CASC5 Inhibitors

Chemical inhibitors that are classed under CASC5 Inhibitors are not directly targeting the protein but instead influence the protein's function through their action on other cellular components or pathways. The primary focus of these inhibitors is to disrupt processes that are crucial for the proper functioning of the kinetochore, where CASC5 plays an integral role.

Compounds like Nocodazole and Paclitaxel exert their influence by altering microtubule dynamics. Nocodazole disrupts microtubule polymerization, a process essential for kinetochore-microtubule attachments, thereby impeding the function of kinetochore proteins such as CASC5. Taxol stabilizes microtubules to such an extent that it interferes with the dynamic changes required for proper kinetochore function, indirectly affecting CASC5. Other inhibitors, such as Monastrol and S-trityl-L-cysteine, target motor proteins like Eg5, which are critical for bipolar spindle assembly. Disruption of spindle dynamics can lead to erroneous kinetochore-microtubule attachments, thereby affecting CASC5's role in chromosome segregation. Aurora kinase inhibitors (ZM447439, VX-680, and Alisertib) and Plk1 kinase inhibitors (BI 2536) also modulate the activity of kinetochores by disrupting phosphorylation events that are crucial for the maintenance of kinetochore integrity and function. Furthermore, the chemical Purvalanol A, an inhibitor of Cdk1, arrests the cell cycle at a stage where kinetochore assembly is critical, thus indirectly influencing CASC5. Similarly, SP600125, a JNK inhibitor, and Reversine, a multi-kinase inhibitor, can alter signaling pathways and cell cycle progression, which has downstream effects on kinetochore composition and function.