Dorsomorphin (866405-64-3) is a potent, selective and ATP-competitive inhibitor of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) (Ki = 109 nM).1 It displays no significant inhibition of ZAPK, SYK, PKCT, PKA and JAK3. It inhibits bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptors (ALK2, ALK3 and ALK6).2 Dorsomorphin has been shown to promote cardiomyogenesis in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in vitro.3 Dorsomorphin also induces autophagy in cancer cell lines via a mechanism independent of AMPK inhibition.4
References/Citations:
1) Zhou et al. (2001) Role of AMP-activated protein kinase in mechanism of metformin action; J. Clin. Invest. 108 1167
2) Yu et al. (2008) Dorsomorphin inhibits BMP signals required for embryogenesis and iron metabolism; Nat. Chem. Biol. 4 33
3) Hao et al. (2008) Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells; PLoS ONE, 3 2904
4) Vucicevic et al. (2011) Compound C induces protective autophagy in cancer cells through AMPK inhibition-independent blockade of Akt/mTOR pathway; Autophagy 7 40
