD3 binding was confirmed ( K D = 13 μM). The allosteric site appears to be druggable and suitable for exploration of non-catalytic SMYD3 functions and therapeutics with new mechanisms of action.