The Kinase CK1α coordinates Initiation and Termination of the cGAS-STING Pathway

The cGAS-STING pathway is an evolutionarily conserved antimicrobial defense mechanism that senses cytosolic DNA to trigger innate immune responses. cGAS and STING play dual roles in tumorigenesis, promoting antitumor immunity and cell death while fueling tumor growth and metastasis. However, the mechanisms fine-tuning this pathway remain elusive. Using proteomic approaches, we report that Casein Kinase 1 alpha (CK1α) operates as a bimodal regulator of the cGAS-STING pathway. CK1α supports optimal DNA sensing by preventing the proteasomal degradation of cGAS driven by the cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase 3 (CRL3). Conversely, CK1α facilitates STING degradation and signaling termination in response to STING agonists, tempering IRF3 activation. Exploiting these counterposing functions, we show that selective degradation of CK1α with molecular-glue degraders impaired the survival of a triple-negative breast cancer cell line with chronic cGAS-STING activation and synergized with a STING agonist to kill acute myeloid leukemia cells. Thus, CK1α’s dual regulatory role in the cGAS-STING pathway presents a promising target for therapeutic development.