Abstract A005: A live cell PRMT5 NanoBRET™ target engagement assay querying competitive and uncompetitive modes of inhibition

Abstract PRMT5 is an essential arginine methyltransferase that regulates a wide spectrum of cellular processes through the methylation of histone and non-histone substrates. In PRMT5 catalysis, SAM serves as the cofactor and methyl group donor, generating a methylated guanidinium moiety on the target substrate. In normal cells, the SAM pools are maintained through the methionine salvage pathway. In 15% of cancers, a key enzyme in this pathway (MTAP) is deleted, leading to an accumulation of the intermediate MTA, which inhibits PRMT5 activity. This genetic loss of function has therefore been pursued as a collateral vulnerability in MTAP deleted cancers. To exploit this synthetic lethality, a number of novel inhibitors (such as MRTX1719) have been developed that bind cooperatively at the PRMT5/MTA complex, offering a compelling pathway to precision medicine. Here we describe a novel, live cell NanoBRET™ Target Engagement assay that enables mechanistic studies on a variety of PRMT5 inhibitors. Using a cell-permeable NanoBRET probe directed to the substrate pocket of PRMT5, both substrate- and cofactor-competitive engagement can be quantified in cells. Moreover, this method can be used to quantify MTA-uncompetitive target engagement in cells, providing a platform to measure the potency of PRMT5-MTA-drug ternary complex formation. This method serves as a first-in-class method to quantify uncompetitive target engagement in live cells, which can be applied to other model systems. Citation Format: Kelly A. Teske, Ani Michaud, Elisabeth Rothweiler, Cesear Corona, Kaitlin Dunn Hoffman, Jennifer Wilkinson, Michael Beck, James Vasta, Kilian Huber, Matthew Robers. A live cell PRMT5 NanoBRET™ target engagement assay querying competitive and uncompetitive modes of inhibition abstract. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Expanding and Translating Cancer Synthetic Vulnerabilities; 2024 Jun 10-13; Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2024;23(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A005.