PLK (Polo-like
kinase) inhibitors, such as
BI-2536, have been reported to suppress IFNB (encoding IFNβ,
interferon β) gene transcription induced by
ligands that activate TLR3 (
Toll-like receptor 3) and TLR4. In the present study, we found that
BI-2536 is likely to exert this effect by preventing the interaction of the
transcription factors IRF3 (
interferon-regulatory factor 3) and c-Jun with the IFNB promoter, but without affecting the TBK1 {TANK [TRAF (tumour-
necrosis-factor-receptor-associated factor)-associated nuclear factor κB activator]-binding
kinase 1}-catalysed phosphorylation of IRF3 at Ser³⁹⁶, the dimerization and nuclear translocation of IRF3 or the phosphorylation of c-Jun and ATF2 (
activating transcription factor 2). Although
BI-2536 inhibits few other
kinases tested, it interacts with BET (bromodomain and extra-terminal) family members and displaces them from acetylated
lysine residues on
histones. We found that BET inhibitors that do not inhibit PLKs phenocopied the effect of
BI-2536 on IFNB gene transcription. Similarly, BET inhibitors blocked the interaction of IRF5 with the IFNB promoter and the secretion of IFNβ induced by TLR7 or TLR9
ligands in the human plasmacytoid dendritic cell line GEN2.2, but without affecting the nuclear translocation of IRF5. We found that the BET family member BRD4 (bromodomain-containing
protein 4) was associated with the IFNB promoter and that this interaction was enhanced by TLR3- or TLR4-ligation and prevented by
BI-2536 and other BET inhibitors. Our results establish that BET family members are essential for TLR-stimulated IFNB gene transcription by permitting
transcription factors to interact with the IFNB promoter. They also show that the interaction of the IFNB promoter with BRD4 is regulated by TLR
ligation and that
BI-2536 is likely to suppress IFNB gene transcription by targeting BET family members.