bims-cagime Biomed News
on Cancer, aging and metabolism
Issue of 2021–09–05
forty papers selected by
Kıvanç Görgülü, Technical University of Munich
  1. Autophagy in major human diseases.
  2. Autophagy promotes growth of tumors with high mutational burden by inhibiting a T-cell immune response.
  3. Cancer evolution: Darwin and beyond.
  4. Autophagy in host stromal fibroblasts supports tumor desmoplasia.
  5. STING-driven interferon signaling triggers metabolic alterations in pancreas cancer cells visualized by [18F]FLT PET imaging.
  6. Senescence-Induced Vascular Remodeling Creates Therapeutic Vulnerabilities in Pancreas Cancer.
  7. A glitch in the matrix: organ-specific matrisomes in metastatic niches.
  8. Links between autophagy and tissue mechanics.
  9. The mechanism of MICU-dependent gating of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter.
  10. Acetylcholine-synthesizing macrophages in subcutaneous fat are regulated by β2 -adrenergic signaling.
  11. Induced phase separation of mutant NF2 imprisons the cGAS-STING machinery to abrogate antitumor immunity.
  12. Human genetic analyses of organelles highlight the nucleus in age-related trait heritability.
  13. Patient-Derived Xenografts to Study Cancer Metabolism: When Does X Mark the Spot?
  14. Tumor-derived MMPs regulate cachexia in a Drosophila cancer model.
  15. Metabolic regulation of T cells in the tumor microenvironment by nutrient availability and diet.
  16. Tumor microenvironment and metabolic remodeling in gemcitabine-based chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer.
  17. An integrated pipeline for comprehensive analysis of immune cells in human brain tumor clinical samples.
  18. Endoplasmic reticulum tubules limit the size of misfolded protein condensates.
  19. Allosteric MEK inhibitors act on BRAF/MEK complexes to block MEK activation.
  20. Vps13D functions in a Pink1-dependent and Parkin-independent mitophagy pathway.
  21. Alpha-single chains of collagen type VI inhibit the fibrogenic effects of triple helical collagen VI in hepatic stellate cells.
  22. Dynamic EMT: a multi-tool for tumor progression.
  23. Low Dose Radiotherapy Reverses Tumor Immune Desertification and Resistance to Immunotherapy.
  24. Organs-on-a-chip models for biological research.
  25. Beth Levine M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research.
  26. A subset of Kupffer cells regulates metabolism through the expression of CD36.
  27. Ribosomal proteins and human diseases: molecular mechanisms and targeted therapy.
  28. Cell reprogramming shapes the mitochondrial DNA landscape.
  29. Post-transcriptional diversity in riboproteins and RNAs in aging and cancer.
  30. Recommendations for a More Organized and Effective Approach to the Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer from the PRECEDE (Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection) Consortium.
  31. Autophagy in pancreatic cancer.
  32. AMULET: a novel read count-based method for effective multiplet detection from single nucleus ATAC-seq data.
  33. The mitochondrial permeability transition pore activates the mitochondrial unfolded protein response and promotes aging.
  34. Reconstitution defines the roles of p62, NBR1 and TAX1BP1 in ubiquitin condensate formation and autophagy initiation.
  35. The cell as a bag of RNA.
  36. Potassium and Sodium Channels and the Warburg Effect: Biophysical Regulation of Cancer Metabolism.
  37. Statins after variceal bleeding are beneficial, but still an unexplained mystery?
  38. AR-negative prostate cancer is vulnerable to loss of JMJD1C demethylase.
  39. Cancer Associated Fibroblasts Derived from Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and Their Role in Cell Migration.
  40. Calmodulin extracts the Ras family protein RalA from lipid bilayers by engagement with two membrane-targeting motifs.
  1. EMBO J. 2021 Aug 30. e108863
    Autophagy in major human diseases.
    Daniel J Klionsky, Giulia Petroni, Ravi K Amaravadi, Eric H Baehrecke, Andrea Ballabio, Patricia Boya, José Manuel Bravo-San Pedro, Ken Cadwell, Francesco Cecconi, Augustine M K Choi, Mary E Choi, Charleen T Chu, Patrice Codogno, Maria Isabel Colombo, Ana Maria Cuervo, Vojo Deretic, Ivan Dikic, Zvulun Elazar, Eeva-Liisa Eskelinen, Gian Maria Fimia, David A Gewirtz, Douglas R Green, Malene Hansen, Marja Jäättelä, Terje Johansen, Gábor Juhász, Vassiliki Karantza, Claudine Kraft, Guido Kroemer, Nicholas T Ktistakis, Sharad Kumar, Carlos Lopez-Otin, Kay F Macleod, Frank Madeo, Jennifer Martinez, Alicia Meléndez, Noboru Mizushima, Christian Münz, Josef M Penninger, Rushika M Perera, Mauro Piacentini, Fulvio Reggiori, David C Rubinsztein, Kevin M Ryan, Junichi Sadoshima, Laura Santambrogio, Luca Scorrano, Hans-Uwe Simon, Anna Katharina Simon, Anne Simonsen, Alexandra Stolz, Nektarios Tavernarakis, Sharon A Tooze, Tamotsu Yoshimori, Junying Yuan, Zhenyu Yue, Qing Zhong, Lorenzo Galluzzi, Federico Pietrocola.
      Autophagy is a core molecular pathway for the preservation of cellular and organismal homeostasis. Pharmacological and genetic interventions impairing autophagy responses promote or aggravate disease in a plethora of experimental models. Consistently, mutations in autophagy-related processes cause severe human pathologies. Here, we review and discuss preclinical data linking autophagy dysfunction to the pathogenesis of major human disorders including cancer as well as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, metabolic, pulmonary, renal, infectious, musculoskeletal, and ocular disorders.
    Keywords:  aging; cancer; inflammation; metabolic syndromes; neurodegeneration
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2021108863
  2. Nat Cancer. 2020 Sep;1(9): 923-934
    Autophagy promotes growth of tumors with high mutational burden by inhibiting a T-cell immune response.
    Laura Poillet-Perez, Daniel W Sharp, Yang Yang, Saurabh V Laddha, Maria Ibrahim, Praveen K Bommareddy, Zhixian Sherrie Hu, Joshua Vieth, Michael Haas, Marcus W Bosenberg, Joshua D Rabinowitz, Jian Cao, Jun-Lin Guan, Shridar Ganesan, Chang S Chan, Janice M Mehnert, Edmund C Lattime, Eileen White.
      Macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) degrades and recycles intracellular components to sustain metabolism and survival during starvation. Host autophagy promotes tumor growth by providing essential tumor nutrients. Autophagy also regulates immune cell homeostasis and function and suppresses inflammation. Although host autophagy does not promote a T-cell anti-tumor immune response in tumors with low tumor mutational burden (TMB), whether this was the case in tumors with high TMB was not known. Here we show that autophagy, especially in the liver, promotes tumor immune tolerance by enabling regulatory T-cell function and limiting stimulator of interferon genes, T-cell response and interferon-γ, which enables growth of high-TMB tumors. We have designated this as hepatic autophagy immune tolerance. Autophagy thereby promotes tumor growth through both metabolic and immune mechanisms depending on mutational load and autophagy inhibition is an effective means to promote an antitumor T-cell response in high-TMB tumors.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-020-00110-7
  3. EMBO J. 2021 Aug 30. e108389
    Cancer evolution: Darwin and beyond.
    Roberto Vendramin, Kevin Litchfield, Charles Swanton.
      Clinical and laboratory studies over recent decades have established branched evolution as a feature of cancer. However, while grounded in somatic selection, several lines of evidence suggest a Darwinian model alone is insufficient to fully explain cancer evolution. First, the role of macroevolutionary events in tumour initiation and progression contradicts Darwin's central thesis of gradualism. Whole-genome doubling, chromosomal chromoplexy and chromothripsis represent examples of single catastrophic events which can drive tumour evolution. Second, neutral evolution can play a role in some tumours, indicating that selection is not always driving evolution. Third, increasing appreciation of the role of the ageing soma has led to recent generalised theories of age-dependent carcinogenesis. Here, we review these concepts and others, which collectively argue for a model of cancer evolution which extends beyond Darwin. We also highlight clinical opportunities which can be grasped through targeting cancer vulnerabilities arising from non-Darwinian patterns of evolution.
    Keywords:  cancer; cancer evolution; cancer therapy; tumour heterogeneity
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2021108389
  4. Autophagy. 2021 Sep 01. 1-2
    Autophagy in host stromal fibroblasts supports tumor desmoplasia.
    Jenny A Rudnick, Jayanta Debnath.
      Growing evidence demonstrates that macroautophagy/autophagy in the host stroma influences the tumor microenvironment. We have uncovered that autophagy in host stromal fibroblasts is compulsory to initiate and maintain the desmoplastic fibrotic response that fosters mammary tumor progression. Genetic loss of fibroblast autophagy impedes COL1A/type 1 collagen secretion, which is required for the development of a stiff tissue matrix permissive for mammary tumor growth. As a result, stromal fibroblast autophagy deficiency impairs mammary tumor progression in vivo, even when the cancer cells themselves remain autophagy competent. Our results provide unique conceptual insight into how the autophagy pathway can be modulated to abolish the desmoplastic response required for cancer progression.
    Keywords:  Autophagy; cancer associated fibroblasts; collagen; desmoplasia; tumor microenvironment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2021.1972405
  5. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Sep 07. pii: e2105390118. [Epub ahead of print]118(36):
    STING-driven interferon signaling triggers metabolic alterations in pancreas cancer cells visualized by [18F]FLT PET imaging.
    Keke Liang, Evan R Abt, Thuc M Le, Arthur Cho, Amanda M Dann, Jing Cui, Luyi Li, Khalid Rashid, Amanda L Creech, Liu Wei, Razmik Ghukasyan, Ethan W Rosser, Nanping Wu, Giuseppe Carlucci, Johannes Czernin, Timothy R Donahue, Caius G Radu.
      Type I interferons (IFNs) are critical effectors of emerging cancer immunotherapies designed to activate pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). A challenge in the clinical translation of these agents is the lack of noninvasive pharmacodynamic biomarkers that indicate increased intratumoral IFN signaling following PRR activation. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging enables the visualization of tissue metabolic activity, but whether IFN signaling-induced alterations in tumor cell metabolism can be detected using PET has not been investigated. We found that IFN signaling augments pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell nucleotide metabolism via transcriptional induction of metabolism-associated genes including thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP). TYMP catalyzes the first step in the catabolism of thymidine, which competitively inhibits intratumoral accumulation of the nucleoside analog PET probe 3'-deoxy-3'-[18F]fluorothymidine ([18F]FLT). Accordingly, IFN treatment up-regulates cancer cell [18F]FLT uptake in the presence of thymidine, and this effect is dependent upon TYMP expression. In vivo, genetic activation of stimulator of interferon genes (STING), a PRR highly expressed in PDAC, enhances the [18F]FLT avidity of xenograft tumors. Additionally, small molecule STING agonists trigger IFN signaling-dependent TYMP expression in PDAC cells and increase tumor [18F]FLT uptake in vivo following systemic treatment. These findings indicate that [18F]FLT accumulation in tumors is sensitive to IFN signaling and that [18F]FLT PET may serve as a pharmacodynamic biomarker for STING agonist-based therapies in PDAC and possibly other malignancies characterized by elevated STING expression.
    Keywords:  PET imaging; STING; interferon; nucleotide metabolism; pancreatic cancer
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2105390118
  6. Cell. 2021 Sep 02. pii: S0092-8674(21)00887-4. [Epub ahead of print]184(18): 4838-4839
    Senescence-Induced Vascular Remodeling Creates Therapeutic Vulnerabilities in Pancreas Cancer.
    Marcus Ruscetti, John P Morris, Riccardo Mezzadra, James Russell, Josef Leibold, Paul B Romesser, Janelle Simon, Amanda Kulick, Yu-Jui Ho, Myles Fennell, Jinyang Li, Robert J Norgard, John E Wilkinson, Direna Alonso-Curbelo, Ramya Sridharan, Daniel A Heller, Elisa de Stanchina, Ben Z Stanger, Charles J Sherr, Scott W Lowe.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.07.028
  7. Trends Cell Biol. 2021 Aug 31. pii: S0962-8924(21)00162-8. [Epub ahead of print]
    A glitch in the matrix: organ-specific matrisomes in metastatic niches.
    Sarah K Deasy, Neta Erez.
      Modification of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is a critical aspect of developing a metastasis-supportive organ niche. Recent work investigating ECM changes that facilitate metastasis has revealed ways in which different metastatic organ niches are similar as well as the distinct characteristics that make them unique. In this review, we present recent findings regarding how ECM modifications support metastasis in four frequent metastatic sites: the lung, liver, bone, and brain. We discuss ways in which these modifications are shared between metastatic organs as well as features specific to each location. We also discuss areas of technical innovation that could be advantageous to future research and areas of inquiry that merit further investigation.
    Keywords:  extracellular matrix; fibrosis; matrisome; metastasis; microenvironment; premetastatic niche
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2021.08.001
  8. J Cell Sci. 2021 Sep 01. pii: jcs258589. [Epub ahead of print]134(17):
    Links between autophagy and tissue mechanics.
    Aurore Claude-Taupin, Patrice Codogno, Nicolas Dupont.
      Physical constraints, such as compression, shear stress, stretching and tension, play major roles during development, tissue homeostasis, immune responses and pathologies. Cells and organelles also face mechanical forces during migration and extravasation, and investigations into how mechanical forces are translated into a wide panel of biological responses, including changes in cell morphology, membrane transport, metabolism, energy production and gene expression, is a flourishing field. Recent studies demonstrate the role of macroautophagy in the integration of physical constraints. The aim of this Review is to summarize and discuss our knowledge of the role of macroautophagy in controlling a large panel of cell responses, from morphological and metabolic changes, to inflammation and senescence, for the integration of mechanical forces. Moreover, wherever possible, we also discuss the cell surface molecules and structures that sense mechanical forces upstream of macroautophagy.
    Keywords:  Macroautophagy; Mechanical forces; Mechanosensing; Signaling
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.258589
  9. Elife. 2021 Aug 31. pii: e69312. [Epub ahead of print]10
    The mechanism of MICU-dependent gating of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter.
    Vivek Garg, Junji Suzuki, Ishan Paranjpe, Tiffany Unsulangi, Liron Boyman, Lorin S Milescu, W Jonathan Lederer, Yuriy Kirichok.
      Ca2+ entry into mitochondria is through the mitochondrial calcium uniporter complex (MCUcx), a Ca2+-selective channel composed of five subunit types. Two MCUcx subunits (MCU and EMRE) span the inner mitochondrial membrane, while three Ca2+-regulatory subunits (MICU1, MICU2 and MICU3) reside in the intermembrane space. Here we provide rigorous analysis of Ca2+ and Na+ fluxes via MCUcx in intact isolated mitochondria to understand the function of MICU subunits. We also perform direct patch clamp recordings of macroscopic and single MCUcx currents to gain further mechanistic insight. This comprehensive analysis shows that the MCUcx pore, composed of the EMRE and MCU subunits, is not occluded nor plugged by MICUs during the absence or presence of extramitochondrial Ca2+ as has been widely reported. Instead, MICUs potentiate activity of MCUcx as extramitochondrial Ca2+ is elevated. MICUs achieve this by modifying the gating properties of MCUcx allowing it to spend more time in the open state.
    Keywords:  molecular biophysics; mouse; structural biology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.69312
  10. EMBO J. 2021 Aug 30. e106061
    Acetylcholine-synthesizing macrophages in subcutaneous fat are regulated by β2 -adrenergic signaling.
    Alexander J Knights, Shanshan Liu, Yingxu Ma, Victoria S Nudell, Eric Perkey, Matthew J Sorensen, Robert T Kennedy, Ivan Maillard, Li Ye, Heejin Jun, Jun Wu.
      Non-neuronal cholinergic signaling, mediated by acetylcholine, plays important roles in physiological processes including inflammation and immunity. Our group first discovered evidence of non-neuronal cholinergic circuitry in adipose tissue, whereby immune cells secrete acetylcholine to activate beige adipocytes during adaptive thermogenesis. Here, we reveal that macrophages are the cellular protagonists responsible for secreting acetylcholine to regulate thermogenic activation in subcutaneous fat, and we term these cells cholinergic adipose macrophages (ChAMs). An adaptive increase in ChAM abundance is evident following acute cold exposure, and macrophage-specific deletion of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the enzyme for acetylcholine biosynthesis, impairs the cold-induced thermogenic capacity of mice. Further, using pharmacological and genetic approaches, we show that ChAMs are regulated via adrenergic signaling, specifically through the β2 adrenergic receptor. These findings demonstrate that macrophages are an essential adipose tissue source of acetylcholine for the regulation of adaptive thermogenesis, and may be useful for therapeutic targeting in metabolic diseases.
    Keywords:  acetylcholine; adipose tissue; macrophages; thermogenesis
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2020106061
  11. Mol Cell. 2021 Aug 24. pii: S1097-2765(21)00624-9. [Epub ahead of print]
    Induced phase separation of mutant NF2 imprisons the cGAS-STING machinery to abrogate antitumor immunity.
    Fansen Meng, Zhengyang Yu, Dan Zhang, Shasha Chen, Hongxin Guan, Ruyuan Zhou, Qirou Wu, Qian Zhang, Shengduo Liu, Mukesh Kumar Venkat Ramani, Bing Yang, Xiao-Qun Ba, Jing Zhang, Jun Huang, Xueli Bai, Jun Qin, Xin-Hua Feng, Songying Ouyang, Yan Jessie Zhang, Tingbo Liang, Pinglong Xu.
      Missense mutations of the tumor suppressor Neurofibromin 2 (NF2/Merlin/schwannomin) result in sporadic to frequent occurrences of tumorigenesis in multiple organs. However, the underlying pathogenicity of NF2-related tumorigenesis remains mostly unknown. Here we found that NF2 facilitated innate immunity by regulating YAP/TAZ-mediated TBK1 inhibition. Unexpectedly, patient-derived individual mutations in the FERM domain of NF2 (NF2m) converted NF2 into a potent suppressor of cGAS-STING signaling. Mechanistically, NF2m gained extreme associations with IRF3 and TBK1 and, upon innate nucleic acid sensing, was directly induced by the activated IRF3 to form cellular condensates, which contained the PP2A complex, to eliminate TBK1 activation. Accordingly, NF2m robustly suppressed STING-initiated antitumor immunity in cancer cell-autonomous and -nonautonomous murine models, and NF2m-IRF3 condensates were evident in human vestibular schwannomas. Our study reports phase separation-mediated quiescence of cGAS-STING signaling by a mutant tumor suppressor and reveals gain-of-function pathogenesis for NF2-related tumors by regulating antitumor immunity.
    Keywords:  Hippo-YAP; IRF3; NF2; TBK1; antitumor immunity; cGAS-STING; innate immunity; liquid-liquid phase separation; schwannomas; tumor suppressor
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2021.07.040
  12. Elife. 2021 Sep 01. pii: e68610. [Epub ahead of print]10
    Human genetic analyses of organelles highlight the nucleus in age-related trait heritability.
    Rahul Gupta, Konrad Karczewski, Daniel Howrigan, Benjamin Neale, Vamsi Mootha Md.
      Most age-related human diseases are accompanied by a decline in cellular organelle integrity, including impaired lysosomal proteostasis and defective mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. An open question, however, is the degree to which inherited variation in or near genes encoding each organelle contributes to age-related disease pathogenesis. Here, we evaluate if genetic loci encoding organelle proteomes confer greater-than-expected age-related disease risk. As mitochondrial dysfunction is a 'hallmark' of aging, we begin by assessing nuclear and mitochondrial DNA loci near genes encoding the mitochondrial proteome and surprisingly observe a lack of enrichment across 24 age-related traits. Within nine other organelles, we find no enrichment with one exception: the nucleus, where enrichment emanates from nuclear transcription factors. In agreement, we find that genes encoding several organelles tend to be 'haplosufficient', while we observe strong purifying selection against heterozygous protein-truncating variants impacting the nucleus. Our work identifies common variation near transcription factors as having outsize influence on age-related trait risk, motivating future efforts to determine if and how this inherited variation then contributes to observed age-related organelle deterioration.
    Keywords:  genetics; genomics; human
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.68610
  13. Cancer Res. 2021 Sep 01. 81(17): 4399-4401
    Patient-Derived Xenografts to Study Cancer Metabolism: When Does X Mark the Spot?
    Christopher S Nabel, Matthew G Vander Heiden.
      A major goal of cancer research is to understand the requirements for cancer growth and progression that can be exploited to treat patients. Model systems reduce the complexity and heterogeneity of human cancers to explore therapeutic hypotheses, however, some relevant aspects of human biology are not well represented by certain models, complicating the translation of preclinical findings to help patients. Here we discuss the advantages and limitations of patient-derived xenografts as a model system to study cancer metabolism, offering a framework to best use these models to address different types of metabolism-specific research questions.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-0770
  14. Dev Cell. 2021 Aug 31. pii: S1534-5807(21)00638-9. [Epub ahead of print]
    Tumor-derived MMPs regulate cachexia in a Drosophila cancer model.
    William Lodge, Michael Zavortink, Sofia Golenkina, Francesca Froldi, Callum Dark, Shane Cheung, Benjamin L Parker, Ronnie Blazev, Daniel Bakopoulos, Elizabeth L Christie, Verena C Wimmer, Brigette C Duckworth, Helena E Richardson, Louise Y Cheng.
      Cachexia, the wasting syndrome commonly observed in advanced cancer patients, accounts for up to one-third of cancer-related mortalities. We have established a Drosophila larval model of organ wasting whereby epithelial overgrowth in eye-antennal discs leads to wasting of the adipose tissue and muscles. The wasting is associated with fat-body remodeling and muscle detachment and is dependent on tumor-secreted matrix metalloproteinase 1 (Mmp1). Mmp1 can both modulate TGFβ signaling in the fat body and disrupt basement membrane (BM)/extracellular matrix (ECM) protein localization in both the fat body and the muscle. Inhibition of TGFβ signaling or Mmps in the fat body/muscle using a QF2-QUAS binary expression system rescues muscle wasting in the presence of tumor. Altogether, our study proposes that tumor-derived Mmps are central mediators of organ wasting in cancer cachexia.
    Keywords:  Drosophila; MMP; TGFβ signaling; Timp; cachexia; fat body; interorgan crosstalk; muscle
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2021.08.008
  15. Semin Immunol. 2021 Aug 27. pii: S1044-5323(21)00016-6. [Epub ahead of print] 101485
    Metabolic regulation of T cells in the tumor microenvironment by nutrient availability and diet.
    Steven Zhao, Ronal M Peralta, Natalia Avina-Ochoa, Greg M Delgoffe, Susan M Kaech.
      Recent advances in immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) for the treatment of cancer have generated excitement over their ability to yield durable, and potentially curative, responses in a multitude of cancers. These findings have established that the immune system is capable of eliminating tumors and led us to a better, albeit still incomplete, understanding of the mechanisms by which tumors interact with and evade destruction by the immune system. Given the central role of T cells in immunotherapy, elucidating the cell intrinsic and extrinsic factors that govern T cell function in tumors will facilitate the development of immunotherapies that establish durable responses in a greater number of patients. One such factor is metabolism, a set of fundamental cellular processes that not only sustains cell survival and proliferation, but also serves as a means for cells to interpret their local environment. Nutrient sensing is critical for T cells that must infiltrate into a metabolically challenging tumor microenvironment and expand under these harsh conditions to eliminate cancerous cells. Here we introduce T cell exhaustion with respect to cellular metabolism, followed by a discussion of nutrient availability at the tumor and organismal level in relation to T cell metabolism and function to provide rationale for the study and targeting of metabolism in anti-tumor immune responses.
    Keywords:  Cancer metabolism; Immuno-oncology; Immunometabolism; Immunotherapy; T cells; Tumor microenvironment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smim.2021.101485
  16. Cancer Lett. 2021 Aug 27. pii: S0304-3835(21)00426-2. [Epub ahead of print]521 98-108
    Tumor microenvironment and metabolic remodeling in gemcitabine-based chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer.
    Zongting Gu, Yongxing Du, Xueping Zhao, Chengfeng Wang.
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a solid malignant tumor with a very low operative rate and a poor patient prognosis. Therefore, gemcitabine (GEM)-based chemotherapy remains one of the most important treatment choices for PDAC. However, the efficacy of GEM monotherapy or GEM combination chemotherapy in improving the survival of patients with advanced PDAC is very limited, primarily due to GEM resistance. The mechanism of GEM resistance is complex and unclear. An extensive and dense fibrous matrix in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is an important feature of PDAC. Increasing evidence indicates that this fibrotic TME not only actively participates in the growth and spread of PDAC but also contributes to the induction of GEM resistance. Metabolic remodeling reduces GEM transport and synthesis in PDAC. This review focuses on the main cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the involvement of the extracellular matrix (ECM), immune cells, and metabolic remodeling in the induction of GEM resistance; highlights the prospect of targeting the TME as an essential strategy to overcome GEM resistance; and provides new precise interventions for chemotherapy sensitization and improving the overall prognosis of patients with PDAC.
    Keywords:  Chemoresistance; Gemcitabine; Metabolic remodeling; Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; Tumor microenvironment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2021.08.029
  17. Nat Protoc. 2021 Aug 30.
    An integrated pipeline for comprehensive analysis of immune cells in human brain tumor clinical samples.
    Roeltje R Maas, Klara Soukup, Florian Klemm, Mara Kornete, Robert L Bowman, Romain Bedel, Damien N Marie, Ángel F Álvarez-Prado, Danny Labes, Anne Wilson, Jean-Philippe Brouland, Roy T Daniel, Monika E Hegi, Johanna A Joyce.
      Human tissue samples represent an invaluable source of information for the analysis of disease-specific cellular alterations and their variation between different pathologies. In cancer research, advancing a comprehensive understanding of the unique characteristics of individual tumor types and their microenvironment is of considerable importance for clinical translation. However, investigating human brain tumor tissue is challenging due to the often-limited availability of surgical specimens. Here we describe a multimodule integrated pipeline for the processing of freshly resected human brain tumor tissue and matched blood that enables analysis of the tumor microenvironment, with a particular focus on the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). The protocol maximizes the information yield from limited tissue and includes both the preservation of bulk tissue, which can be performed within 1 h following surgical resection, as well as tissue dissociation for an in-depth characterization of individual TIME cell populations, which typically takes several hours depending on tissue quantity and further downstream processing. We also describe integrated modules for immunofluorescent staining of sectioned tissue, bulk tissue genomic analysis and fluorescence- or magnetic-activated cell sorting of digested tissue for subsequent culture or transcriptomic analysis by RNA sequencing. Applying this pipeline, we have previously described the overall TIME landscape across different human brain malignancies, and were able to delineate disease-specific alterations of tissue-resident versus recruited macrophage populations. This protocol will enable researchers to use this pipeline to address further research questions regarding the tumor microenvironment.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-021-00594-2
  18. Elife. 2021 Sep 01. pii: e71642. [Epub ahead of print]10
    Endoplasmic reticulum tubules limit the size of misfolded protein condensates.
    Smriti Parashar, Ravi Chidambaram, Shuliang Chen, Christina R Liem, Eric Griffis, Gerard G Lambert, Nathan C Shaner, Matthew Wortham, Jesse C Hay, Susan Ferro-Novick.
      The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is composed of sheets and tubules. Here we report that the COPII coat subunit, SEC24C, works with the long form of the tubular ER-phagy receptor, RTN3, to target dominant-interfering mutant proinsulin Akita puncta to lysosomes. When the delivery of Akita puncta to lysosomes was disrupted, large puncta accumulated in the ER. Unexpectedly, photobleach analysis indicated that Akita puncta behaved as condensates and not aggregates, as previously suggested. Akita puncta enlarged when either RTN3 or SEC24C were depleted, or when ER sheets were proliferated by either knocking out Lunapark or overexpressing CLIMP63. Other ER-phagy substrates that are segregated into tubules behaved like Akita, while a substrate (type I procollagen) that is degraded by the ER-phagy sheets receptor, FAM134B, did not. Conversely, when ER tubules were augmented in Lunapark knock-out cells by overexpressing reticulons, ER-phagy increased and the number of large Akita puncta were reduced. Our findings imply that segregating cargos into tubules has two beneficial roles. First, it localizes mutant misfolded proteins, the receptor and SEC24C to the same ER domain. Second, physically restraining condensates within tubules, before they undergo ER-phagy, prevents them from enlarging and impacting cell health.
    Keywords:  cell biology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.71642
  19. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Sep 07. pii: e2107207118. [Epub ahead of print]118(36):
    Allosteric MEK inhibitors act on BRAF/MEK complexes to block MEK activation.
    Gonzalo L Gonzalez-Del Pino, Kunhua Li, Eunyoung Park, Anna M Schmoker, Byung Hak Ha, Michael J Eck.
      The RAF/MEK/ERK pathway is central to the control of cell physiology, and its dysregulation is associated with many cancers. Accordingly, the proteins constituting this pathway, including MEK1/2 (MEK), have been subject to intense drug discovery and development efforts. Allosteric MEK inhibitors (MEKi) exert complex effects on RAF/MEK/ERK pathway signaling and are employed clinically in combination with BRAF inhibitors in malignant melanoma. Although mechanisms and structures of MEKi bound to MEK have been described for many of these compounds, recent studies suggest that RAF/MEK complexes, rather than free MEK, should be evaluated as the target of MEKi. Here, we describe structural and biochemical studies of eight structurally diverse, clinical-stage MEKi to better understand their mechanism of action on BRAF/MEK complexes. We find that all of these agents bind in the MEK allosteric site in BRAF/MEK complexes, in which they stabilize the MEK activation loop in a conformation that is resistant to BRAF-mediated dual phosphorylation required for full activation of MEK. We also show that allosteric MEK inhibitors act most potently on BRAF/MEK complexes rather than on free active MEK, further supporting the notion that a BRAF/MEK complex is the physiologically relevant pharmacologic target for this class of compounds. Our findings provide a conceptual and structural framework for rational development of RAF-selective MEK inhibitors as an avenue to more effective and better-tolerated agents targeting this pathway.
    Keywords:  BRAF; MEK; MEK inhibitor; X-ray crystallography; allosteric kinase inhibitor
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2107207118
  20. J Cell Biol. 2021 Nov 01. pii: e202104073. [Epub ahead of print]220(11):
    Vps13D functions in a Pink1-dependent and Parkin-independent mitophagy pathway.
    James L Shen, Tina M Fortier, Ruoxi Wang, Eric H Baehrecke.
      Defects in autophagy cause problems in metabolism, development, and disease. The autophagic clearance of mitochondria, mitophagy, is impaired by the loss of Vps13D. Here, we discover that Vps13D regulates mitophagy in a pathway that depends on the core autophagy machinery by regulating Atg8a and ubiquitin localization. This process is Pink1 dependent, with loss of pink1 having similar autophagy and mitochondrial defects as loss of vps13d. The role of Pink1 has largely been studied in tandem with Park/Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is widely considered to be crucial in Pink1-dependent mitophagy. Surprisingly, we find that loss of park does not exhibit the same autophagy and mitochondrial deficiencies as vps13d and pink1 mutant cells and contributes to mitochondrial clearance through a pathway that is parallel to vps13d. These findings provide a Park-independent pathway for Pink1-regulated mitophagy and help to explain how Vps13D regulates autophagy and mitochondrial morphology and contributes to neurodegenerative diseases.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202104073
  21. PLoS One. 2021 ;16(9): e0254557
    Alpha-single chains of collagen type VI inhibit the fibrogenic effects of triple helical collagen VI in hepatic stellate cells.
    Christian Freise, Hyunho Lee, Christopher Chronowski, Doug Chan, Jessica Cziomer, Martin Rühl, Tarkan Dagdelen, Maik Lösekann, Ulrike Erben, Andre Catic, Werner Tegge, Detlef Schuppan, Rajan Somasundaram, Ergun Sahin.
      The interaction of extracellular matrix (ECM) components with hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is thought to perpetuate fibrosis by stimulating signaling pathways that drive HSC activation, survival and proliferation. Consequently, disrupting the interaction between ECM and HSCs is considered a therapeutical avenue although respective targets and underlying mechanisms remain to be established. Here we have interrogated the interaction between type VI collagen (CVI) and HSCs based on the observation that CVI is 10-fold upregulated during fibrosis, closely associates with HSCs in vivo and promotes cell proliferation and cell survival in cancer cell lines. We exposed primary rat HSCs and a rat hepatic stellate cell line (CFSC) to soluble CVI and determined the rate of proliferation, apoptosis and fibrogenesis in the absence of any additional growth factors. We find that CVI in nanomolar concentrations prevents serum starvation-induced apoptosis. This potent anti-apoptotic effect is accompanied by induction of proliferation and acquisition of a pronounced pro-fibrogenic phenotype characterized by increased α-smooth muscle actin, TGF-β, collagen type I and TIMP-1 expression and diminished proteolytic MMP-13 expression. The CVI-HSC interaction can be disrupted with the monomeric α2(VI) and α3(VI) chains and abrogates the activating CVI effects. Further, functional relevant α3(VI)-derived 30 amino acid peptides lead to near-complete inhibition of the CVI effect. In conclusion, CVI serves as a potent mitogen and activating factor for HSCs. The antagonistic effects of the CVI monomeric chains and peptides point to linear peptide sequences that prevent activation of CVI receptors which may allow a targeted antifibrotic therapy.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254557
  22. EMBO J. 2021 Aug 30. e108647
    Dynamic EMT: a multi-tool for tumor progression.
    Simone Brabletz, Harald Schuhwerk, Thomas Brabletz, Marc P Stemmler.
      The process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is fundamental for embryonic morphogenesis. Cells undergoing it lose epithelial characteristics and integrity, acquire mesenchymal features, and become motile. In cancer, this program is hijacked to confer essential changes in morphology and motility that fuel invasion. In addition, EMT is increasingly understood to orchestrate a large variety of complementary cancer features, such as tumor cell stemness, tumorigenicity, resistance to therapy and adaptation to changes in the microenvironment. In this review, we summarize recent findings related to these various classical and non-classical functions, and introduce EMT as a true tumorigenic multi-tool, involved in many aspects of cancer. We suggest that therapeutic targeting of the EMT process will-if acknowledging these complexities-be a possibility to concurrently interfere with tumor progression on many levels.
    Keywords:  EMT; MET; SLUG; SNAIL; TWIST; ZEB1; ZEB2; cancer; cell plasticity; hybrid EMT; invasion; metastasis; partial EMT; signaling pathways; tumor stemness
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2021108647
  23. Cancer Discov. 2021 Sep 03. pii: candisc.0003.2021. [Epub ahead of print]
    Low Dose Radiotherapy Reverses Tumor Immune Desertification and Resistance to Immunotherapy.
    Fernanda G Herrera, Catherine Ronet, Maria Ochoa de Olza, David Barras, Isaac Crespo, Massimo Andreatta, Jesus Corria-Osorio, Aodrenn Spill, Fabrizio Benedetti, Raphael Genolet, Angela Orcurto, Martina Imbimbo, Eleonora Ghisoni, Blanca Navarro Rodrigo, Dominik R Berthold, Apostolos Sarivalasis, Khalil Zaman, Rafael Duran, Clarisse Dromain, John Prior, Niklaus Schaefer, Jean Bourhis, Georgia Dimopoulou, Zoi Tsourti, Marius Messemaker, Thomas Smith, Sarah E Warren, Periklis Foukas, Sylvie Rusakiewicz, Mikael J Pittet, Stefan Zimmermann, Christine Sempoux, Urania Dafni, Alexandre Harari, Lana E Kandalaft, Santiago J Carmona, Denarda Dangaj Laniti, Melita Irving, George Coukos.
      Developing strategies to inflame tumors is critical for increasing response to immunotherapy. Here we report that low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) of murine tumors promotes T-cell infiltration and enables responsiveness to combinatorial immunotherapy in an interferon-dependent manner. Treatment efficacy relied upon mobilizing both adaptive and innate immunity and depended on both cytotoxic CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. LDRT elicited predominantly CD4+ cells with features of exhausted effector cytotoxic cells, with a subset expressing NKG2D and exhibiting proliferative capacity, as well as a unique subset of activated dendritic cells expressing the NKG2D ligand Rae1. We translated these findings to a phase I clinical trial administering LDRT, low-dose cyclophosphamide and immune checkpoint blockade to patients with immune desert tumors. In responsive patients, the combinatorial treatment triggered T-cell infiltration, predominantly of CD4+ cells with Th1 signatures. Our data support the rational combination of LDRT with immunotherapy for effectively treating low-T cell infiltrated tumors.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-0003
  24. Cell. 2021 Sep 02. pii: S0092-8674(21)00947-8. [Epub ahead of print]184(18): 4597-4611
    Organs-on-a-chip models for biological research.
    Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard, Milica Radisic.
      We explore the utility of bioengineered human tissues-individually or connected into physiological units-for biological research. While much smaller and simpler than their native counterparts, these tissues are complex enough to approximate distinct tissue phenotypes: molecular, structural, and functional. Unlike organoids, which form spontaneously and recapitulate development, "organs-on-a-chip" are engineered to display some specific functions of whole organs. Looking back, we discuss the key developments of this emerging technology. Thinking forward, we focus on the challenges faced to fully establish, validate, and utilize the fidelity of these models for biological research.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.08.005
  25. Autophagy. 2021 Aug 30. 1
    Beth Levine M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research.
    Ellen S Vitetta, Melanie H Cobb, Helen H Hobbs, Lora Hooper, Sean J Morrison, Kim Orth, Julie Pfeiffer, Michael K Rosen, Joseph S Takahashi, Thomas Wang.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2021.1962170
  26. Immunity. 2021 Aug 24. pii: S1074-7613(21)00336-8. [Epub ahead of print]
    A subset of Kupffer cells regulates metabolism through the expression of CD36.
    Camille Blériot, Emelie Barreby, Garett Dunsmore, Raphaelle Ballaire, Svetoslav Chakarov, Xenia Ficht, Giorgia De Simone, Francesco Andreata, Valeria Fumagalli, Wei Guo, Guochen Wan, Gregoire Gessain, Ahad Khalilnezhad, Xiao Meng Zhang, Nicholas Ang, Ping Chen, Cecilia Morgantini, Valerio Azzimato, Wan Ting Kong, Zhaoyuan Liu, Rhea Pai, Josephine Lum, Foo Shihui, Ivy Low, Connie Xu, Benoit Malleret, Muhammad Faris Mohd Kairi, Akhila Balachander, Olivier Cexus, Anis Larbi, Bernett Lee, Evan W Newell, Lai Guan Ng, Wint Wint Phoo, Radoslaw M Sobota, Ankur Sharma, Shanshan W Howland, Jinmiao Chen, Marc Bajenoff, Laurent Yvan-Charvet, Nicolas Venteclef, Matteo Iannacone, Myriam Aouadi, Florent Ginhoux.
      Tissue macrophages are immune cells whose phenotypes and functions are dictated by origin and niches. However, tissues are complex environments, and macrophage heterogeneity within the same organ has been overlooked so far. Here, we used high-dimensional approaches to characterize macrophage populations in the murine liver. We identified two distinct populations among embryonically derived Kupffer cells (KCs) sharing a core signature while differentially expressing numerous genes and proteins: a major CD206loESAM- population (KC1) and a minor CD206hiESAM+ population (KC2). KC2 expressed genes involved in metabolic processes, including fatty acid metabolism both in steady-state and in diet-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis. Functional characterization by depletion of KC2 or targeted silencing of the fatty acid transporter Cd36 highlighted a crucial contribution of KC2 in the liver oxidative stress associated with obesity. In summary, our study reveals that KCs are more heterogeneous than anticipated, notably describing a subpopulation wired with metabolic functions.
    Keywords:  CD206; CD36; Kupffer cells; heterogeneity; high fat diet; liver; macrophages; metabolism; scRNA-seq; single cell
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2021.08.006
  27. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2021 Aug 30. 6(1): 323
    Ribosomal proteins and human diseases: molecular mechanisms and targeted therapy.
    Jian Kang, Natalie Brajanovski, Keefe T Chan, Jiachen Xuan, Richard B Pearson, Elaine Sanij.
      Ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis are fundamental rate-limiting steps for cell growth and proliferation. The ribosomal proteins (RPs), comprising the structural parts of the ribosome, are essential for ribosome assembly and function. In addition to their canonical ribosomal functions, multiple RPs have extra-ribosomal functions including activation of p53-dependent or p53-independent pathways in response to stress, resulting in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Defects in ribosome biogenesis, translation, and the functions of individual RPs, including mutations in RPs have been linked to a diverse range of human congenital disorders termed ribosomopathies. Ribosomopathies are characterized by tissue-specific phenotypic abnormalities and higher cancer risk later in life. Recent discoveries of somatic mutations in RPs in multiple tumor types reinforce the connections between ribosomal defects and cancer. In this article, we review the most recent advances in understanding the molecular consequences of RP mutations and ribosomal defects in ribosomopathies and cancer. We particularly discuss the molecular basis of the transition from hypo- to hyper-proliferation in ribosomopathies with elevated cancer risk, a paradox termed "Dameshek's riddle." Furthermore, we review the current treatments for ribosomopathies and prospective therapies targeting ribosomal defects. We also highlight recent advances in ribosome stress-based cancer therapeutics. Importantly, insights into the mechanisms of resistance to therapies targeting ribosome biogenesis bring new perspectives into the molecular basis of cancer susceptibility in ribosomopathies and new clinical implications for cancer therapy.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-021-00728-8
  28. Nat Commun. 2021 Sep 02. 12(1): 5241
    Cell reprogramming shapes the mitochondrial DNA landscape.
    Wei Wei, Daniel J Gaffney, Patrick F Chinnery.
      Individual induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) show considerable phenotypic heterogeneity, but the reasons for this are not fully understood. Comprehensively analysing the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) in 146 iPSC and fibroblast lines from 151 donors, we show that most age-related fibroblast mtDNA mutations are lost during reprogramming. However, iPSC-specific mutations are seen in 76.6% (108/141) of iPSC lines at a mutation rate of 8.62 × 10-5/base pair. The mutations observed in iPSC lines affect a higher proportion of mtDNA molecules, favouring non-synonymous protein-coding and tRNA variants, including known disease-causing mutations. Analysing 11,538 single cells shows stable heteroplasmy in sub-clones derived from the original donor during differentiation, with mtDNA variants influencing the expression of key genes involved in mitochondrial metabolism and epidermal cell differentiation. Thus, the dynamic mtDNA landscape contributes to the heterogeneity of human iPSCs and should be considered when using reprogrammed cells experimentally or as a therapy.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25482-x
  29. Semin Cancer Biol. 2021 Aug 30. pii: S1044-579X(21)00224-8. [Epub ahead of print]
    Post-transcriptional diversity in riboproteins and RNAs in aging and cancer.
    Jurandir Cruz, Bernardo Lemos.
      Post-transcriptional (PtscM) and post-translational (PtrnM) modifications of nucleotides and amino acids are covalent modifications able to change physio-chemical properties of RNAs and proteins. In the ribosome, the adequate assembly of rRNAs and ribosomal protein subunits in the nucleolus ensures suitable translational activity, with protein synthesis tuned according to intracellular demands of energy production, replication, proliferation, and growth. Disruption in the regulatory control of PtscM and PtrnM can impair ribosome biogenesis and ribosome function. Ribosomal impairment may, in turn, impact the synthesis of proteins engaged in functions as varied as telomere maintenance, apoptosis, and DNA repair, as well as intersect with mitochondria and telomerase activity. These cellular processes often malfunction in carcinogenesis and senescence. Here we discuss regulatory mechanisms of PtscMs and PtrnMs on ribosomal function. We also address chemical modification in rRNAs and their impacts on cellular metabolism, replication control, and senescence. Further, we highlight similarities and differences of PtscMs and PtrnMs in ribosomal intermediates during aging and carcinogenesis. Understanding these regulatory mechanisms may uncover critical steps for the development of more efficient oncologic and anti-aging therapies.
    Keywords:  cancer; epigenetics; rRNA; ribosome
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.08.012
  30. Gastroenterology. 2021 Aug 26. pii: S0016-5085(21)03416-8. [Epub ahead of print]
    Recommendations for a More Organized and Effective Approach to the Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer from the PRECEDE (Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection) Consortium.
    Tamas A Gonda, Jessica N Everett, Michael Wallace, Diane M Simeone.
      
    Keywords:  Early Detection; Pancreatic Cancer; Pancreatic Precursors; endoscopic ultrasound
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2021.08.036
  31. J Mol Cell Biol. 2021 Aug 30. pii: mjab053. [Epub ahead of print]
    Autophagy in pancreatic cancer.
    Congting Guo, Ying Zhao.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/jmcb/mjab053
  32. Genome Biol. 2021 Sep 01. 22(1): 252
    AMULET: a novel read count-based method for effective multiplet detection from single nucleus ATAC-seq data.
    Asa Thibodeau, Alper Eroglu, Christopher S McGinnis, Nathan Lawlor, Djamel Nehar-Belaid, Romy Kursawe, Radu Marches, Daniel N Conrad, George A Kuchel, Zev J Gartner, Jacques Banchereau, Michael L Stitzel, A Ercument Cicek, Duygu Ucar.
      Detecting multiplets in single nucleus (sn)ATAC-seq data is challenging due to data sparsity and limited dynamic range. AMULET (ATAC-seq MULtiplet Estimation Tool) enumerates regions with greater than two uniquely aligned reads across the genome to effectively detect multiplets. We evaluate the method by generating snATAC-seq data in the human blood and pancreatic islet samples. AMULET has high precision, estimated via donor-based multiplexing, and high recall, estimated via simulated multiplets, compared to alternatives and identifies multiplets most effectively when a certain read depth of 25K median valid reads per nucleus is achieved.
    Keywords:  Doublets; Multiplets; Single nucleus ATAC-seq; snATAC-seq
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-021-02469-x
  33. Elife. 2021 09 01. pii: e63453. [Epub ahead of print]10
    The mitochondrial permeability transition pore activates the mitochondrial unfolded protein response and promotes aging.
    Suzanne Angeli, Anna Foulger, Manish Chamoli, Tanuja Harshani Peiris, Akos Gerencser, Azar Asadi Shahmirzadi, Julie Andersen, Gordon Lithgow.
      Mitochondrial activity determines aging rate and the onset of chronic diseases. The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) is a pathological pore in the inner mitochondrial membrane thought to be composed of the F-ATP synthase (complex V). OSCP, a subunit of F-ATP synthase, helps protect against mPTP formation. How the destabilization of OSCP may contribute to aging, however, is unclear. We have found that loss OSCP in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans initiates the mPTP and shortens lifespan specifically during adulthood, in part via initiation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt). Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of the mPTP inhibits the UPRmt and restores normal lifespan. Loss of the putative pore-forming component of F-ATP synthase extends adult lifespan, suggesting that the mPTP normally promotes aging. Our findings reveal how an mPTP/UPRmt nexus may contribute to aging and age-related diseases and how inhibition of the UPRmt may be protective under certain conditions.
    Keywords:  C. elegans; F-ATP synthase; aging; c-subunit; cell biology; mitochondrial permeability transition pore; mitochondrial unfolded protein response; oscp/atp-3
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.63453
  34. Nat Commun. 2021 Sep 01. 12(1): 5212
    Reconstitution defines the roles of p62, NBR1 and TAX1BP1 in ubiquitin condensate formation and autophagy initiation.
    Eleonora Turco, Adriana Savova, Flora Gere, Luca Ferrari, Julia Romanov, Martina Schuschnig, Sascha Martens.
      The autophagic degradation of misfolded and ubiquitinated proteins is important for cellular homeostasis. In this process, which is governed by cargo receptors, ubiquitinated proteins are condensed into larger structures and subsequently become targets for the autophagy machinery. Here we employ in vitro reconstitution and cell biology to define the roles of the human cargo receptors p62/SQSTM1, NBR1 and TAX1BP1 in the selective autophagy of ubiquitinated substrates. We show that p62 is the major driver of ubiquitin condensate formation. NBR1 promotes condensate formation by equipping the p62-NBR1 heterooligomeric complex with a high-affinity UBA domain. Additionally, NBR1 recruits TAX1BP1 to the ubiquitin condensates formed by p62. While all three receptors interact with FIP200, TAX1BP1 is the main driver of FIP200 recruitment and thus the autophagic degradation of p62-ubiquitin condensates. In summary, our study defines the roles of all three receptors in the selective autophagy of ubiquitin condensates.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25572-w
  35. Trends Genet. 2021 Aug 27. pii: S0168-9525(21)00227-4. [Epub ahead of print]
    The cell as a bag of RNA.
    Stephen R Quake.
      Genomic sequencing has provided insight into the genetic characterization of many organisms, and we are now seeing sequencing technologies turned towards phenotypic characterization of cells, tissues, and whole organisms. In particular, single-cell transcriptomic techniques are revolutionizing certain aspects of cell biology and enabling fundamental discoveries about cellular diversity, cell state, and cell type identity. I argue here that much of this progress depends on abstracting one's view of the cell to regard it as a 'bag of RNA'.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tig.2021.08.003
  36. Bioelectricity. 2019 Sep 01. 1(3): 188-200
    Potassium and Sodium Channels and the Warburg Effect: Biophysical Regulation of Cancer Metabolism.
    Jessica Iorio, Giulia Petroni, Claudia Duranti, Elena Lastraioli.
      Ion channels are progressively emerging as a novel class of membrane proteins expressed in several types of human cancers and regulating the different aspects of cancer cell behavior. The metabolism of cancer cells, usually composed by a variable proportion of respiration, glycolysis, and glutaminolysis, leads to the excessive production of acidic metabolic products. The presence of these acidic metabolites inside the cells results in intracellular acidosis, and hinders survival and proliferation. For this reason, tumor cells activate mechanisms of pH control that produce a constitutive increase in intracellular pH (pHi) that is more acidic than the extracellular pH (pHe). This condition forms a perfect microenvironment for metastatic progression and may be permissive for some of the acquired characteristics of tumors. Recent analyses have revealed complex interconnections between oncogenic activation, ion channels, hypoxia signaling and metabolic pathways that are dysregulated in cancer. Here, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of the Warburg effect and hypoxia and their association. Moreover, we discuss the recent findings concerning the involvement of ion channels in various aspects of the Warburg effect and hypoxia, focusing on the role of Na+ and K+ channels in hypoxic and metabolic reprogramming in cancer.
    Keywords:  Warburg effect; cancer; ion channels
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1089/bioe.2019.0017
  37. Gastroenterology. 2021 Aug 28. pii: S0016-5085(21)03468-5. [Epub ahead of print]
    Statins after variceal bleeding are beneficial, but still an unexplained mystery?
    Priscilla Pollo-Flores, Jonel Trebicka.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2017.01.065
  38. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Sep 07. pii: e2026324118. [Epub ahead of print]118(36):
    AR-negative prostate cancer is vulnerable to loss of JMJD1C demethylase.
    Yohei Yoshihama, Kyle A LaBella, Eiru Kim, Lori Bertolet, Medina Colic, Jiexi Li, Xiaoying Shang, Chang-Jiun Wu, Denise J Spring, Y Alan Wang, Traver Hart, Ronald A DePinho.
      Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men. The widespread use of androgen receptor (AR) inhibitors has generated an increased incidence of AR-negative prostate cancer, triggering the need for effective therapies for such patients. Here, analysis of public genome-wide CRISPR screens in human prostate cancer cell lines identified histone demethylase JMJD1C (KDM3C) as an AR-negative context-specific vulnerability. Secondary validation studies in multiple cell lines and organoids, including isogenic models, confirmed that small hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated depletion of JMJD1C potently inhibited growth specifically in AR-negative prostate cancer cells. To explore the cooperative interactions of AR and JMJD1C, we performed comparative transcriptomics of 1) isogenic AR-positive versus AR-negative prostate cancer cells, 2) AR-positive versus AR-negative prostate cancer tumors, and 3) isogenic JMJD1C-expressing versus JMJD1C-depleted AR-negative prostate cancer cells. Loss of AR or JMJD1C generates a modest tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) signature, whereas combined loss of AR and JMJD1C strongly up-regulates the TNFα signature in human prostate cancer, suggesting TNFα signaling as a point of convergence for the combined actions of AR and JMJD1C. Correspondingly, AR-negative prostate cancer cells showed exquisite sensitivity to TNFα treatment and, conversely, TNFα pathway inhibition via inhibition of its downstream effector MAP4K4 partially reversed the growth defect of JMJD1C-depleted AR-negative prostate cancer cells. Given the deleterious systemic side effects of TNFα therapy in humans and the viability of JMJD1C-knockout mice, the identification of JMJD1C inhibition as a specific vulnerability in AR-negative prostate cancer may provide an alternative drug target for prostate cancer patients progressing on AR inhibitor therapy.
    Keywords:  AR; JMJD1C demethylase; prostate cancer; synthetic lethality
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2026324118
  39. Anticancer Res. 2021 Sep;41(9): 4229-4238
    Cancer Associated Fibroblasts Derived from Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and Their Role in Cell Migration.
    Ellen VON Hoerschelmann, Christopher C M Neumann, Matthaus Felsenstein, Julia Gogolok, Anja Reutzel-Selke, Igor M Sauer, Johann Pratschke, Marcus Bahra, Rosa B Schmuck.
       BACKGROUND/AIM: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) shows poor survival and early systemic dissemination. Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) enhance migration and invasion of cancer cells. We aimed to investigate the role of CAFs in cell migration and their underlying paracrine effects.
    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using Transwell® migration assays, PDAC cells (PANC-1) and three distinct types of fibroblasts were analyzed: CAFs, genetically transformed human foreskin-fibroblasts (BJeLR), and non-transformed human foreskin-fibroblasts (VH7). IL6 in the culture supernatant was measured to investigate paracrine communication in monocultures and direct/indirect cocultures.
    RESULTS: CAFs showed a significantly higher capacity to migrate in vitro when compared to benign fibroblasts (p=0.009). They also facilitated the migration of PDAC cells in coculture (p=0.001). Neither BJeLR, nor VH7 displayed such features. This was accompanied by a significant increase in IL-6 when CAFs were cocultured with PANC-1 (p=0.009).
    CONCLUSION: CAFs are a key element of intra-tumoral migration and should be further investigated as a potential therapeutic target.
    Keywords:  Pancreatic cancer; cancer associated fibroblasts; migration; paracrine communication.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.21873/anticanres.15227
  40. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Sep 07. pii: e2104219118. [Epub ahead of print]118(36):
    Calmodulin extracts the Ras family protein RalA from lipid bilayers by engagement with two membrane-targeting motifs.
    Samuel G Chamberlain, Andrea Gohlke, Arooj Shafiq, Iolo J Squires, Darerca Owen, Helen R Mott.
      RalA is a small GTPase and a member of the Ras family. This molecular switch is activated downstream of Ras and is widely implicated in tumor formation and growth. Previous work has shown that the ubiquitous Ca2+-sensor calmodulin (CaM) binds to small GTPases such as RalA and K-Ras4B, but a lack of structural information has obscured the functional consequences of these interactions. Here, we have investigated the binding of CaM to RalA and found that CaM interacts exclusively with the C terminus of RalA, which is lipidated with a prenyl group in vivo to aid membrane attachment. Biophysical and structural analyses show that the two RalA membrane-targeting motifs (the prenyl anchor and the polybasic motif) are engaged by distinct lobes of CaM and that CaM binding leads to removal of RalA from its membrane environment. The structure of this complex, along with a biophysical investigation into membrane removal, provides a framework with which to understand how CaM regulates the function of RalA and sheds light on the interaction of CaM with other small GTPases, including K-Ras4B.
    Keywords:  K-Ras; Ral; calmodulin; membrane; nuclear magnetic resonance
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2104219118
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