bims-cagime Biomed News
on Cancer, aging and metabolism
Issue of 2021–07–18
forty-four papers selected by
Kıvanç Görgülü, Technical University of Munich
  1. Autophagy and Tumorigenesis.
  2. Mebendazole disrupts stromal desmoplasia and tumorigenesis in two models of pancreatic cancer.
  3. Cancer metabolism: looking forward.
  4. Metabolic networks in mutant KRAS-driven tumours: tissue specificities and the microenvironment.
  5. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of perineural invasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
  6. ATG9A protects the plasma membrane from programmed and incidental permeabilization.
  7. p53 deficiency induces MTHFD2 transcription to promote cell proliferation and restrain DNA damage.
  8. The mitochondrial calcium homeostasis orchestra plays its symphony: Skeletal muscle is the guest of honor.
  9. Reliable Detection of Somatic Mutations for Pancreatic Cancer in Endoscopic Ultrasonography-Guided Fine Needle Aspirates with Next-Generation Sequencing: Implications from a Prospective Cohort Study.
  10. Microenvironment-triggered multimodal precision diagnostics.
  11. Metabolic Rewiring by Loss of Sirt5 Promotes Kras-induced Pancreatic Cancer Progression.
  12. A systematic review of the prevalence of germline pathogenic variants in patients with pancreatic cancer.
  13. Mitochondrial compartmentalization: emerging themes in structure and function.
  14. Physiological impact of in vivo stable isotope tracing on cancer metabolism.
  15. Organotypic Slice Cultures as Preclinical Models of Tumor Microenvironment in Primary Pancreatic Cancer and Metastasis.
  16. E2F/Dp inactivation in fat body cells triggers systemic metabolic changes.
  17. The Proteomic Landscape of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Liver Metastases Identifies Molecular Subtypes and Associations with Clinical Response-Response.
  18. Lysosomal calcium and autophagy.
  19. Cell competition acts as a purifying selection to eliminate cells with mitochondrial defects during early mouse development.
  20. A p53-dependent translational program directs tissue-selective phenotypes in a model of ribosomopathies.
  21. Telomere dysfunction instigates inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease.
  22. Glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthesis regenerates cytosolic NAD+ to alleviate mitochondrial disease.
  23. Lipid droplets form a network interconnected by the endoplasmic reticulum through which they equilibrate their proteins.
  24. The Classification and Basic Processes of Autophagy.
  25. Mitochondrial Ca2+ and cell cycle regulation.
  26. Antibiotic use influences outcomes in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients.
  27. The force loading rate drives cell mechanosensing through both reinforcement and cytoskeletal softening.
  28. Mechanometabolism: Mitochondria promote resilience under pressure.
  29. Translational control of stem cell function.
  30. Genome-Wide Identification of Autophagy Prognostic Signature in Pancreatic Cancer.
  31. Super-resolution microscopy reveals the arrangement of inner membrane protein complexes in mammalian mitochondria.
  32. Reducing embryonic mtDNA copy number alters epigenetic profile of key hepatic lipolytic genes and causes abnormal lipid accumulation in adult mice.
  33. Mechanisms of Selective Autophagy.
  34. KDM4 Orchestrates Epigenomic Remodeling of Senescent Cells and Potentiates the Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype.
  35. Akt phosphorylates insulin receptor substrate to limit PI3K-mediated PIP3 synthesis.
  36. Inhibition of HSP90 reverses STAT3-mediated muscle wasting in cancer cachexia mice.
  37. Deactivation blocks proton pathways in the mitochondrial complex I.
  38. Regulation of muscle and mitochondrial health by the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 in aged mice.
  39. Pancreatic cancer chemotherapy is potentiated by induction of tertiary lymphoid structures in mice.
  40. Reconstructing an epigenetic landscape using a genetic pulling approach.
  41. The hoverfly and the wasp: A critique of the hallmarks of aging as a paradigm.
  42. CD8+ T cell differentiation and dysfunction in cancer.
  43. Breakthroughs and bottlenecks in autophagy research.
  44. Therapy of pancreatic cancer with alternating electric fields: Limitations of the method.
  1. FEBS J. 2021 Jul 16.
    Autophagy and Tumorigenesis.
    Michael Rangel, Jerry Kong, Vrushank Bhatt, Khoosheh Khayati, Jessie Yanxiang Guo.
      Autophagy is a catabolic process that captures cellular waste and degrades them in the lysosome. The main function of autophagy is quality control of cytosolic proteins and organelles, and intracellular recycling of nutrients in order to maintain cellular homeostasis. Autophagy is upregulated in many cancers to promote cell survival, proliferation and metastasis. Both cell-autonomous autophagy (also known as tumor autophagy) and non-cell autonomous autophagy (also known as host autophagy) supports tumorigenesis through different mechanisms, including inhibition of p53 activation, sustaining redox homeostasis, maintenance of essential amino acids levels in order to support energy production and biosynthesis, and inhibition of anti-tumor immune responses. Therefore, autophagy may serve as a tumor-specific vulnerability and targeting autophagy could be a novel strategy in cancer treatment.
    Keywords:  Autophagy; Cancer; Cancer Metabolism; Immune Response; Metastasis; p53
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.16125
  2. Oncotarget. 2021 Jul 06. 12(14): 1326-1338
    Mebendazole disrupts stromal desmoplasia and tumorigenesis in two models of pancreatic cancer.
    Tara Williamson, Michelle Carvalho de Abreu, Dimitri G Trembath, Cory Brayton, Byunghak Kang, Thais Biude Mendes, Paulo Pimentel de Assumpção, Janete M Cerutti, Gregory J Riggins.
      The five-year survival rate for metastatic pancreatic cancer is currently only 3%, which increases to 13% with local invasion only and to 39% with localized disease at diagnosis. Here we evaluated repurposed mebendazole, an approved anthelminthic drug, to determine how mebendazole might work at the different stages of pancreatic cancer formation and progression. We asked if mebendazole could prevent initiation of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia precursor lesions, interfere with stromal desmoplasia, or suppress tumor growth and liver metastasis. In both the Kras LSL.G12D/+; Pdx1-Cre (KC) mouse model of caerulein-induced inflammatory pancreatitis and the Kras LSL.G12D/+; Tp53 R172H/+; Pdx1-Cre (KPC) mouse model of advanced pancreatic cancer, mebendazole significantly reduced pancreas weight, dysplasia and intraepithelial neoplasia formation, compared to controls. Mebendazole significantly reduced trichrome-positive fibrotic connective tissue and α-SMA-positive activated pancreatic stellate cells that heralds fibrogenesis. In the aggressive KPC model, mebendazole significantly suppressed pancreatic tumor growth, both as an early and late intervention. Mebendazole reduced the overall incidence of pancreatic cancer and severity of liver metastasis in KPC mice. Using early models of pancreatic cancer, treatment with mebendazole resulted in less inflammation, decreased dysplasia, with the later stage model additionally showing a decreased tumor burden, less advanced tumors, and a reduction of metastasis. We conclude that mebendazole should be investigated further as a component of adjuvant therapy to slow progression and prevent metastasis, and well as for primary prevention in the highest risk patients.
    Keywords:  cancer prevention; mebendazole; metastasis; mouse models; pancreatic cancer
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28014
  3. Nat Rev Cancer. 2021 Jul 16.
    Cancer metabolism: looking forward.
    Inmaculada Martínez-Reyes, Navdeep S Chandel.
      Tumour initiation and progression requires the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells. Cancer cells autonomously alter their flux through various metabolic pathways in order to meet the increased bioenergetic and biosynthetic demand as well as mitigate oxidative stress required for cancer cell proliferation and survival. Cancer driver mutations coupled with environmental nutrient availability control flux through these metabolic pathways. Metabolites, when aberrantly accumulated, can also promote tumorigenesis. The development and application of new technologies over the last few decades has not only revealed the heterogeneity and plasticity of tumours but also allowed us to uncover new metabolic pathways involved in supporting tumour growth. The tumour microenvironment (TME), which can be depleted of certain nutrients, forces cancer cells to adapt by inducing nutrient scavenging mechanisms to sustain cancer cell proliferation. There is growing appreciation that the metabolism of cell types other than cancer cells within the TME, including endothelial cells, fibroblasts and immune cells, can modulate tumour progression. Because metastases are a major cause of death of patients with cancer, efforts are underway to understand how metabolism is harnessed by metastatic cells. Additionally, there is a new interest in exploiting cancer genetic analysis for patient stratification and/or dietary interventions in combination with therapies that target metabolism. In this Perspective, we highlight these main themes that are currently under investigation in the context of in vivo tumour metabolism, specifically emphasizing questions that remain unanswered.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-021-00378-6
  4. Nat Rev Cancer. 2021 Jul 09.
    Metabolic networks in mutant KRAS-driven tumours: tissue specificities and the microenvironment.
    Samuel A Kerk, Thales Papagiannakopoulos, Yatrik M Shah, Costas A Lyssiotis.
      Oncogenic mutations in KRAS drive common metabolic programmes that facilitate tumour survival, growth and immune evasion in colorectal carcinoma, non-small-cell lung cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. However, the impacts of mutant KRAS signalling on malignant cell programmes and tumour properties are also dictated by tumour suppressor losses and physiological features specific to the cell and tissue of origin. Here we review convergent and disparate metabolic networks regulated by oncogenic mutant KRAS in colon, lung and pancreas tumours, with an emphasis on co-occurring mutations and the role of the tumour microenvironment. Furthermore, we explore how these networks can be exploited for therapeutic gain.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-021-00375-9
  5. Cancer Commun (Lond). 2021 Jul 15.
    Cellular and molecular mechanisms of perineural invasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
    Jingbo Li, Rui Kang, Daolin Tang.
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive malignant disease with a unique tumor microenvironment surrounded by an interlaced network of cancer and noncancerous cells. Recent works have revealed that the dynamic interaction between cancer cells and neuronal cells leads to perineural invasion (PNI), a clinical pathological feature of PDAC. The formation and function of PNI are dually regulated by molecular (e.g., involving neurotrophins, cytokines, chemokines, and neurotransmitters), metabolic (e.g., serine metabolism), and cellular mechanisms (e.g., involving Schwann cells, stromal cells, T cells, and macrophages). Such integrated mechanisms of PNI not only support tumor development, growth, invasion, and metastasis but also mediate the formation of pain, all of which are closely related to poor disease prognosis in PDAC. This review details the modulation, signaling pathways, detection, and clinical relevance of PNI and highlights the opportunities for further exploration that may benefit PDAC patients.
    Keywords:  neurotrophins; pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; perineural invasion; schwann cells; tumor microenvironment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/cac2.12188
  6. Nat Cell Biol. 2021 Jul 12.
    ATG9A protects the plasma membrane from programmed and incidental permeabilization.
    Aurore Claude-Taupin, Jingyue Jia, Zambarlal Bhujabal, Meriem Garfa-Traoré, Suresh Kumar, Gustavo Peixoto Duarte da Silva, Ruheena Javed, Yuexi Gu, Lee Allers, Ryan Peters, Fulong Wang, Luciana Jesus da Costa, Sandeep Pallikkuth, Keith A Lidke, Mario Mauthe, Pauline Verlhac, Yasuo Uchiyama, Michelle Salemi, Brett Phinney, Sharon A Tooze, Muriel C Mari, Terje Johansen, Fulvio Reggiori, Vojo Deretic.
      The integral membrane protein ATG9A plays a key role in autophagy. It displays a broad intracellular distribution and is present in numerous compartments, including the plasma membrane (PM). The reasons for the distribution of ATG9A to the PM and its role at the PM are not understood. Here, we show that ATG9A organizes, in concert with IQGAP1, components of the ESCRT system and uncover cooperation between ATG9A, IQGAP1 and ESCRTs in protection from PM damage. ESCRTs and ATG9A phenocopied each other in protection against PM injury. ATG9A knockouts sensitized the PM to permeabilization by a broad spectrum of microbial and endogenous agents, including gasdermin, MLKL and the MLKL-like action of coronavirus ORF3a. Thus, ATG9A engages IQGAP1 and the ESCRT system to maintain PM integrity.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-021-00706-w
  7. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Jul 13. pii: e2019822118. [Epub ahead of print]118(28):
    p53 deficiency induces MTHFD2 transcription to promote cell proliferation and restrain DNA damage.
    Gen Li, Jun Wu, Le Li, Peng Jiang.
      Cancer cells acquire metabolic reprogramming to satisfy their high biogenetic demands, but little is known about how metabolic remodeling enables cancer cells to survive stress associated with genomic instability. Here, we show that the mitochondrial methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD2) is transcriptionally suppressed by p53, and its up-regulation by p53 inactivation leads to increased folate metabolism, de novo purine synthesis, and tumor growth in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, MTHFD2 unexpectedly promotes nonhomologous end joining in response to DNA damage by forming a complex with PARP3 to enhance its ribosylation, and the introduction of a PARP3-binding but enzymatically inactive MTHFD2 mutant (e.g., D155A) sufficiently prevents DNA damage. Notably, MTHFD2 depletion strongly restrains p53-deficient cell proliferation and sensitizes cells to chemotherapeutic agents, indicating a potential role for MTHFD2 depletion in the treatment of p53-deficient tumors.
    Keywords:  MTHFD2; NHEJ; cell proliferation; folate metabolism; p53
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2019822118
  8. Int Rev Cell Mol Biol. 2021 ;pii: S1937-6448(21)00037-X. [Epub ahead of print]362 209-259
    The mitochondrial calcium homeostasis orchestra plays its symphony: Skeletal muscle is the guest of honor.
    Gaia Gherardi, Agnese De Mario, Cristina Mammucari.
      Skeletal muscle mitochondria are placed in close proximity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), the main intracellular Ca2+ store. During muscle activity, excitation of sarcolemma and of T-tubule triggers the release of Ca2+ from the SR initiating myofiber contraction. The rise in cytosolic Ca2+ determines the opening of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), the highly selective channel of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM), causing a robust increase in mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. The Ca2+-dependent activation of TCA cycle enzymes increases the synthesis of ATP required for SERCA activity. Thus, Ca2+ is transported back into the SR and cytosolic [Ca2+] returns to resting levels eventually leading to muscle relaxation. In recent years, thanks to the molecular identification of MCU complex components, the role of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in the pathophysiology of skeletal muscle has been uncovered. In this chapter, we will introduce the reader to a general overview of mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation. We will tackle the key molecular players and the cellular and pathophysiological consequences of mitochondrial Ca2+ dyshomeostasis. In the second part of the chapter, we will discuss novel findings on the physiological role of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in skeletal muscle. Finally, we will examine the involvement of mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling in muscle diseases.
    Keywords:  Central core disease; Mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake; Mitochondrial calcium uniporter; Muscular dystrophy; Skeletal muscle
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.ircmb.2021.03.005
  9. J Gastrointest Surg. 2021 Jul 09.
    Reliable Detection of Somatic Mutations for Pancreatic Cancer in Endoscopic Ultrasonography-Guided Fine Needle Aspirates with Next-Generation Sequencing: Implications from a Prospective Cohort Study.
    Joseph R Habib, Yayun Zhu, Lingdi Yin, Ammar A Javed, Ding Ding, Jonathan Tenior, Michael Wright, Syed Z Ali, Richard A Burkhart, William Burns, Christopher L Wolfgang, Eunji Shin, Jun Yu, Jin He.
       BACKGROUND OR PURPOSE: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is commonly diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). However, the diagnostic adequacy of EUS-FNA is often limited by low cellularity leading to inconclusive results. We aimed to investigate the feasibility and added utility of targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) on PDAC EUS-FNAs.
    METHODS: EUS-FNAs were prospectively performed on 59 patients with suspected PDAC (2014-2017) at a high-volume center. FNAs were analyzed for the presence of somatic mutations using NGS to supplement cytopathologic evaluations and were compared to surgical specimens and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA).
    RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients with suspected PDAC were evaluated, and 52 were diagnosed with PDAC on EUS-FNA. Four of the remaining seven patients had inconclusive EUS-FNAs and were ultimately diagnosed with PDAC after surgical resection. Of these 56 cases of PDAC, 48 (85.7%) and 18 (32.1%) harbored a KRAS and/or TP53 mutation on FNA NGS, respectively. Particularly, in the four inconclusive FNA PDAC diagnoses (false negatives), half harbored KRAS mutations on FNA. No KRAS/TP53 mutation was found in remaining three non-PDAC cases. All EUS-FNA detected KRAS mutations were detected in 16 patients that underwent primary tumor NGS (100% concordance), while 75% KRAS concordance was found between FNA and ctDNA NGS.
    CONCLUSION: Targeted NGS can reliably detect KRAS mutations from EUS-FNA samples and exhibits high KRAS mutational concordance with primary tumor and ctDNA. This suggests targeted NGS of EUS-FNA samples may enable preoperative ctDNA prognostication using digital droplet PCR and supplement diagnoses in patients with inconclusive EUS-FNA.
    Keywords:  Endoscopic ultrasonography; Fine needle aspiration; KRAS mutation; Next-generation sequencing; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic neoplasms
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-021-05078-y
  10. Nat Mater. 2021 Jul 15.
    Microenvironment-triggered multimodal precision diagnostics.
    Liangliang Hao, Nazanin Rohani, Renee T Zhao, Emilia M Pulver, Howard Mak, Olivia J Kelada, Henry Ko, Heather E Fleming, Frank B Gertler, Sangeeta N Bhatia.
      Therapeutic outcomes in oncology may be aided by precision diagnostics that offer early detection, localization and the opportunity to monitor response to therapy. Here, we report a multimodal nanosensor engineered to target tumours through acidosis, respond to proteases in the microenvironment to release urinary reporters and (optionally) carry positron emission tomography probes to enable localization of primary and metastatic cancers in mouse models of colorectal cancer. We present a paradigm wherein this multimodal sensor can be employed longitudinally to assess burden of disease non-invasively, including tumour progression and response to chemotherapy. Specifically, we showed that acidosis-mediated tumour insertion enhanced on-target release of matrix metalloproteinase-responsive reporters in urine. Subsequent on-demand loading of the radiotracer 64Cu allowed pH-dependent tumour visualization, enabling enriched microenvironmental characterization when compared with the conventional metabolic tracer 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose. Through tailored target specificities, this modular platform has the capacity to be engineered as a pan-cancer test that may guide treatment decisions for numerous tumour types.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01042-y
  11. Gastroenterology. 2021 Jul 07. pii: S0016-5085(21)03159-0. [Epub ahead of print]
    Metabolic Rewiring by Loss of Sirt5 Promotes Kras-induced Pancreatic Cancer Progression.
    Tuo Hu, Surendra K Shukla, Enza Vernucci, Chunbo He, Dezhen Wang, Ryan J King, Kanupriya Jha, Kasturi Siddhanta, Nicholas J Mullen, Kuldeep S Attri, Divya Murthy, Nina V Chaika, Ravi Thakur, Scott E Mulder, Camila G Pacheco, Xiao Fu, Robin R High, Fang Yu, Audrey Lazenby, Clemens Steegborn, Ping Lan, Kamiya Mehla, Dante Rotili, Sarika Chaudhary, Sergio Valente, Marco Tafani, Antonello Mai, Johan Auwerx, Eric Verdin, David Tuveson, Pankaj K Singh.
       BACKGROUND & AIMS: SIRT5 plays pleiotropic roles via post-translational modifications, serving as a tumor suppressor, or an oncogene, in different tumors. However, the role SIRT5 plays in the initiation and progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unknown.
    METHODS: Published datasets and tissue arrays with SIRT5 staining were used to investigate the clinical relevance of SIRT5 in PDAC. Furthermore, to define the role of SIRT5 in the carcinogenesis of PDAC, we generated autochthonous mouse models with conditional Sirt5 knockout. Moreover, to examine the mechanistic role of SIRT5 in PDAC carcinogenesis, SIRT5 was knocked down in PDAC cell lines and organoids, followed by metabolomics and proteomics studies. A novel SIRT5 activator was utilized for therapeutic studies in organoids and patient-derived xenografts.
    RESULTS: SIRT5 expression negatively regulated tumor cell proliferation and correlated with a favorable prognosis in PDAC patients. Genetic ablation of Sirt5 in PDAC mouse models promoted acinar-to-ductal metaplasia, precursor lesions, and pancreatic tumorigenesis, resulting in poor survival. Mechanistically, SIRT5 loss enhanced glutamine and glutathione metabolism via acetylation-mediated activation of GOT1. A selective SIRT5 activator, MC3138, phenocopied the effects of SIRT5 overexpression and exhibited anti-tumor effects on human PDAC cells. MC3138 also diminished nucleotide pools, sensitizing human PDAC cell lines, organoids, and patient-derived xenografts to gemcitabine.
    CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, we identify SIRT5 as a key tumor suppressor in PDAC, whose loss promotes tumorigenesis through increased non-canonical utilization of glutamine via GOT1, and that SIRT5 activation is a novel therapeutic strategy to target PDAC.
    Keywords:  GOT1; Glutamine Metabolism; Glutathione Metabolism; Pancreatic Cancer; SIRT5
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2021.06.045
  12. J Gastroenterol. 2021 Jul 13.
    A systematic review of the prevalence of germline pathogenic variants in patients with pancreatic cancer.
    Esteban Astiazaran-Symonds, Alisa M Goldstein.
      The genetics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is complex with patients reported to harbor germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in many different genes. PDAC patients with familial pancreatic cancer (FPC) are more likely to carry germline PVs but there is no consensus main gene involved in FPC. We performed a systematic review of publications from PubMed and Scopus reporting PVs in patients with FPC, sporadic pancreatic cancer (SPC) and unselected cohorts of PDAC patients undergoing genetic testing and calculated a cumulative prevalence of PVs for each gene evaluated across these three groups of patients. When available, variants in the selected publications were reclassified according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics classification system and used for prevalence calculations if classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic. We observed an increased prevalence of PVs in FPC compared to SPC or unselected PDAC patients for most of the 41 genes reported. The genes with the highest prevalence of carriers of PVs in FPC were ATM, BRCA2, and CDKN2A. BRCA2 and ATM showed the highest prevalence of PVs in both SPC and unselected PDAC cohorts. Several genes with the highest prevalence of PVs are involved in breast and ovarian cancer suggesting strong overlap with underlying genetics in these disorders but no single gene was predominant. More research is needed to further understand the risk of PDAC associated with these many diverse genes.
    Keywords:  Mutation; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; Pathogenic variant; Prevalence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-021-01806-y
  13. Trends Biochem Sci. 2021 Jul 06. pii: S0968-0004(21)00121-3. [Epub ahead of print]
    Mitochondrial compartmentalization: emerging themes in structure and function.
    Joseph C Iovine, Steven M Claypool, Nathan N Alder.
      Within cellular structures, compartmentalization is the concept of spatial segregation of macromolecules, metabolites, and biochemical pathways. Therefore, this concept bridges organellar structure and function. Mitochondria are morphologically complex, partitioned into several subcompartments by a topologically elaborate two-membrane system. They are also dynamically polymorphic, undergoing morphogenesis events with an extent and frequency that is only now being appreciated. Thus, mitochondrial compartmentalization is something that must be considered both spatially and temporally. Here, we review new developments in how mitochondrial structure is established and regulated, the factors that underpin the distribution of lipids and proteins, and how they spatially demarcate locations of myriad mitochondrial processes. Consistent with its pre-eminence, disturbed mitochondrial compartmentalization contributes to the dysfunction associated with heritable and aging-related diseases.
    Keywords:  bioenergetics; cristae; macromolecular trafficking; mitochondria; morphogenesis; ultrastructure
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2021.06.003
  14. Mol Metab. 2021 Jul 10. pii: S2212-8778(21)00139-3. [Epub ahead of print] 101294
    Physiological impact of in vivo stable isotope tracing on cancer metabolism.
    Manuel Grima-Reyes, Adriana Martinez-Turtos, Ifat Abramovich, Eyal Gottlieb, Johanna Chiche, Jean-Ehrland Ricci.
       BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in the analysis of tumor metabolism to identify cancer-specific metabolic vulnerabilities and therapeutic targets. The identification of such candidate metabolic pathways mainly relies on the highly sensitive identification and quantitation of numerous metabolites and metabolic fluxes using metabolomics and isotope tracing analyses. However, nutritional requirements and metabolic routes used by cancer cells cultivated in vitro do not always reflect the metabolic demands of malignant cells within the tumor milieu. Therefore, to be able to understand how the metabolism of a tumor cell in its physiological environment differs from that of normal cells, these analyses must be performed in vivo.
    SCOPE OF REVIEW: This review covers the physiological impact of the exogenous administration of a stable isotope tracer into cancer animal models. We discuss specific aspects of in vivo isotope tracing protocols based on discrete bolus injections of a labeled metabolite: the tracer administration per se and the fasting period prior to tracer administration. In addition, we illustrate the complex physiological scenarios that arise when studying tumor metabolism by isotopic labeling in animal models fed with a diet restricted in a specific amino acid. Finally, we provide strategies to minimize those limitations.
    MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: There is a growing evidence that metabolic dependencies in cancers are influenced by tissue environments, cancer lineage, and genetic events. More and more studies are describing discrepancies in tumor metabolic dependencies when studied in in vitro settings or in in vivo models, including cancer patients. Therefore, in depth in vivo profiling of tumor metabolic routes within the appropriate patho-physiological environment will be key to identifying relevant alterations that contribute to cancer onset and progression.
    Keywords:  Fasting; Inter-organ exchange; Stable isotope tracing; Tracer administration; Tumor metabolism
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101294
  15. J Vis Exp. 2021 Jun 22.
    Organotypic Slice Cultures as Preclinical Models of Tumor Microenvironment in Primary Pancreatic Cancer and Metastasis.
    Rüdiger Braun, Olha Lapshyna, Susanne Eckelmann, Kim Honselmann, Louisa Bolm, Meike Ten Winkel, Steffen Deichmann, Oliver Schilling, Charli Kruse, Tobias Keck, Ulrich Wellner, Peter Bronsert, Matthias Brandenburger.
      Realistic preclinical models of primary pancreatic cancer and metastasis are urgently needed to test the therapy response ex vivo and facilitate personalized patient treatment. However, the absence of tumor-specific microenvironment in currently used models, e.g., patient-derived cell lines and xenografts, only allows limited predictive insights. Organotypic slice cultures (OTSCs) comprise intact multicellular tissue, which can be rapidly used for the spatially resolved drug response testing. This protocol describes the generation and cultivation of viable tumor slices of pancreatic cancer and its metastasis. Briefly, tissue is casted in low melt agarose and stored in cold isotonic buffer. Next, tissue slices of 300 µm thickness are generated with a vibratome. After preparation, slices are cultured at an air-liquid interface using cell culture inserts and an appropriate cultivation medium. During cultivation, changes in cell differentiation and viability can be monitored. Additionally, this technique enables the application of treatment to viable human tumor tissue ex vivo and subsequent downstream analyses, such as transcriptome and proteome profiling. OTSCs provide a unique opportunity to test the individual treatment response ex vivo and identify individual transcriptomic and proteomic profiles associated with the respective response of distinct slices of a tumor. OTSCs can be further explored to identify therapeutic strategies to personalize treatment of primary pancreatic cancer and metastasis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3791/62541
  16. Elife. 2021 Jul 12. pii: e67753. [Epub ahead of print]10
    E2F/Dp inactivation in fat body cells triggers systemic metabolic changes.
    Maria Paula Zappia, Ana Guarner, Nadia Kellie-Smith, Alice Rogers, Robert Morris, Brandon Nicolay, Myriam Boukhali, Wilhelm Haas, Nicholas Dyson, Maxim V Frolov.
      The E2F transcription factors play a critical role in controlling cell fate. In Drosophila, the inactivation of E2F in either muscle or fat body results in lethality, suggesting an essential function for E2F in these tissues. However, the cellular and organismal consequences of inactivating E2F in these tissues are not fully understood. Here, we show that the E2F loss exerts both tissue-intrinsic and systemic effects. The proteomic profiling of E2F-deficient muscle and fat body revealed that E2F regulates carbohydrate metabolism, a conclusion further supported by metabolomic profiling. Intriguingly, animals with E2F-deficient fat body had a lower level of circulating trehalose and reduced storage of fat. Strikingly, a sugar supplement was sufficient to restore both trehalose and fat levels, and subsequently, rescued animal lethality. Collectively, our data highlight the unexpected complexity of E2F mutant phenotype, which is a result of combining both tissue-specific and systemic changes that contribute to animal development.
    Keywords:  D. melanogaster; cancer biology; developmental biology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.67753
  17. Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Jul 15. 27(14): 4127
    The Proteomic Landscape of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Liver Metastases Identifies Molecular Subtypes and Associations with Clinical Response-Response.
    Henry C-H Law, Emalie J Clement, Paul M Grandgenett, Michael A Hollingsworth, Nicholas T Woods.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-1220
  18. Int Rev Cell Mol Biol. 2021 ;pii: S1937-6448(21)00024-1. [Epub ahead of print]362 141-170
    Lysosomal calcium and autophagy.
    Diego L Medina.
      Lysosomal calcium is emerging as a modulator of autophagy and lysosomal compartment, an obligatory partner to complete the autophagic pathway. A variety of specific signals such as nutrient deprivation or oxidative stress can trigger lysosomal calcium-mediated nuclear translocation of the transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of global lysosomal function. Also, lysosomal calcium can promote the formation of autophagosome vesicles (AVs) by a mechanism that requires the production of the phosphoinositide PI3P by the VPS34 autophagic complex and the activation of the energy-sensing kinase AMPK. Additionally, lysosomal calcium plays a role in membrane fusion and fission events involved in cellular processes such as endocytic maturation, autophagosome-lysosome fusion, lysosomal exocytosis, and lysosomal reformation upon autophagy completion. Lysosomal calcium-dependent functions are defective in cellular and animal models of the non-selective cation channel TRPML1, whose mutations in humans cause the neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV). Lysosomal calcium is not only acting as a positive regulator of autophagy, but it is also responsible for turning-off this process through the reactivation of the mTOR kinase during prolonged starvation. More recently, it has been described the role of lysosomal calcium on an elegant sequence of intracellular signaling events such as membrane repair, lysophagy, and lysosomal biogenesis upon the induction of different grades of lysosomal membrane damage. Here, we will discuss these novel findings that re-define the importance of the lysosome and lysosomal calcium signaling at regulating cellular metabolism.
    Keywords:  Autophagy; Calcineurin; LSDs; Lysosomal calcium; Lysosome; MLIV; TFEB; TPCs; TRPML1; mTORC1
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.ircmb.2021.03.002
  19. Nat Metab. 2021 Jul 12.
    Cell competition acts as a purifying selection to eliminate cells with mitochondrial defects during early mouse development.
    Ana Lima, Gabriele Lubatti, Jörg Burgstaller, Di Hu, Alistair P Green, Aida Di Gregorio, Tamzin Zawadzki, Barbara Pernaute, Elmir Mahammadov, Salvador Perez-Montero, Marian Dore, Juan Miguel Sanchez, Sarah Bowling, Margarida Sancho, Thomas Kolbe, Mohammad M Karimi, David Carling, Nick Jones, Shankar Srinivas, Antonio Scialdone, Tristan A Rodriguez.
      Cell competition is emerging as a quality-control mechanism that eliminates unfit cells in a wide range of settings from development to the adult. However, the nature of the cells normally eliminated by cell competition and what triggers their elimination remains poorly understood. In mice, 35% of epiblast cells are eliminated before gastrulation. Here we show that cells with mitochondrial defects are eliminated by cell competition during early mouse development. Using single-cell transcriptional profiling of eliminated mouse epiblast cells, we identify hallmarks of cell competition and mitochondrial defects. We demonstrate that mitochondrial defects are common to a range of different loser cell types and that manipulating mitochondrial function triggers cell competition. Moreover, we show that in the mouse embryo, cell competition eliminates cells with sequence changes in mt-Rnr1 and mt-Rnr2, and that even non-pathological changes in mitochondrial DNA sequences can induce cell competition. Our results suggest that cell competition is a purifying selection that optimizes mitochondrial performance before gastrulation.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-021-00422-7
  20. Dev Cell. 2021 Jul 03. pii: S1534-5807(21)00520-7. [Epub ahead of print]
    A p53-dependent translational program directs tissue-selective phenotypes in a model of ribosomopathies.
    Gerald C Tiu, Craig H Kerr, Craig M Forester, Pallavi S Krishnarao, Hannah D Rosenblatt, Nitin Raj, Travis C Lantz, Olena Zhulyn, Margot E Bowen, Leila Shokat, Laura D Attardi, Davide Ruggero, Maria Barna.
      In ribosomopathies, perturbed expression of ribosome components leads to tissue-specific phenotypes. What accounts for such tissue-selective manifestations as a result of mutations in the ribosome, a ubiquitous cellular machine, has remained a mystery. Combining mouse genetics and in vivo ribosome profiling, we observe limb-patterning phenotypes in ribosomal protein (RP) haploinsufficient embryos, and we uncover selective translational changes of transcripts that controlling limb development. Surprisingly, both loss of p53, which is activated by RP haploinsufficiency, and augmented protein synthesis rescue these phenotypes. These findings are explained by the finding that p53 functions as a master regulator of protein synthesis, at least in part, through transcriptional activation of 4E-BP1. 4E-BP1, a key translational regulator, in turn, facilitates selective changes in the translatome downstream of p53, and this thereby explains how RP haploinsufficiency may elicit specificity to gene expression. These results provide an integrative model to help understand how in vivo tissue-specific phenotypes emerge in ribosomopathies.
    Keywords:  4E-BP1; limb development; nucleolar stress; p53; ribosomal protein haploinsufficiency; ribosome profiling; ribosomopathy; translational control
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2021.06.013
  21. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Jul 20. pii: e2024853118. [Epub ahead of print]118(29):
    Telomere dysfunction instigates inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease.
    Deepavali Chakravarti, Rumi Lee, Asha S Multani, Andrea Santoni, Zachery Keith, Wen-Hao Hsu, Kyle Chang, Laura Reyes, Asif Rashid, Chang-Jiun Wu, Jun Li, Jiexin Zhang, Hong Seok Shim, Krishna Chandra, Pingna Deng, Denise J Spring, Ole Haagen Nielsen, Lene Buhl Riis, Kavya Kelagere Mayigegowda, Sarah E Blutt, Jianhua Zhang, Mamoun Younes, Andrew DuPont, Selvi Thirumurthi, Eduardo Vilar, Mary K Estes, Simona Colla, Noah F Shroyer, Ronald A DePinho.
      Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition driven by diverse genetic and nongenetic programs that converge to disrupt immune homeostasis in the intestine. We have reported that, in murine intestinal epithelium with telomere dysfunction, DNA damage-induced activation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) results in ATM-mediated phosphorylation and activation of the YAP1 transcriptional coactivator, which in turn up-regulates pro-IL-18, a pivotal immune regulator in IBD pathogenesis. Moreover, individuals with germline defects in telomere maintenance genes experience increased occurrence of intestinal inflammation and show activation of the ATM/YAP1/pro-IL-18 pathway in the intestinal epithelium. Here, we sought to determine the relevance of the ATM/YAP1/pro-IL-18 pathway as a potential driver of IBD, particularly older-onset IBD. Analysis of intestinal biopsy specimens and organoids from older-onset IBD patients documented the presence of telomere dysfunction and activation of the ATM/YAP1/precursor of interleukin 18 (pro-IL-18) pathway in the intestinal epithelium. Employing intestinal organoids from healthy individuals, we demonstrated that experimental induction of telomere dysfunction activates this inflammatory pathway. In organoid models from ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease patients, pharmacological interventions of telomerase reactivation, suppression of DNA damage signaling, or YAP1 inhibition reduced pro-IL-18 production. Together, these findings support a model wherein telomere dysfunction in the intestinal epithelium can initiate the inflammatory process in IBD, pointing to therapeutic interventions for this disease.
    Keywords:  DNA damage; Yap1; inflammatory bowel disease; pro-IL-18; telomere dysfunction
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2024853118
  22. Cell Metab. 2021 Jul 08. pii: S1550-4131(21)00283-7. [Epub ahead of print]
    Glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthesis regenerates cytosolic NAD+ to alleviate mitochondrial disease.
    Shanshan Liu, Song Fu, Guodong Wang, Yu Cao, Lanlan Li, Xuemei Li, Jun Yang, Ning Li, Yabing Shan, Yang Cao, Yan Ma, Mengqiu Dong, Qinghua Liu, Hui Jiang.
      Electron transport chain (ETC) dysfunction or hypoxia causes toxic NADH accumulation. How cells regenerate NAD+ under such conditions remains elusive. Here, integrating bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation, we identify glycerol-3-phosphate (Gro3P) biosynthesis as an endogenous NAD+-regeneration pathway. Under genetic or pharmacological ETC inhibition, disrupting Gro3P synthesis inhibits yeast proliferation, shortens lifespan of C. elegans, impairs growth of cancer cells in culture and in xenografts, and causes metabolic derangements in mouse liver. Moreover, the Gro3P shuttle selectively regenerates cytosolic NAD+ under mitochondrial complex I inhibition; enhancing Gro3P synthesis promotes shuttle activity to restore proliferation of complex I-impaired cells. Mouse brain has much lower levels of Gro3P synthesis enzymes as compared with other organs. Strikingly, enhancing Gro3P synthesis suppresses neuroinflammation and extends lifespan in the Ndufs4-/- mice. Collectively, our results reveal Gro3P biosynthesis as an evolutionarily conserved coordinator of NADH/NAD+ redox homeostasis and present a therapeutic target for mitochondrial complex I diseases.
    Keywords:  ETC dysfunction and hypoxia; NAD(+) regeneration; glycerol-3-phosphate biosynthesis; mitochondrial complex I disease
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.06.013
  23. J Cell Sci. 2021 Jul 14. pii: jcs.258819. [Epub ahead of print]
    Lipid droplets form a network interconnected by the endoplasmic reticulum through which they equilibrate their proteins.
    Stéphanie Cottier, Roger Schneiter.
      Lipid droplets (LDs) are globular intracellular structures dedicated to the storage of neutral lipids. They are closely associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and are delineated by a monolayer of phospholipids that is continuous with the cytoplasmic leaflet of the ER membrane. LDs contain a specific set of proteins, but how these proteins are targeted to the LD surface is not fully understood. Here we devised a yeast mating-based microscopic readout to monitor the transfer of LD proteins upon zygote formation. The results of this analysis indicate that ER fusion between mating partners is required for transfer of LD proteins and that this transfer is continuous, bidirectional and affects most LDs simultaneously. These observations suggest that LDs do not fuse upon mating of yeast cells, but that they form a network that is interconnected through the ER membrane. Consistent with this, ER-localized LD proteins rapidly move onto LDs of a mating partner and this protein transfer is affected by seipin, a protein important for proper LD biogenesis and the functional connection of LDs with the ER membrane.
    Keywords:  Endoplasmic reticulum; Lipid droplets; Mating; Membrane fusion; Protein targeting; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Seipin; Steryl esters; Triacylglycerols
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.258819
  24. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021 ;1208 3-16
    The Classification and Basic Processes of Autophagy.
    Tiejian Nie, Lin Zhu, Qian Yang.
      Autophagy is a general term for the process of the lysosomal degradation of intracellular components, a process occurring exclusively in eukaryotic cells. Based on the way that intracellular substrates are transported to lysosomes, autophagy in mammalian cells can be divided into three main types: macroautophagy, microautophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). Each type has its unique molecular machinery and is tightly regulated by various cellular signals, helping cells adapt to a changing environment. Autophagy can also be divided into two categories based on cargo selectivity: selective autophagy and nonselective autophagy. Nonselective autophagy refers to the bulk transport of organelles or other cytoplasmic components to lysosomes, while selective autophagy refers to the degradation of a specific substrate. Autophagy plays an essential role in maintaining cellular homeostasis, and dysregulation of it may participate in the pathological process of many human diseases.
    Keywords:  Autophagy; Basic process; Selective autophagy; Types
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2830-6_1
  25. Int Rev Cell Mol Biol. 2021 ;pii: S1937-6448(21)00020-4. [Epub ahead of print]362 171-207
    Mitochondrial Ca2+ and cell cycle regulation.
    Haixin Zhao, Xin Pan.
      It has been demonstrated for more than 40 years that intracellular calcium (Ca2+) controls a variety of cellular functions, including mitochondrial metabolism and cell proliferation. Cytosolic Ca2+ fluctuation during key stages of the cell cycle can lead to mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and subsequent activation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and a range of signaling. However, the relationship between mitochondrial Ca2+ and cell cycle progression has long been neglected because the molecule responsible for Ca2+ uptake has been unknown. Recently, the identification of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU) has led to key advances. With improved Ca2+ imaging and detection, effects of MCU-mediated mitochondrial Ca2+ have been observed at different stages of the cell cycle. Elevated Ca2+ signaling boosts ATP and ROS production, remodels cytosolic Ca2+ pathways and reprograms cell fate-determining networks. These findings suggest that manipulating mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling may serve as a potential strategy in the control of many crucial biological events, such as tumor development and cell division in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the role of mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling during different stages of the cell cycle and highlight the potential physiological and pathological significance of mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling.
    Keywords:  Cell cycle; MCU; Metabolism; Mitochondrial Ca(2+)
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.ircmb.2021.02.015
  26. Cancer Med. 2021 Jul 11.
    Antibiotic use influences outcomes in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients.
    Chirayu Mohindroo, Merve Hasanov, Jane E Rogers, Wenli Dong, Laura R Prakash, Seyda Baydogan, Jonathan D Mizrahi, Michael J Overman, Gauri R Varadhachary, Robert A Wolff, Milind M Javle, David R Fogelman, Michael T Lotze, Michael P Kim, Matthew H G Katz, Shubham Pant, Ching-Wei D Tzeng, Florencia McAllister.
      Recent studies defined a potentially important role of the microbiome in modulating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and responses to therapies. We hypothesized that antibiotic usage may predict outcomes in patients with PDAC. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of patients with resectable or metastatic PDAC seen at MD Anderson Cancer from 2003 to 2017. Demographic, chemotherapy regimen and antibiotic use, duration, type, and reason for indication were recorded. A total of 580 patients with PDAC were studied, 342 resected and 238 metastatic patients, selected retrospectively from our database. Antibiotic use, for longer than 48 hrs, was detected in 209 resected patients (61%) and 195 metastatic ones (62%). On resectable patients, we did not find differences in overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS), based on antibiotic intake. However, in the metastatic cohort, antibiotic consumption was associated with a significantly longer OS (13.3 months vs. 9.0 months, HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.34-0.7, p = 0.0001) and PFS (4.4 months vs. 2 months, HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.34-0.68, p = <0.0001). In multivariate analysis, the impact of ATB remained significant for PFS (HR 0.59, p = 0.005) and borderline statistically significant for OS (HR 0.69, p = 0.06). When we analyzed by chemotherapy regimen, we found that patients who received gemcitabine-based chemotherapy as first-line therapy (n = 118) had significantly prolonged OS (HR 0.4, p 0.0013) and PFS (HR 0.55, p 0.02) if they received antibiotics, while those receiving 5FU-based chemotherapy (n = 98) had only prolonged PFS (HR 0.54, p = 0.03). Antibiotics-associated modulation of the microbiome is associated with better outcomes in patients with metastatic PDAC.
    Keywords:  antibiotics; autophagy; chemotherapeutic agents; immunity; microbiota; pancreatic adenocarcinoma
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.3870
  27. Nat Commun. 2021 07 09. 12(1): 4229
    The force loading rate drives cell mechanosensing through both reinforcement and cytoskeletal softening.
    Ion Andreu, Bryan Falcones, Sebastian Hurst, Nimesh Chahare, Xarxa Quiroga, Anabel-Lise Le Roux, Zanetta Kechagia, Amy E M Beedle, Alberto Elosegui-Artola, Xavier Trepat, Ramon Farré, Timo Betz, Isaac Almendros, Pere Roca-Cusachs.
      Cell response to force regulates essential processes in health and disease. However, the fundamental mechanical variables that cells sense and respond to remain unclear. Here we show that the rate of force application (loading rate) drives mechanosensing, as predicted by a molecular clutch model. By applying dynamic force regimes to cells through substrate stretching, optical tweezers, and atomic force microscopy, we find that increasing loading rates trigger talin-dependent mechanosensing, leading to adhesion growth and reinforcement, and YAP nuclear localization. However, above a given threshold the actin cytoskeleton softens, decreasing loading rates and preventing reinforcement. By stretching rat lungs in vivo, we show that a similar phenomenon may occur. Our results show that cell sensing of external forces and of passive mechanical parameters (like tissue stiffness) can be understood through the same mechanisms, driven by the properties under force of the mechanosensing molecules involved.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24383-3
  28. Curr Biol. 2021 Jul 12. pii: S0960-9822(21)00763-6. [Epub ahead of print]31(13): R859-R861
    Mechanometabolism: Mitochondria promote resilience under pressure.
    Thomas MacVicar, Thomas Langer.
      Mechanical forces regulate metabolism in healthy and cancerous tissue. A new study reveals that extracellular matrix stiffness modulates mitochondrial shape and function. The mechanical reprogramming of mitochondria confers resistance to oxidative stress and promotes survival.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.065
  29. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2021 Jul 16.
    Translational control of stem cell function.
    James A Saba, Kifayathullah Liakath-Ali, Rachel Green, Fiona M Watt.
      Stem cells are characterized by their ability to self-renew and differentiate into many different cell types. Research has focused primarily on how these processes are regulated at a transcriptional level. However, recent studies have indicated that stem cell behaviour is strongly coupled to the regulation of protein synthesis by the ribosome. In this Review, we discuss how different translation mechanisms control the function of adult and embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are characterized by low global translation rates despite high levels of ribosome biogenesis. The maintenance of pluripotency, the commitment to a specific cell fate and the switch to cell differentiation depend on the tight regulation of protein synthesis and ribosome biogenesis. Translation regulatory mechanisms that impact on stem cell function include mTOR signalling, ribosome levels, and mRNA and tRNA features and amounts. Understanding these mechanisms important for stem cell self-renewal and differentiation may also guide our understanding of cancer grade and metastasis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-021-00386-2
  30. Dose Response. 2021 Apr-Jun;19(2):19(2): 15593258211023260
    Genome-Wide Identification of Autophagy Prognostic Signature in Pancreatic Cancer.
    Jianfa Yu, Qi Lang, Chongli Zhong, Shuang Wang, Yu Tian.
       Background: Autophagy plays a vital role in cancer development. However, there is currently no comprehensive study regarding the effects of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) on pancreatic cancer prognosis. Thus, this study aimed to establish an autophagy-related signature for predicting the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer.
    Methods: We identified and validated differentially-expressed ARGs using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, Genotype-Tissue Expression project (GTEx) and Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We performed Cox proportional hazards regression analysis on the differentially-expressed ARGs to develop an autophagy-related signature. We tested the expression of these genes through western blotting and verified their prognostic values through gene expression profiling and interactive analyses (GEPIA).
    Results: We identified a total of 21 differentially-expressed ARGs and screened 4 OS-related ARGs (TP63, RAB24, APOL1, and PTK6). Both the training and validation sets showed that the autophagy-related signature was more accurate than the Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) staging system. Moreover, the western blotting result showed that the expression of TP63, APOL1, and PTK6 was high, whereas that of RAB24 was low in cancer tissues.
    Conclusion: This 4-ARG signature might potentially help in providing personalized therapy to patients with cancer.
    Keywords:  RNA-seq; autophagy; pancreatic cancer; prognostic signature
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/15593258211023260
  31. J Cell Sci. 2021 Jul 01. pii: jcs252197. [Epub ahead of print]134(13):
    Super-resolution microscopy reveals the arrangement of inner membrane protein complexes in mammalian mitochondria.
    Catherine S Palmer, Jieqiong Lou, Betty Kouskousis, Elvis Pandzic, Alexander J Anderson, Yilin Kang, Elizabeth Hinde, Diana Stojanovski.
      The mitochondrial inner membrane is a protein-rich environment containing large multimeric complexes, including complexes of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, mitochondrial translocases and quality control machineries. Although the inner membrane is highly proteinaceous, with 40-60% of all mitochondrial proteins localised to this compartment, little is known about the spatial distribution and organisation of complexes in this environment. We set out to survey the arrangement of inner membrane complexes using stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM). We reveal that subunits of the TIM23 complex, TIM23 and TIM44 (also known as TIMM23 and TIMM44, respectively), and the complex IV subunit COXIV, form organised clusters and show properties distinct from the outer membrane protein TOM20 (also known as TOMM20). Density based cluster analysis indicated a bimodal distribution of TIM44 that is distinct from TIM23, suggesting distinct TIM23 subcomplexes. COXIV is arranged in larger clusters that are disrupted upon disruption of complex IV assembly. Thus, STORM super-resolution microscopy is a powerful tool for examining the nanoscale distribution of mitochondrial inner membrane complexes, providing a 'visual' approach for obtaining pivotal information on how mitochondrial complexes exist in a cellular context.
    Keywords:  COXIV; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial complexes; Nanoscopy; Protein import; STORM; TIM23
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.252197
  32. FEBS J. 2021 Jul 14.
    Reducing embryonic mtDNA copy number alters epigenetic profile of key hepatic lipolytic genes and causes abnormal lipid accumulation in adult mice.
    Yakun Wang, Xuan Wang, Qiaoming Long, Yuanwu Liu, Tao Yin, Inna Sirota, Fazheng Ren, Zhenglong Gu, Junjie Luo.
      Adverse fetal environment, in particular a shortage or excess of nutrients, is associated with increased risks of metabolic diseases later in life. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this developmental origin of adult diseases remain unclear. Here, we directly tested the role of mitochondrial stress in mediating fetal programming in mice by enzymatically depleting mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in zygotes. mtDNA-targeted plasmid microinjection is used to reduce embryonic mtDNA copy number directly, followed by embryo transfer. Mice with reduced zygote mtDNA copy number were born morphologically normal and showed no accelerated body weight gain. However, at five-month of age these mice showed markedly increased hepatic lipidosis and became glucose intolerant. Hepatic mRNA and protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (Pparα), a key transcriptional regulator of lipid metabolism, were significantly decreased as a result of increased DNA methylation in its proximal regulatory region. These results indicate that perturbation of mitochondrial function around the periconceptional period causes hypermethylation and thus suppressed expression of PPARα in fetal liver, leading to impaired hepatic lipid metabolism. Our findings provide the first direct evidence that mitochondrial stress mediates epigenetic changes associated with fetal programming of adult diseases in a mammalian system.
    Keywords:  DNA methylation; Lipid metabolism; PPARα signaling; Preimplantation embryo; mtDNA copy number
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.16121
  33. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021 ;1208 79-98
    Mechanisms of Selective Autophagy.
    Qi-Wen Fan, Xiang-Hua Yan.
      Autophagy is a lysosome-dependent degradation process. During autophagy, cytoplasmic components are sequestered and catabolized to supply nutrition and energy under starvation conditions. Recent work has demonstrated that many cargos can be specifically recognized and then eliminated via the core mechanism of autophagy which is termed as selective autophagy. The cargo recognition program provides the basis for the specific degradation of selective autophagy; thus, the exploration of the interaction between the cargo and the receptor is the key for revealing the underlying mechanism. Also, receptor protein complexes are required in various selective autophagy subtypes which process and guide the cargo to the core mechanism. Ubiquitination and phosphorylation are the main methods to modulate the affinity of the receptor toward cargo. Although many key processes of selective autophagy subtypes have been discovered and intensively studied, the precise ways in which the mechanisms of cargo recognition function remain mostly elusive. A fuller mechanistic understanding of selective autophagy will be important for efforts to promote disease treatment and drug development.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2830-6_6
  34. Nat Aging. 2021 May;1(5): 454-472
    KDM4 Orchestrates Epigenomic Remodeling of Senescent Cells and Potentiates the Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype.
    Boyi Zhang, Qilai Long, Shanshan Wu, Qixia Xu, Shuling Song, Liu Han, Min Qian, Xiaohui Ren, Hanxin Liu, Jing Jiang, Jianming Guo, Xiaoling Zhang, Xing Chang, Qiang Fu, Eric W-F Lam, Judith Campisi, James L Kirkland, Yu Sun.
      Cellular senescence restrains the expansion of neoplastic cells through several layers of regulation. We report that the histone H3-specific demethylase KDM4 is expressed as human stromal cells undergo senescence. In clinical oncology, upregulated KDM4 and diminished H3K9/H3K36 methylation correlate with poorer survival of prostate cancer patients post-chemotherapy. Global chromatin accessibility mapping via ATAC-seq, and expression profiling through RNA-seq, reveal global changes of chromatin openness and spatiotemporal reprogramming of the transcriptomic landscape, which underlie the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Selective targeting of KDM4 dampens the SASP of senescent stromal cells, promotes cancer cell apoptosis in the treatment-damaged tumor microenvironment (TME), and prolongs survival of experimental animals. Our study supports dynamic changes of H3K9/H3K36 methylation during senescence, identifies an unusually permissive chromatin state, and unmasks KDM4 as a key SASP modulator. KDM4 targeting presents a novel therapeutic avenue to manipulate cellular senescence and limit its contribution to age-related pathologies including cancer.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-021-00063-1
  35. Elife. 2021 Jul 13. pii: e66942. [Epub ahead of print]10
    Akt phosphorylates insulin receptor substrate to limit PI3K-mediated PIP3 synthesis.
    Alison L Kearney, Dougall M Norris, Milad Ghomlaghi, Martin Kin Lok Wong, Sean J Humphrey, Luke Carroll, Guang Yang, Kristen C Cooke, Pengyi Yang, Thomas A Geddes, Sungyoung Shin, Daniel J Fazakerley, Lan K Nguyen, David E James, James G Burchfield.
      The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt network is tightly controlled by feedback mechanisms that regulate signal flow and ensure signal fidelity. A rapid overshoot in insulin-stimulated recruitment of Akt to the plasma membrane has previously been reported, which is indicative of negative feedback operating on acute timescales. Here, we show that Akt itself engages this negative feedback by phosphorylating insulin receptor substrate (IRS) 1 and 2 on a number of residues. Phosphorylation results in the depletion of plasma membrane-localised IRS1/2, reducing the pool available for interaction with the insulin receptor. Together these events limit plasma membrane-associated PI3K and phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3) synthesis. We identified two Akt-dependent phosphorylation sites in IRS2 at S306 (S303 in mouse) and S577 (S573 in mouse) that are key drivers of this negative feedback. These findings establish a novel mechanism by which the kinase Akt acutely controls PIP3 abundance, through post-translational modification of the IRS scaffold.
    Keywords:  Akt; PI3K; cell biology; computational biology; human; insulin; mouse; phosphorylation; plasma membrane; signal transduction; systems biology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.66942
  36. Br J Pharmacol. 2021 Jul 15.
    Inhibition of HSP90 reverses STAT3-mediated muscle wasting in cancer cachexia mice.
    Mengyuan Niu, Shiyu Song, Zhonglan Su, Lulu Wei, Li Li, Wenyuan Pu, Chen Zhao, Yibing Ding, Jinglin Wang, Wangsen Cao, Qian Gao, Hongwei Wang.
       BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cancer cachexia is one of the most common causes of death among cancer patients; no effective anti-cachectic treatment is currently available. In experimental cachectic animal models, aberrant activation of STAT3 in skeletal muscle has been found to contribute to muscle wasting. However, its clinical association, the factors regulating STAT3 activation, and the molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood.
    EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The expression of HSP90 and the activation of STAT3 were detected in muscle from the patients with cancer cachexia or the tumour-bearing cachectic mice. HSP90 inhibitors, including 17DMAG and PU-H71, were administered to cachexic mice, and cachexia parameters, such as weight loss, food intake, survival rate, body composition, serum metabolites, muscle wasting pathology, and catabolic activation, were measured and analyzed. The in vitro coculture of C2C12 myotube cells with C26 conditioned media (CM) was performed to address the pathological mechanism of catabolic muscle wasting. The roles of HSP90, STAT3, and FOXO1 in myotube atrophy were explored via overexpression or knockdown.
    RESULTS: Here, we show that an enhanced interaction between activated STAT3 and HSP90, which were observed in the skeletal muscle of cancer cachexia patients, is a crucial event for the development of cachectic muscle wasting. Administration of HSP90 inhibitors 17DMAG and PU-H71 alleviated the muscle wasting in C26 and LLC tumor-bearing cachectic mice models or the myotube atrophy of C2C12 cells induced by C26 conditional medium. Prolonged STAT3 activation transactivated FOXO1 by binding directly to its promoter and triggered the muscle wasting in a FOXO1-dependent manner in muscle cells.
    CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our results demonstrate that the HSP90/STAT3/FOXO1 axis plays a critical role in cachectic muscle wasting, which might serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer cachexia.
    Keywords:  Cancer cachexia; FOXO1; HSP90; Muscle wasting; STAT3
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.15625
  37. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Jul 20. pii: e2019498118. [Epub ahead of print]118(29):
    Deactivation blocks proton pathways in the mitochondrial complex I.
    Michael Röpke, Daniel Riepl, Patricia Saura, Andrea Di Luca, Max E Mühlbauer, Alexander Jussupow, Ana P Gamiz-Hernandez, Ville R I Kaila.
      Cellular respiration is powered by membrane-bound redox enzymes that convert chemical energy into an electrochemical proton gradient and drive the energy metabolism. By combining large-scale classical and quantum mechanical simulations with cryo-electron microscopy data, we resolve here molecular details of conformational changes linked to proton pumping in the mammalian complex I. Our data suggest that complex I deactivation blocks water-mediated proton transfer between a membrane-bound quinone site and proton-pumping modules, decoupling the energy-transduction machinery. We identify a putative gating region at the interface between membrane domain subunits ND1 and ND3/ND4L/ND6 that modulates the proton transfer by conformational changes in transmembrane helices and bulky residues. The region is perturbed by mutations linked to human mitochondrial disorders and is suggested to also undergo conformational changes during catalysis of simpler complex I variants that lack the "active"-to-"deactive" transition. Our findings suggest that conformational changes in transmembrane helices modulate the proton transfer dynamics by wetting/dewetting transitions and provide important functional insight into the mammalian respiratory complex I.
    Keywords:  QM/MM; bioenergetics; cell respiration; cryoEM; molecular simulations
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2019498118
  38. J Physiol. 2021 Jul 16.
    Regulation of muscle and mitochondrial health by the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 in aged mice.
    Maude Dulac, Jean-Philippe Leduc-Gaudet, Marina Cefis, Marie-Belle Ayoub, Olivier Reynaud, Anwar Shams, Alaa Moamer, Marcos Francisco Nery Ferreira, Sabah Na Hussain, Gilles Gouspillou.
       KEY POINTS: The maintenance of mitochondrial integrity is critical for skeletal muscle health. Mitochondrial dynamics play key roles in mitochondrial quality control; however, the exact role that mitochondrial fission plays in the muscle aging process remains unclear. Here we report that both Drp1 knockdown and overexpression late in life in mice is detrimental to skeletal muscle function and mitochondrial health. Drp1 knockdown in 18-month-old mice resulted in severe skeletal muscle atrophy, mitochondrial dysfunction, muscle degeneration/regeneration, oxidative stress, and impaired autophagy. Overexpressing Drp1 in 18-month-old mice resulted in mild skeletal muscle atrophy and decreased mitochondrial quality. Our data indicate that silencing or overexpressing Drp1 late in life is detrimental to skeletal muscle integrity. We conclude that modulating Drp1 expression is unlikely to be a viable approach to counter the muscle aging process.
    ABSTRACT: Sarcopenia, the aging-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is a debilitating process negatively impacting s the quality of life of afflicted individuals. Although the mechanisms underlying sarcopenia are still only partly understood, impairments in mitochondrial dynamics, and specifically mitochondrial fission, have been proposed as an underlying mechanism. Importantly, conflicting data exist in the field and both excessive and insufficient mitochondrial fission were proposed to contribute to sarcopenia. In D. Melanogaster, enhancing mitochondrial fission in midlife through overexpression of dynamin-1-like protein (Drp1) extended lifespan and attenuated several key hallmarks of muscle aging. Whether a similar outcome of Drp1 overexpression is observed in mammalian muscles remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the impact of knocking down and overexpressing Drp1 protein for 4 months in skeletal muscles of late middle-aged (18 months) mice using intra-muscular injections of adeno-associated viruses expressing shRNA targeting Drp1 or full Drp1 cDNA. We report that knocking down Drp1 expression late in life triggers severe muscle atrophy, mitochondrial dysfunctions, degeneration/regeneration, oxidative stress and impaired autophagy. Drp1 overexpression late in life triggered mild muscle atrophy and decreased mitochondrial quality. Taken altogether, our results indicate that both overexpression or silencing Drp1 in late middle-aged mice negatively impact skeletal muscle mass and mitochondrial health. These data suggest that Drp1 content must remain within a narrow physiological range to preserve muscle and mitochondrial integrity during aging. Altering Drp1 expression is therefore unlikely to be a viable target to counter sarcopenia. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
    Keywords:  autophagy; mitochondrial dynamics; mitochondrial fission; myopathic phenotype; oxidative stress; skeletal muscle aging; skeletal muscle atrophy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1113/JP281752
  39. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021 Jul 09. pii: S2352-345X(21)00138-7. [Epub ahead of print]
    Pancreatic cancer chemotherapy is potentiated by induction of tertiary lymphoid structures in mice.
    Francesca R Delvecchio, Rachel E A Fincham, Sarah Spear, Andrew Clear, Marina Roy-Luzarraga, Frances R Balkwill, John G Gribben, Michele Bombardieri, Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke, Melania Capasso, Hemant M Kocher.
       BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) may confer survival benefit to patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), in an otherwise immunologically inert malignancy. Yet, the precise role in PDAC has not been elucidated. Here we aim to investigate the structure and role of TLS in human and murine pancreatic cancer.
    METHODS: Multicolor immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry was used to fully characterize TLS in human and murine (transgenic - KPC: KrasG12D, p53R172H, Pdx-1-Cre - and orthotopic) pancreatic cancer. An orthotopic murine model was developed to study the development of TLS and the effect of the combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy on tumor growth.
    RESULTS: Mature, functional TLS are not ubiquitous in human PDAC and KPC murine cancers and are absent in the orthotopic murine model. TLS formation can be induced in the orthotopic model of PDAC after intra-tumoral injection of lymphoid chemokines (CXCL13/CCL21). Co-administration of systemic chemotherapy (gemcitabine) and intra-tumoral lymphoid chemokines into orthotopic tumors altered immune cell infiltration facilitating TLS induction and potentiating anti-tumor activity of chemotherapy. This resulted in significant tumor reduction, an effect not achieved by either treatment alone. Anti-tumor activity seen after TLS induction is associated with B cell-mediated dendritic cell activation.
    CONCLUSION: This study provides supportive evidence that TLS induction may potentiate the anti-tumor activity of chemotherapy in a murine model of PDAC. A detailed understanding of TLS kinetics and their induction, due to multiple host and tumor factors may help design personalized therapies harnessing the potential of immuno-oncology.
    Keywords:  B cells; T cells; dendritic cells; orthotopic; transgenic mice
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2021.06.023
  40. Phys Rev E. 2021 Jun;103(6-1): 062404
    Reconstructing an epigenetic landscape using a genetic pulling approach.
    Michael Assaf, Shay Be'er, Elijah Roberts.
      Cells use genetic switches to shift between alternate stable gene expression states, e.g., to adapt to new environments or to follow a developmental pathway. Conceptually, these stable phenotypes can be considered as attractive states on an epigenetic landscape with phenotypic changes being transitions between states. Measuring these transitions is challenging because they are both very rare in the absence of appropriate signals and very fast. As such, it has proved difficult to experimentally map the epigenetic landscapes that are widely believed to underly developmental networks. Here, we introduce a nonequilibrium perturbation method to help reconstruct a regulatory network's epigenetic landscape. We derive the mathematical theory needed and then use the method on simulated data to reconstruct the landscapes. Our results show that with a relatively small number of perturbation experiments it is possible to recover an accurate representation of the true epigenetic landscape. We propose that our theory provides a general method by which epigenetic landscapes can be studied. Finally, our theory suggests that the total perturbation impulse required to induce a switch between metastable states is a fundamental quantity in developmental dynamics.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.103.062404
  41. Ageing Res Rev. 2021 Jul 13. pii: S1568-1637(21)00154-9. [Epub ahead of print] 101407
    The hoverfly and the wasp: A critique of the hallmarks of aging as a paradigm.
    David Gems, João Pedro de Magalhães.
      With the goal of representing common denominators of aging in different organisms López-Otín et al. in 2013 described nine hallmarks of aging. Since then, this representation has become a major reference point for the biogerontology field. The template for the hallmarks of aging account originated from landmark papers by Hanahan and Weinberg (2000, 2011) defining first six and later ten hallmarks of cancer. Here we assess the strengths and weaknesses of the hallmarks of aging account. As a checklist of diverse major foci of current aging research, it has provided a useful shared overview for biogerontology during a time of transition in the field. It also seems useful in applied biogerontology, to identify interventions (e.g. drugs) that impact multiple symptomatic features of aging. However, while the hallmarks of cancer provide a paradigmatic account of the causes of cancer with profound explanatory power, the hallmarks of aging do not. A worry is that as a non-paradigm the hallmarks of aging have obscured the urgent need to define a genuine paradigm, one that can provide a useful basis for understanding the mechanistic causes of the diverse aging pathologies. We argue that biogerontology must look and move beyond the hallmarks to understand the process of aging.
    Keywords:  aging; geroscience; hallmarks; paradigm; senescence; theory
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2021.101407
  42. Nat Rev Immunol. 2021 Jul 12.
    CD8+ T cell differentiation and dysfunction in cancer.
    Mary Philip, Andrea Schietinger.
      CD8+ T cells specific for cancer cells are detected within tumours. However, despite their presence, tumours progress. The clinical success of immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive T cell therapy demonstrates the potential of CD8+ T cells to mediate antitumour responses; however, most patients with cancer fail to achieve long-term responses to immunotherapy. Here we review CD8+ T cell differentiation to dysfunctional states during tumorigenesis. We highlight similarities and differences between T cell dysfunction and other hyporesponsive T cell states and discuss the spatio-temporal factors contributing to T cell state heterogeneity in tumours. An important challenge is predicting which patients will respond to immunotherapeutic interventions and understanding which T cell subsets mediate the clinical response. We explore our current understanding of what determines T cell responsiveness and resistance to immunotherapy and point out the outstanding research questions.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-021-00574-3
  43. Trends Mol Med. 2021 Jul 11. pii: S1471-4914(21)00179-9. [Epub ahead of print]
    Breakthroughs and bottlenecks in autophagy research.
    Noboru Mizushima, Eileen White, David C Rubinsztein.
      The study of autophagy has grown exponentially over the past two decades, and significant progress has been made in our understanding of its mechanisms and physiological significance. However, its application to human diseases remains limited. Here, we summarize the current status of autophagy research, with a particular focus on human diseases.
    Keywords:  ATG genes; autophagic flux; macroautophagy; neurodegenerative disease; tumor growth
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2021.06.012
  44. Bioelectrochemistry. 2021 Jul 01. pii: S1567-5394(21)00144-4. [Epub ahead of print]141 107881
    Therapy of pancreatic cancer with alternating electric fields: Limitations of the method.
    Tobias Pfeifer, Liping Bai, Jury Gladkich, Wolfgang Gross, Li Liu, Ingrid Herr, Michael Schaefer.
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. More effective treatment options are urgently needed. The use of physical and weak alternating electric fields (TTFields) can inhibit cell division of PDAC carcinoma and is currently being investigated in clinical trials. Here, we analyzed this new physical treatment under non-ideal conditions such as may occur during patient treatment. Three established human PDAC cell lines BxPC-3, gemcitabine-resistant BxPC-3 (BxGem), AsPC-1, and a non-malignant primary pancreatic cell line CRL-4023 were treated with TTFields in vitro. MTT assays, electrical impedance measurement, cell staining with Annexin V/7AAD followed by FACS analysis, digital image analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed. Treatment with TTFields smaller than 0.7 V/cm and field lines in the direction of mitotic spindle orientation significantly inhibited proliferation of all PDAC cells at 150 kHz, but significantly increased viability of AsPC-1 cells at all frequencies between 100 kHz and 300 kHz and that of BxPC-3 and BxGem cells at 250 kHz. Apoptosis or necrosis were not induced. Non-malignant CRL-4023 cells were not affected at 150 kHz. TTFields damaged PDAC cell lines but even favored their viability at very weak field strength and unfavorable frequency or inadequate field direction.
    Keywords:  Cell viability stimulation; Dielectrophoresis; Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; TTFields
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2021.107881
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