Alternaria toxins as casein kinase 2 inhibitors and possible consequences for estrogenicity: a hybrid in silico/in vitro study

Emerging mycotoxins produced by Alternaria spp. were previously reported to exert cytotoxic, genotoxic, but also estrogenic effects in human cells. The involved mechanisms are very complex and not fully elucidated yet. Thus, we followed an in silico target fishing approach to extend knowledge on the possible biological targets underlying the activity of alternariol, taken as the signature compound of Alternaria toxins. Combining ligand-based screening and structure-based modeling, the ubiquitous casein kinase 2 (CK2) was identified as a potential target for the compound. This result was validated in a cell-free in vitro CK2 activity assay, where alternariol inhibited CK2 with an IC(50) of 707 nM. As CK2 was recently discussed to influence estrogen receptor (ER) transcription and DNA-binding affinity, we assessed a potential impact on the mRNA levels of ERα or ERβ by qRT-PCR and on nuclear localization of the receptors by confocal microscopy, using estrogen-sensitive Ishikawa cells as a model. While AOH did not affect the transcription of ERα or ERβ, an increase in nuclear localization of ERα after incubation with 10 µM AOH was observed. However, this effect might be due to ER binding affinity and therefore estrogenicity of AOH. Furthermore, in silico docking simulation revealed not only AOH, but also a number of other Alternaria toxins as potential inhibitors of CK2, including alternariol monomethyl ether and the perylene quinone derivative altertoxin II (ATX-II). These findings were representatively confirmed in vitro for the perylene quinone derivative altertoxin II, which was found to inhibit the kinase with an IC(50) of 5.1 µM. Taken together, we propose CK2 inhibition as an additional mechanism to consider in future studies for alternariol and several other Alternaria toxins.