RK-682, a potent inhibitor of tyrosine phosphatase, arrested the mammalian cell cycle progression at G1phase.

A specific inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase), RK-682 (3-hexadecanoyl-5-hydroxymethyl-tetronic acid) was isolated from microbial metabolites. In vitro, RK-682 inhibited dephosphorylation activity of CD45 and VHR with IC50 54 and 2.0 microM, respectively. In situ, sodium orthovanadate and RK-682 enhanced the phosphotyrosine level of Ball-1 cells, a human B cell leukemia, but not the phosphoserine/threonine level. The PTPase inhibitors, however, had the different arrest point on the cell cycle progression. Sodium orthovanadate inhibited the cell cycle progression at G2/M boundary phase, on the other hand, RK-682 inhibited the G1/S transition.