Kinase experiment:

For donor saturating assays, Hela cells are seeded on 12-well plates and transfected with 200 ng/well of plasmid pRluc-BimL coding for BRET donor and an increasing quantity of BRET acceptor plasmids peYFP-Mcl-1 (or with pCMV-Mcl-1 as a control). Twenty-four hours after transfection, cells are trypsinized, reseeded into white flat bottom 96-well plates, and incubated for another day before measurements. A single donor/acceptor ratio (200/800) is used to carry out the drug treatment assay. After reseeding, cells are then subject to a 16 h Pyridoclax treatment. Light emission at 485 and 530 nm is measured consecutively using the Mithras fluorescence-luminescence detector LB 940 after adding the luciferase substrate, coelenterazine H, at a final concentration of 5 μM. BRET ratios are calculated[1].

Pyridoclax is a potential Mcl-1 inhibitor.

Pyridoclax directly binds to Mcl-1. Without cytotoxic activity when administered as a single agent, Pyridoclax induces apoptosis in combination with Bcl-xL-targeting siRNA or with ABT-737 in ovarian, lung, and mesothelioma cancer cells[1]. Pyridoclax directly binds to Mcl-1, and hence sensitizes ovarian carcinoma cells to Bcl-xL-targeting strategies. Pyridoclax induces apoptosis in ovarian, and also in lung, and mesothelioma cancer cells when it is administrated in combination with Bcl-xL-targeting siRNA or Bcl-xL targeting molecules such as ABT-737 or its orally available derivative ABT-263[2].

References:
[1]. Gloaguen C, et al. First evidence that oligopyridines, α-helix foldamers, inhibit Mcl-1 and sensitize ovarian carcinoma cells to Bcl-xL-targeting strategies. J Med Chem. 2015 Feb 26;58(4):1644-68.
[2]. Groo AC, et al. Comparison of 2 strategies to enhance Pyridoclax solubility: Nanoemulsion delivery system versus salt synthesis. Eur J Pharm Sci. 2017 Jan 15;97:218-226.