SRA

The success of targeted therapies hinges on our ability to understand the molecular and cellular mechanism of action of these agents. Here we modify various BET bromodomain inhibitors, an exemplar novel targeted therapy, to create functionally conserved compounds that are amenable to click-chemistry and can be used as molecular probes in vitro and in vivo. Using click-proteomics and click-sequencing we provide new mechanistic insights to explain the gene regulatory function of BRD4 and the transcriptional changes invoked by BET inhibitors. In mouse models of acute leukaemia, we use high resolution microscopy and flow cytometry to highlight the underappreciated heterogeneity of drug activity within tumour cells located in different tissue compartments. We also demonstrate the differential distribution and effects of the drug in normal and malignant cells in vivo. These data provide critical insights that reveal the cellular and molecular details for the efficacy and limitations of these agents. This study provides a framework for the pre-clinical assessment of other conventional and targeted therapies. Overall design: Click-seq of K562 and MV4;11 cells