bims-cagime Biomed News
on Cancer, aging and metabolism
Issue of 2023–11–26
38 papers selected by
Kıvanç Görgülü, Technical University of Munich
  1. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency accelerates pancreatic acinar-to-ductal metaplasia.
  2. Single-Cell Analysis Differentiates the Effects of p53 Mutation and p53 Loss on Cell Compositions of Oncogenic Kras-Driven Pancreatic Cancer.
  3. Too big not to fail: emerging evidence for size-induced senescence.
  4. Cell jamming in a collagen-based interface assay: tuning by collagen density and proteolysis.
  5. Targeting protein methylation in pancreatic cancer cells results in KRAS signaling imbalance and inhibition of autophagy.
  6. Lysosomes as coordinators of cellular catabolism, metabolic signalling and organ physiology.
  7. A century of the Warburg effect.
  8. A PERK-Specific Inhibitor Blocks Metastatic Progression by Limiting Integrated Stress Response-Dependent Survival of Quiescent Cancer Cells.
  9. Unravelling the Role of Cancer Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Muscle Atrophy, Lipolysis, and Cancer-Associated Cachexia.
  10. Molecular Mechanism of Autophagy, Cytoplasmic Zoning by Lipid Membranes.
  11. Trans-vaccenic acid reprograms CD8+ T cells and anti-tumour immunity.
  12. High spatial-resolved heat manipulating membrane heterogeneity alters cellular migration and signaling.
  13. Mitochondrial phosphoproteomes are functionally specialized across tissues.
  14. Endothelium directs fat remodeling in cachexia.
  15. Protocol to induce de novo lipid droplets in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
  16. Adipo-glial signaling mediates metabolic adaptation in peripheral nerve regeneration.
  17. Defining oligometastatic pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and critical synthesis of consensus.
  18. Extensive elimination of acinar cells during normal postnatal pancreas growth.
  19. A Phase 1b First-In-Patient Study Assessing the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Ponsegromab in Participants with Cancer and Cachexia.
  20. The ribosome-associated chaperone Zuo1 controls translation upon TORC1 inhibition.
  21. Longitudinal dynamics of the tumor hypoxia response: From enzyme activity to biological phenotype.
  22. SERPINB3-MYC axis induces the basal-like/squamous subtype and enhances disease progression in pancreatic cancer.
  23. Nucleolus activity-dependent recruitment and biomolecular condensation by pH sensing.
  24. Adaptive pathfinding by nucleokinesis during amoeboid migration.
  25. The PB1 and the ZZ domain of the autophagy receptor p62/SQSTM1 regulate the interaction of p62/SQSTM1 with the autophagosome protein LC3B.
  26. Body composition parameters predict survival in pancreatic cancer-A retrospective multicenter analysis.
  27. Perioperative NALIRIFOX in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: The open-label, multicenter, phase II nITRO trial.
  28. Quick tips for interpreting cell death experiments.
  29. Intestinal Atp8b1 dysfunction causes hepatic choline deficiency and steatohepatitis.
  30. Individualized threshold of the involuntary weight loss in prognostic assessment of cancer.
  31. Large-scale pancreatic cancer detection via non-contrast CT and deep learning.
  32. Combined inhibition of MTAP and MAT2a mimics synthetic lethality in tumor models via PRMT5 inhibition.
  33. Time-Restricted Eating and Its Metabolic Benefits.
  34. Membrane extraction in native lipid nanodiscs reveals dynamic regulation of Cdc42 complexes during cell polarization.
  35. Deacetylation of ATG7 drives the induction of macroautophagy and LC3-associated microautophagy.
  36. Stabilizing vimentin phosphorylation inhibits stem-like cell properties and metastasis of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal carcinomas.
  37. Dehydration of biological membranes in a non-condensing environment.
  38. Proteome-wide tagging with an H2O2 biosensor reveals highly localized and dynamic redox microenvironments.
  1. bioRxiv. 2023 Nov 08. pii: 2023.11.06.565895. [Epub ahead of print]
    Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency accelerates pancreatic acinar-to-ductal metaplasia.
    Megan D Radyk, Barbara S Nelson, Christopher J Halbrook, Alexander Wood, Brooke Lavoie, Lucie Salvatore, Gabriel Corfas, Justin A Colacino, Yatrik M Shah, Howard C Crawford, Costas A Lyssiotis.
      Activating mutations in KRAS extensively reprogram cellular metabolism to support the continuous growth, proliferation, and survival of pancreatic tumors. Targeting these metabolic dependencies are promising approaches for the treatment of established tumors. However, metabolic reprogramming is required early during tumorigenesis to provide transformed cells selective advantage towards malignancy. Acinar cells can give rise to pancreatic tumors through acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM). Dysregulation of pathways that maintain acinar homeostasis accelerate tumorigenesis. During ADM, acinar cells transdifferentiate to duct-like cells, a process driven by oncogenic KRAS . The metabolic reprogramming that is required for the transdifferentiation in ADM is unclear. We performed transcriptomic analysis on mouse acinar cells undergoing ADM and found metabolic programs are globally enhanced, consistent with the transition of a specialized cell to a less differentiated phenotype with proliferative potential. Indeed, we and others have demonstrated how inhibiting metabolic pathways necessary for ADM can prevent transdifferentiation and tumorigenesis. Here, we also find NRF2-target genes are differentially expressed during ADM. Among these, we focused on the increase in the gene coding for NADPH-producing enzyme, Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). Using established mouse models of Kras G12D -driven pancreatic tumorigenesis and G6PD-deficiency, we find that mutant G6pd accelerates ADM and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Acceleration of cancer initiation with G6PD-deficiency is dependent on its NADPH-generating function in reactive oxygen species (ROS) management, as opposed to other outputs of the pentose phosphate pathway. Together, this work provides new insights into the function of metabolic pathways during early tumorigenesis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.06.565895
  2. Cells. 2023 Nov 12. pii: 2614. [Epub ahead of print]12(22):
    Single-Cell Analysis Differentiates the Effects of p53 Mutation and p53 Loss on Cell Compositions of Oncogenic Kras-Driven Pancreatic Cancer.
    Xinlei Sun, Daowei Yang, Yang Chen.
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating malignant disease with a dismal prognosis. In the past decades, a plethora of genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) with autochthonous pancreatic tumor development have greatly facilitated studies of pancreatic cancer. Commonly used GEMMs of PDAC often harbor the oncogenic KRAS driver mutation (KrasG12D), in combination with either p53 mutation by knock-in strategy (Trp53R172H) or p53 loss by conditional knockout (Trp53cKO) strategy, in pancreatic cell lineages. However, the systematic comparison of the tumor microenvironment between KrasG12D; Trp53R172H (KPmut) mouse models and KrasG12D; Trp53cKO (KPloss) mouse models is still lacking. In this study, we conducted cross-dataset single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analyses to compare the pancreatic tumor microenvironment from KPmut mouse models and KPloss mouse models, especially focusing on the cell compositions and transcriptomic phenotypes of major cell types including cancer cells, B cells, T cells, granulocytes, myeloid cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. We identified the similarities and differences between KPmut and KPloss mouse models, revealing the effects of p53 mutation and p53 loss on oncogenic KRAS-driven pancreatic tumor progression.
    Keywords:  pancreatic cancer; single-cell analysis; tumor microenvironment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12222614
  3. FEBS J. 2023 Nov 20.
    Too big not to fail: emerging evidence for size-induced senescence.
    Sandhya Manohar, Gabriel E Neurohr.
      Cellular senescence refers to a permanent and stable state of cell cycle exit. This process plays an important role in many cellular functions, including tumor suppression. It was first noted that senescence is associated with increased cell size in the early 1960s; however, how this contributes to permanent cell cycle exit was poorly understood until recently. In this review, we discuss new findings that identify increased cell size as not only a consequence but also a cause of permanent cell cycle exit. We highlight recent insights into how increased cell size alters normal cellular physiology and creates homeostatic imbalances that contribute to senescence induction. Finally, we focus on the potential clinical implications of these findings in the context of cell cycle arrest-causing cancer therapeutics and speculate on how tumor cell size changes may impact outcomes in patients treated with these drugs.
    Keywords:  cell cycle; cell size; senescence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.16983
  4. J Cell Sci. 2023 Nov 21. pii: jcs.260207. [Epub ahead of print]
    Cell jamming in a collagen-based interface assay: tuning by collagen density and proteolysis.
    Lianne Beunk, Nan Wen, Sjoerd van Helvert, Bram Bekker, Lars Ran, Ross Kang, Tom Paulat, Simon Syga, Andreas Deutsch, Peter Friedl, Katarina Wolf.
      Tumor cell invasion into heterogenous interstitial tissues consisting of network-, channel- or rift-like architecture involves both matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-mediated tissue remodeling and cell-shape adaptation to tissue geometry. 3D models composed of either porous or linearly aligned architectures have added to the understanding of physical spacing principles on migration efficacy, however, the relative contribution of each architecture to decision-making in dependence of MMP availability is not known. Here, we developed an interface assay containing a cleft between two high-density collagen lattices and probed tumor cell invasion efficacy, invasion mode and MMP dependence in concert. In silico modeling predicted facilitated multicellular cell patterning into confining clefts independent of MMP activity whereas migration into dense porous matrix strongly required matrix degradation. This prediction was verified experimentally where inhibition of collagen degradation strongly compromised migration into 3D collagen in dependence of density, but interface-guided migration remained effective by cell jamming. Together, the 3D interface assay may serve as a suitable model to better understand the impact of in vivo-relevant interstitial tissue topologies on tumor invasion patterning and response to molecular intervention.
    Keywords:  Cell jamming in linear confinement; Cell migration; Collagen-collagen-cleft model; ECM-directed proteolysis; Tumor spheroid
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.260207
  5. Cell Death Dis. 2023 Nov 23. 14(11): 761
    Targeting protein methylation in pancreatic cancer cells results in KRAS signaling imbalance and inhibition of autophagy.
    María F Montenegro, Román Martí-Díaz, Ana Navarro, Jorge Tolivia, Luis Sánchez-Del-Campo, Juan Cabezas-Herrera, José Neptuno Rodríguez-López.
      Pancreatic cancer cells with mutant KRAS require strong basal autophagy for viability and growth. Here, we observed that some processes that allow the maintenance of basal autophagy in pancreatic cancer cells are controlled by protein methylation. Thus, by maintaining the methylation status of proteins such as PP2A and MRAS, these cells can sustain their autophagic activity. Protein methylation disruption by a hypomethylating treatment (HMT), which depletes cellular S-adenosylmethionine levels while inducing S-adenosylhomocysteine accumulation, resulted in autophagy inhibition and endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. We observed that by reducing the membrane localization of MRAS, hypomethylation conditions produced an imbalance in KRAS signaling, resulting in the partial inactivation of ERK and hyperactivation of the PI3K/AKT-mTORC1 pathway. Interestingly, HMT impeded CRAF activation by disrupting the ternary SHOC2 complex (SHOC2/MRAS/PP1), which functions as a CRAF-S259 holophosphatase. The demethylation events that resulted in PP2A inactivation also favored autophagy inhibition by preventing ULK1 activation while restoring the cytoplasmic retention of the MiT/TFE transcription factors. Since autophagy provides pancreatic cancer cells with metabolic plasticity to cope with various metabolic stress conditions, while at the same time promoting their pathogenesis and resistance to KRAS pathway inhibitors, this hypomethylating treatment could represent a therapeutic opportunity for pancreatic adenocarcinomas.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-023-06288-9
  6. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2023 Nov 24.
    Lysosomes as coordinators of cellular catabolism, metabolic signalling and organ physiology.
    Carmine Settembre, Rushika M Perera.
      Every cell must satisfy basic requirements for nutrient sensing, utilization and recycling through macromolecular breakdown to coordinate programmes for growth, repair and stress adaptation. The lysosome orchestrates these key functions through the synchronised interplay between hydrolytic enzymes, nutrient transporters and signalling factors, which together enable metabolic coordination with other organelles and regulation of specific gene expression programmes. In this Review, we discuss recent findings on lysosome-dependent signalling pathways, focusing on how the lysosome senses nutrient availability through its physical and functional association with mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and how, in response, the microphthalmia/transcription factor E (MiT/TFE) transcription factors exert feedback regulation on lysosome biogenesis. We also highlight the emerging interactions of lysosomes with other organelles, which contribute to cellular homeostasis. Lastly, we discuss how lysosome dysfunction contributes to diverse disease pathologies and how inherited mutations that compromise lysosomal hydrolysis, transport or signalling components lead to multi-organ disorders with severe metabolic and neurological impact. A deeper comprehension of lysosomal composition and function, at both the cellular and organismal level, may uncover fundamental insights into human physiology and disease.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-023-00676-x
  7. Nat Metab. 2023 Nov;5(11): 1840-1843
    A century of the Warburg effect.
    Craig B Thompson, Karen H Vousden, Randall S Johnson, Willem H Koppenol, Helmut Sies, Zhimin Lu, Lydia W S Finley, Christian Frezza, Jiyeon Kim, Zeping Hu, Caroline R Bartman.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00927-3
  8. Clin Cancer Res. 2023 Nov 20. OF1-OF18
    A PERK-Specific Inhibitor Blocks Metastatic Progression by Limiting Integrated Stress Response-Dependent Survival of Quiescent Cancer Cells.
    Veronica Calvo, Wei Zheng, Anna Adam-Artigues, Kirk A Staschke, Xin Huang, Julie F Cheung, Ana Rita Nobre, Sho Fujisawa, David Liu, Maria Fumagalli, David Surguladze, Michael E Stokes, Ari Nowacek, Mark Mulvihill, Eduardo F Farias, Julio A Aguirre-Ghiso.
       PURPOSE: The integrated stress response (ISR) kinase PERK serves as a survival factor for both proliferative and dormant cancer cells. We aim to validate PERK inhibition as a new strategy to specifically eliminate solitary disseminated cancer cells (DCC) in secondary sites that eventually reawake and originate metastasis.
    EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A novel clinical-grade PERK inhibitor (HC4) was tested in mouse syngeneic and PDX models that present quiescent/dormant DCCs or growth-arrested cancer cells in micro-metastatic lesions that upregulate ISR.
    RESULTS: HC4 significantly blocks metastasis, by killing quiescent/slow-cycling ISRhigh, but not proliferative ISRlow DCCs. HC4 blocked expansion of established micro-metastasis that contained ISRhigh slow-cycling cells. Single-cell gene expression profiling and imaging revealed that a significant proportion of solitary DCCs in lungs were indeed dormant and displayed an unresolved ER stress as revealed by high expression of a PERK-regulated signature. In human breast cancer metastasis biopsies, GADD34 expression (PERK-regulated gene) and quiescence were positively correlated. HC4 effectively eradicated dormant bone marrow DCCs, which usually persist after rounds of therapies. Importantly, treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors (to force a quiescent state) followed by HC4 further reduced metastatic burden. In HNSCC and HER2+ cancers HC4 caused cell death in dormant DCCs. In HER2+ tumors, PERK inhibition caused killing by reducing HER2 activity because of sub-optimal HER2 trafficking and phosphorylation in response to EGF.
    CONCLUSIONS: Our data identify PERK as a unique vulnerability in quiescent or slow-cycling ISRhigh DCCs. The use of PERK inhibitors may allow targeting of pre-existing or therapy-induced growth arrested "persister" cells that escape anti-proliferative therapies.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-1427
  9. Cells. 2023 Nov 09. pii: 2598. [Epub ahead of print]12(22):
    Unravelling the Role of Cancer Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Muscle Atrophy, Lipolysis, and Cancer-Associated Cachexia.
    Akbar L Marzan, Sai V Chitti.
      Cancer-associated cachexia is a metabolic syndrome that causes significant reduction in whole-body weight due to excessive loss of muscle mass accompanied by loss of fat mass. Reduced food intake and several metabolic abnormalities, such as increased energy expenditure, excessive catabolism, and inflammation, are known to drive cachexia. It is well documented that cancer cells secrete EVs in abundance which can be easily taken up by the recipient cell. The cargo biomolecules carried by the EVs have the potential to alter the signalling pathways and function of the recipient cells. EV cargo includes proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and metabolites. Tumour-secreted EVs have been found to alter the metabolic and biological functions of adipose and muscle tissue, which aids in the development of the cachexia phenotype. To date, no medical intervention or FDA-approved drug exists that can completely reverse cachexia. Therefore, understanding how cancer-derived EVs contribute to the onset and progression of cancer-associated cachexia may help with the identification of new biomarkers as well as provide access to novel treatment alternatives. The goal of this review article is to discuss the most recent research on cancer-derived EVs and their function in cellular crosstalk that promotes catabolism in muscle and adipose tissue during cancer-induced cachexia.
    Keywords:  browning; cancer-associated cachexia; extracellular vesicles; lipolysis; muscle atrophy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12222598
  10. J Biochem. 2023 Nov 20. pii: mvad099. [Epub ahead of print]
    Molecular Mechanism of Autophagy, Cytoplasmic Zoning by Lipid Membranes.
    Tetsuya Kotani, Yuri Yasuda, Hitoshi Nakatogawa.
      Autophagy is a highly conserved intracellular degradation mechanism. The most distinctive feature of autophagy is the formation of double-membrane structures called autophagosomes, which compartmentalize portions of the cytoplasm. The outer membrane of the autophagosome fuses with the vacuolar/lysosomal membrane, leading to the degradation of the contents of the autophagosome. Approximately 30 years have passed since the identification of autophagy-related (ATG) genes and Atg proteins essential for autophagosome formation, and the primary functions of these Atg proteins have been elucidated. These achievements have significantly advanced our understanding of the mechanism of autophagosome formation. This article summarizes our current knowledge on how the autophagosome precursor is generated, and how the membrane expands and seals to complete the autophagosome.
    Keywords:  autophagosome; autophagy; intracellular degradation; membrane dynamics; vacuole/lysosome
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/jb/mvad099
  11. Nature. 2023 Nov 22.
    Trans-vaccenic acid reprograms CD8+ T cells and anti-tumour immunity.
    Hao Fan, Siyuan Xia, Junhong Xiang, Yuancheng Li, Matthew O Ross, Seon Ah Lim, Fan Yang, Jiayi Tu, Lishi Xie, Urszula Dougherty, Freya Q Zhang, Zhong Zheng, Rukang Zhang, Rong Wu, Lei Dong, Rui Su, Xiufen Chen, Thomas Althaus, Peter A Riedell, Patrick B Jonker, Alexander Muir, Gregory B Lesinski, Sarwish Rafiq, Madhav V Dhodapkar, Wendy Stock, Olatoyosi Odenike, Anand A Patel, Joseph Opferman, Takemasa Tsuji, Junko Matsuzaki, Hardik Shah, Brandon Faubert, Shannon E Elf, Brian Layden, B Marc Bissonnette, Yu-Ying He, Justin Kline, Hui Mao, Kunle Odunsi, Xue Gao, Hongbo Chi, Chuan He, Jing Chen.
      Diet-derived nutrients are inextricably linked to human physiology by providing energy and biosynthetic building blocks and by functioning as regulatory molecules. However, the mechanisms by which circulating nutrients in the human body influence specific physiological processes remain largely unknown. Here we use a blood nutrient compound library-based screening approach to demonstrate that dietary trans-vaccenic acid (TVA) directly promotes effector CD8+ T cell function and anti-tumour immunity in vivo. TVA is the predominant form of trans-fatty acids enriched in human milk, but the human body cannot produce TVA endogenously1. Circulating TVA in humans is mainly from ruminant-derived foods including beef, lamb and dairy products such as milk and butter2,3, but only around 19% or 12% of dietary TVA is converted to rumenic acid by humans or mice, respectively4,5. Mechanistically, TVA inactivates the cell-surface receptor GPR43, an immunomodulatory G protein-coupled receptor activated by its short-chain fatty acid ligands6-8. TVA thus antagonizes the short-chain fatty acid agonists of GPR43, leading to activation of the cAMP-PKA-CREB axis for enhanced CD8+ T cell function. These findings reveal that diet-derived TVA represents a mechanism for host-extrinsic reprogramming of CD8+ T cells as opposed to the intrahost gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids. TVA thus has translational potential for the treatment of tumours.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06749-3
  12. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Nov 28. 120(48): e2312603120
    High spatial-resolved heat manipulating membrane heterogeneity alters cellular migration and signaling.
    Xiaoqing Chen, Qianyun Yang, Wenyan Kong, Yifan Ge, Jie He, An Yan, Di Li.
      Plasma membrane heterogeneity is a key biophysical regulatory principle of membrane protein dynamics, which further influences downstream signal transduction. Although extensive biophysical and cell biology studies have proven membrane heterogeneity is essential to cell fate, the direct link between membrane heterogeneity regulation to cellular function remains unclear. Heterogeneous structures on plasma membranes, such as lipid rafts, are transiently assembled, thus hard to study via regular techniques. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to perturb membrane heterogeneity without changing plasma membrane compositions. In this study, we developed a high-spatial resolved DNA-origami-based nanoheater system with specific lipid heterogeneity targeting to manipulate the local lipid environmental temperature under near-infrared (NIR) laser illumination. Our results showed that the targeted heating of the local lipid environment influences the membrane thermodynamic properties, which further triggers an integrin-associated cell migration change. Therefore, the nanoheater system was further applied as an optimized therapeutic agent for wound healing. Our strategy provides a powerful tool to dynamically manipulate membrane heterogeneity and has the potential to explore cellular function through changes in plasma membrane biophysical properties.
    Keywords:  DNA nanotechnology; cell membrane; cell migration; photothermal
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2312603120
  13. Life Sci Alliance. 2024 Feb;pii: e202302147. [Epub ahead of print]7(2):
    Mitochondrial phosphoproteomes are functionally specialized across tissues.
    Fynn M Hansen, Laura S Kremer, Ozge Karayel, Isabell Bludau, Nils-Göran Larsson, Inge Kühl, Matthias Mann.
      Mitochondria are essential organelles whose dysfunction causes human pathologies that often manifest in a tissue-specific manner. Accordingly, mitochondrial fitness depends on versatile proteomes specialized to meet diverse tissue-specific requirements. Increasing evidence suggests that phosphorylation may play an important role in regulating tissue-specific mitochondrial functions and pathophysiology. Building on recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics, we here quantitatively profile mitochondrial tissue proteomes along with their matching phosphoproteomes. We isolated mitochondria from mouse heart, skeletal muscle, brown adipose tissue, kidney, liver, brain, and spleen by differential centrifugation followed by separation on Percoll gradients and performed high-resolution MS analysis of the proteomes and phosphoproteomes. This in-depth map substantially quantifies known and predicted mitochondrial proteins and provides a resource of core and tissue-specific mitochondrial proteins (mitophos.de). Predicting kinase substrate associations for different mitochondrial compartments indicates tissue-specific regulation at the phosphoproteome level. Illustrating the functional value of our resource, we reproduce mitochondrial phosphorylation events on dynamin-related protein 1 responsible for its mitochondrial recruitment and fission initiation and describe phosphorylation clusters on MIGA2 linked to mitochondrial fusion.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.26508/lsa.202302147
  14. Nat Cancer. 2023 Nov;4(11): 1531-1533
    Endothelium directs fat remodeling in cachexia.
    Brittany R Counts, Teresa A Zimmers.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-023-00644-6
  15. STAR Protoc. 2023 Nov 22. pii: S2666-1667(23)00699-8. [Epub ahead of print]4(4): 102732
    Protocol to induce de novo lipid droplets in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
    Amit Khatri, Vineet Choudhary.
      The mechanisms underlying lipid droplet (LD) biogenesis in the endoplasmic reticulum are not completely understood. Here, we present a protocol for inducing de novo LDs containing either triacylglycerol (TAG) or sterol esters (SE) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We describe steps for generating conditional yeast mutants by performing gene knockout and introducing galactose-inducible promoter to produce TAG- or SE-containing LDs. We detail the strategy to generate fluorescent LD marker protein to visualize newly formed droplets by fluorescence microscopy.
    Keywords:  Molecular Biology; cell Biology; model Organisms; protein Biochemistry
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102732
  16. Cell Metab. 2023 Nov 16. pii: S1550-4131(23)00386-8. [Epub ahead of print]
    Adipo-glial signaling mediates metabolic adaptation in peripheral nerve regeneration.
    Venkat Krishnan Sundaram, Vlad Schütza, Nele H Schröter, Aline Backhaus, Annika Bilsing, Lisa Joneck, Anna Seelbach, Clara Mutschler, Jose A Gomez-Sanchez, Erik Schäffner, Eva Ernst Sánchez, Dagmar Akkermann, Christina Paul, Nancy Schwagarus, Silvana Müller, Angela Odle, Gwen Childs, David Ewers, Theresa Kungl, Maren Sitte, Gabriela Salinas, Michael W Sereda, Klaus-Armin Nave, Markus H Schwab, Mario Ost, Peter Arthur-Farraj, Ruth M Stassart, Robert Fledrich.
      The peripheral nervous system harbors a remarkable potential to regenerate after acute nerve trauma. Full functional recovery, however, is rare and critically depends on peripheral nerve Schwann cells that orchestrate breakdown and resynthesis of myelin and, at the same time, support axonal regrowth. How Schwann cells meet the high metabolic demand required for nerve repair remains poorly understood. We here report that nerve injury induces adipocyte to glial signaling and identify the adipokine leptin as an upstream regulator of glial metabolic adaptation in regeneration. Signal integration by leptin receptors in Schwann cells ensures efficient peripheral nerve repair by adjusting injury-specific catabolic processes in regenerating nerves, including myelin autophagy and mitochondrial respiration. Our findings propose a model according to which acute nerve injury triggers a therapeutically targetable intercellular crosstalk that modulates glial metabolism to provide sufficient energy for successful nerve repair.
    Keywords:  Schwann cell; adipocytes; energy metabolism; leptin; leptin receptor; metabolic adaptation; mitochondrial respiration; myelin autophagy; myelinophagy; nerve repair; oxidative phosphorylation; peripheral nerve injury; regeneration; remyelination
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2023.10.017
  17. ESMO Open. 2023 Nov 20. pii: S2059-7029(23)01308-X. [Epub ahead of print]8(6): 102067
    Defining oligometastatic pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and critical synthesis of consensus.
    C-S Leonhardt, T Stamm, T Hank, G Prager, O Strobel.
       BACKGROUND: Small retrospective series suggest that local consolidative treatment (LCT) may improve survival in oligometastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, no uniform definition of oligometastatic disease (OMD) in PDAC exists; this impedes meaningful conclusions.
    PATIENTS AND METHODS: A systematic literature search using PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL registries for studies and protocols reporting on definitions and/or LCT of OMD in PDAC was performed. The primary endpoint was the definition of OMD. Levels of agreement were categorized as consensus (≥75% agreement between studies), fair agreement (50%-74%), and absent/poor agreement (<50%).
    RESULTS: After screening of 5374 abstracts, the full text of 218 studies was assessed, of which 76 were included in the qualitative synthesis. The majority of studies were retrospective (n = 66, 87%), two were prospective studies and eight were study protocols. Studies investigated mostly liver (n = 38, 51%) and lung metastases (n = 15, 20%). Across studies, less than one-half (n = 32, 42%) reported a definition of OMD, while 44 (58%) did not. Involvement was limited to a single organ (consensus). Additional criteria for defining OMD were the number of lesions (consensus), metastatic site (poor agreement), metastatic size (poor agreement), treatment possibilities (poor agreement), and biomarker response (poor agreement). Liver OMD could involve three or fewer lesions (consensus) and synchronous disease (fair agreement), while lung metastases could involve two or fewer lesions and metachronous disease (consensus). The large majority of studies were at a high risk of bias or did not include any control groups.
    CONCLUSION: Definitions of OMD were not used or varied widely between studies hampering across-study comparability and highlighting an unmet need for a consensus. The present study is part of a multistep process that aims to develop an interdisciplinary consensus on OMD in pancreatic cancer.
    Keywords:  consensus definition; local consolidative treatment; oligometastasis; oligometastatic disease; pancreatic cancer
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.102067
  18. Cell Rep. 2023 Nov 22. pii: S2211-1247(23)01469-9. [Epub ahead of print]42(12): 113457
    Extensive elimination of acinar cells during normal postnatal pancreas growth.
    Miri Stolovich-Rain, Ori Fridlich, Shira Azulai, Agnes Klochendler, Shira Anzi, Judith Magenheim, Ilan Stein, Fatima Mushasha, Benjamin Glaser, Eli Pikarsky, Danny Ben-Zvi, Yuval Dor.
      While programmed cell death plays important roles during morphogenetic stages of development, post-differentiation organ growth is considered an efficient process whereby cell proliferation increases cell number. Here we demonstrate that early postnatal growth of the pancreas unexpectedly involves massive acinar cell elimination. Measurements of cell proliferation and death in the human pancreas in comparison to the actual increase in cell number predict daily elimination of 0.7% of cells, offsetting 88% of cell formation over the first year of life. Using mouse models, we show that death is associated with mitosis, through a failure of dividing cells to generate two viable daughters. In p53-deficient mice, acinar cell death and proliferation are reduced, while organ size is normal, suggesting that p53-dependent developmental apoptosis triggers compensatory proliferation. We propose that excess cell turnover during growth of the pancreas, and presumably other organs, facilitates robustness to perturbations and supports maintenance of tissue architecture.
    Keywords:  CP: Developmental biology; acinar cells; compensatory proliferation; p53; pancreas; postnatal development; programmed cell death
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113457
  19. Clin Cancer Res. 2023 Nov 20.
    A Phase 1b First-In-Patient Study Assessing the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Ponsegromab in Participants with Cancer and Cachexia.
    Jeffrey Crawford, Roberto A Calle, Susie M Collins, Yan Weng, Shannon L Lubaczewski, Clare Buckeridge, Ellen Q Wang, Magdalena A Harrington, Anil Tarachandani, Michelle I Rossulek, James H Revkin.
       PURPOSE: Cachexia is common in patients with advanced cancer and is associated with elevated serum growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) concentrations. This first-in-patient (phase Ib), 24-week study assessed use of ponsegromab, a monoclonal antibody against GDF-15, in adults with advanced cancer, cachexia, and elevated GDF-15 serum concentration.
    EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Participants (n = 10 received open-label ponsegromab subcutaneous 200 mg every 3 weeks for 12 weeks in addition to standard-of-care anti-cancer treatment Ponsegromab safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics were assessed in addition to serum GDF-15 concentrations and exploratory measures of efficacy.
    RESULTS: No treatment-related treatment-emergent adverse events, injection site reactions, or adverse trends in clinical laboratory tests, vital signs, or electrocardiogram parameters attributable to ponsegromab were identified Median serum unbound GDF-15 concentration at baseline was 2.269 ng/mL Following initiation of study treatment, median unbound GDF-15 concentrations were below the lower limit of quantification (0.0424 ng/mL) from day 1 (3 hours post-dose) through week 15 Increases in body weight were observed at all time points during the treatment and follow-up. A least-squares mean (standard error) increase of 4.63 kg (1.98) was observed at week 12, an increase of approximately 6.6% relative to baseline Ponsegromab-mediated improvements in actigraphy-based assessments of physical activit and in quality of life, including appetite as assessed by Functional Assessment of Anorexia-Cachexia Therapy total and subscale scores, were also observed.
    CONCLUSIONS: Ponsegromab was well tolerated, suppressed serum GDF-15 concentrations, and demonstrated preliminary evidence of efficacy These findings support the continued development of ponsegromab for the treatment of cachexia.
    CLINICALTRIALS: gov: NCT04299048.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-1631
  20. EMBO J. 2023 Nov 20. e113240
    The ribosome-associated chaperone Zuo1 controls translation upon TORC1 inhibition.
    Ailsa Black, Thomas D Williams, Flavie Soubigou, Ifeoluwapo M Joshua, Houjiang Zhou, Frederic Lamoliatte, Adrien Rousseau.
      Protein requirements of eukaryotic cells are ensured by proteostasis, which is mediated by tight control of TORC1 activity. Upon TORC1 inhibition, protein degradation is increased and protein synthesis is reduced through inhibition of translation initiation to maintain cell viability. Here, we show that the ribosome-associated complex (RAC)/Ssb chaperone system, composed of the HSP70 chaperone Ssb and its HSP40 co-chaperone Zuo1, is required to maintain proteostasis and cell viability under TORC1 inhibition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the absence of Zuo1, translation does not decrease in response to the loss of TORC1 activity. A functional interaction between Zuo1 and Ssb is required for proper translational control and proteostasis maintenance upon TORC1 inhibition. Furthermore, we have shown that the rapid degradation of eIF4G following TORC1 inhibition is mediated by autophagy and is prevented in zuo1Δ cells, contributing to decreased survival in these conditions. We found that autophagy is defective in zuo1Δ cells, which impedes eIF4G degradation upon TORC1 inhibition. Our findings identify an essential role for RAC/Ssb in regulating translation in response to changes in TORC1 signalling.
    Keywords:  TORC1; proteostasis; ribosome-associated chaperones; stress; translation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2022113240
  21. Sci Adv. 2023 11 24. 9(47): eadj6409
    Longitudinal dynamics of the tumor hypoxia response: From enzyme activity to biological phenotype.
    Sandy Che-Eun S Lee, Andrea Hye An Pyo, Marianne Koritzinsky.
      Poor oxygenation (hypoxia) is a common spatially heterogeneous feature of human tumors. Biological responses to tumor hypoxia are orchestrated by the decreased activity of oxygen-dependent enzymes. The affinity of these enzymes for oxygen positions them along a continuum of oxygen sensing that defines their roles in launching reactive and adaptive cellular responses. These responses encompass regulation of all steps in the central dogma, with rapid perturbation of the metabolome and proteome followed by more persistent reprogramming of the transcriptome and epigenome. Core hypoxia response genes and pathways are commonly regulated at multiple inflection points, fine-tuning the dependencies on oxygen concentration and hypoxia duration. Ultimately, shifts in the activity of oxygen-sensing enzymes directly or indirectly endow cells with intrinsic hypoxia tolerance and drive processes that are associated with aggressive phenotypes in cancer including angiogenesis, migration, invasion, immune evasion, epithelial mesenchymal transition, and stemness.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj6409
  22. Cell Rep. 2023 Nov 18. pii: S2211-1247(23)01446-8. [Epub ahead of print]42(12): 113434
    SERPINB3-MYC axis induces the basal-like/squamous subtype and enhances disease progression in pancreatic cancer.
    Yuuki Ohara, Wei Tang, Huaitian Liu, Shouhui Yang, Tiffany H Dorsey, Helen Cawley, Paloma Moreno, Raj Chari, Mary R Guest, Azadeh Azizian, Jochen Gaedcke, Michael Ghadimi, Nader Hanna, Stefan Ambs, S Perwez Hussain.
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits distinct molecular subtypes: classical/progenitor and basal-like/squamous. Our study aimed to identify genes contributing to the development of the basal-like/squamous subtype, known for its aggressiveness. Transcriptome analyses revealed consistent upregulation of SERPINB3 in basal-like/squamous PDAC, correlating with reduced patient survival. SERPINB3 transgene expression in PDAC cells enhanced in vitro invasion and promoted lung metastasis in a mouse PDAC xenograft model. Metabolome analyses unveiled a metabolic signature linked to both SERPINB3 and the basal-like/squamous subtype, characterized by heightened carnitine/acylcarnitine and amino acid metabolism, associated with poor prognosis in patients with PDAC and elevated cellular invasiveness. Further analysis uncovered that SERPINB3 inhibited the cysteine protease calpain, a key enzyme in the MYC degradation pathway, and drove basal-like/squamous subtype and associated metabolic reprogramming through MYC activation. Our findings indicate that the SERPINB3-MYC axis induces the basal-like/squamous subtype, proposing SERPINB3 as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for this variant.
    Keywords:  BBOX1; CP: Cancer; CP: Metabolism; MYC; SERPINB3/SCCA1; amino acid; calpain; carnitine/acylcarnitine; metabolism; molecular subtype; pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; serine/cysteine proteinase inhibitor family B member 3
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113434
  23. Mol Cell. 2023 Nov 14. pii: S1097-2765(23)00868-7. [Epub ahead of print]
    Nucleolus activity-dependent recruitment and biomolecular condensation by pH sensing.
    Fardin Aryan, Diego Detrés, Claire C Luo, Skylar X Kim, Arish N Shah, Michaela Bartusel, Ryan A Flynn, Eliezer Calo.
      DEAD-box ATPases are major regulators of biomolecular condensates and orchestrate diverse biochemical processes that are critical for the functioning of cells. How DEAD-box proteins are selectively recruited to their respective biomolecular condensates is unknown. We explored this in the context of the nucleolus and DEAD-box protein DDX21. We find that the pH of the nucleolus is intricately linked to the transcriptional activity of the organelle and facilitates the recruitment and condensation of DDX21. We identify an evolutionarily conserved feature of the C terminus of DDX21 responsible for nucleolar localization. This domain is essential for zebrafish development, and its intrinsically disordered and isoelectric properties are necessary and sufficient for the ability of DDX21 to respond to changes in pH and form condensates. Molecularly, the enzymatic activities of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases contribute to maintaining the nucleolar pH and, consequently, DDX21 recruitment and nucleolar partitioning. These observations reveal an activity-dependent physicochemical mechanism for the selective recruitment of biochemical activities to biomolecular condensates.
    Keywords:  DEAD-box proteins; PARP; RNA; biomolecular condensates; intrinsically disordered regions; nucleolus; pH; zebrafish development
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2023.10.031
  24. EMBO J. 2023 Nov 21. e114557
    Adaptive pathfinding by nucleokinesis during amoeboid migration.
    Janina Kroll, Robert Hauschild, Artur Kuznetcov, Kasia Stefanowski, Monika D Hermann, Jack Merrin, Lubuna Shafeek, Annette Müller-Taubenberger, Jörg Renkawitz.
      Motile cells encounter microenvironments with locally heterogeneous mechanochemical composition. Individual compositional parameters, such as chemokines and extracellular matrix pore sizes, are well known to provide guidance cues for pathfinding. However, motile cells face diverse cues at the same time, raising the question of how they respond to multiple and potentially competing signals on their paths. Here, we reveal that amoeboid cells require nuclear repositioning, termed nucleokinesis, for adaptive pathfinding in heterogeneous mechanochemical micro-environments. Using mammalian immune cells and the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, we discover that frequent, rapid and long-distance nucleokinesis is a basic component of amoeboid pathfinding, enabling cells to reorientate quickly between locally competing cues. Amoeboid nucleokinesis comprises a two-step polarity switch and is driven by myosin-II forces that readjust the nuclear to the cellular path. Impaired nucleokinesis distorts path adaptions and causes cellular arrest in the microenvironment. Our findings establish that nucleokinesis is required for amoeboid cell navigation. Given that many immune cells, amoebae, and some cancer cells utilize an amoeboid migration strategy, these results suggest that nucleokinesis underlies cellular navigation during unicellular biology, immunity, and disease.
    Keywords:  cell migration; cell polarity; mechanochemical cues; myosin; nuclear positioning
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2023114557
  25. Protein Sci. 2023 Nov 20. e4840
    The PB1 and the ZZ domain of the autophagy receptor p62/SQSTM1 regulate the interaction of p62/SQSTM1 with the autophagosome protein LC3B.
    Lucia Alcober-Boquet, Tabea Zang, Larissa Pietsch, Evelyn Suess, Markus Hartmann, Ewgenij Proschak, Lissy Z F Gross, Mariana Sacerdoti, Stefan Zeuzem, Vladimir V Rogov, Alejandro E Leroux, Albrecht Piiper, Ricardo M Biondi.
      Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular process that allows degradation of large macromolecules. p62/SQSTM1 is a key adaptor protein that interacts both with material to be degraded and with LC3 at the autophagosome, enabling degradation of cargos such as protein aggregates, lipid droplets and damaged organelles by selective autophagy. Dysregulation of autophagy contributes to the pathogenesis of many diseases. In this study we investigated if the interaction of p62/SQSTM1 with LC3B could be regulated. We purified full-length p62/SQSTM1 and established an in vitro assay that measures the interaction with LC3B. We used the assay to determine the role of the different domains of p62/SQSTM1 in the interaction with LC3B. We identified a mechanism of regulation of p62/SQSTM1 where the ZZ and the PB1 domains regulate the exposure of the LIR-sequence to enable or inhibit the interaction with LC3B. A mutation to mimic the phosphorylation of a site on the ZZ domain leads to increased interaction with LC3B. Also, a small compound that binds to the ZZ domain enhances interaction with LC3B. Dysregulation of these mechanisms in p62/SQSTM1 could have implications for diseases where autophagy is affected. In conclusion, our study highlights the regulated nature of p62/SQSTM1 and its ability to modulate the interaction with LC3B through a LIR-sequence Accessibility Mechanism (LAM). Furthermore, our findings suggest the potential for pharmacological modulation of the exposure of LIR, paving the way for future therapeutic strategies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
    Keywords:  LC3 and GABARAP proteins; LIR; XRK3F2; chemical biology; molecular mechanism; p62/SQSTM1
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.4840
  26. United European Gastroenterol J. 2023 Nov 21.
    Body composition parameters predict survival in pancreatic cancer-A retrospective multicenter analysis.
    Marko Damm, Ljupcho Efremov, Mustafa Jalal, Nabeegh Nadeem, Johannes Dober, Patrick Michl, Walter A Wohlgemuth, Jonathan Wadsley, Andrew D Hopper, Sebastian Krug, Jonas Rosendahl.
       BACKGROUND: Parameters to adapt individual treatment strategies for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are urgently needed. The present study aimed to evaluate body composition parameters as predictors of overall survival (OS) in PDAC patients.
    METHODS: Measurements of body composition parameters were performed on computed tomography scans at diagnosis. Height-standardized and Body Mass Index- and sex-adjusted regression formulas deriving cut-offs from a healthy population were used. The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test was performed for survival analysis. Independent prognostic factors were identified with uni- and multivariable Cox regression analyses.
    RESULTS: In total, 354 patients were analyzed. In a multivariable Cox model, besides tumor stage and resection status, only myosteatosis (HR 1.53; 95% CI 1.10-2.14, p = 0.01) was an independent prognostic factor of OS among body composition parameters. Subgroup analyses revealed that the prognostic impact of myosteatosis was higher in patients ≤68 years of age, with advanced tumor stages and patients without curative intended resection.
    CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of one of the largest Caucasian cohorts to date, demonstrated myosteatosis to be an independent prognostic factor of OS in PDAC. To improve outcomes, prospective trials aiming to investigate the utility of an early assessment of myosteatosis with subsequent intervention by dieticians, sports medicine physicians, and physiotherapists are warranted.
    Keywords:  CT; body composition; diagnosis; myosteatosis; pancreatic cancer; pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; prediction; survival
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/ueg2.12489
  27. Eur J Cancer. 2023 Nov 11. pii: S0959-8049(23)00732-3. [Epub ahead of print]196 113430
    Perioperative NALIRIFOX in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: The open-label, multicenter, phase II nITRO trial.
    Davide Melisi, Camilla Zecchetto, Valeria Merz, Giuseppe Malleo, Luca Landoni, Alberto Quinzii, Simona Casalino, Federica Fazzini, Marina Gaule, Camilla Pesoni, Luca Casetti, Alessandro Esposito, Giovanni Marchegiani, Cristiana Piazzola, Mirko D'Onofrio, Riccardo de Robertis, Armando Gabbrielli, Laura Bernardoni, Stefano F Crino, Silvia Pietrobono, Claudio Luchini, Camillo Aliberti, Guido Martignoni, Stefano Milleri, Giovanni Butturini, Aldo Scarpa, Roberto Salvia, Claudio Bassi.
       BACKGROUND: Upfront surgery followed by postoperative treatment is a commonly adopted treatment for resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (rPDAC). However, the risk of positive surgical margins, the poor recovery that often impairs postoperative treatments, and the risk of recurrence might limit the outcome of this strategy. This study evaluated the safety and the activity of liposomal irinotecan 50 mg/m2 + 5-fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 + leucovorin 400 mg/m2 + oxaliplatin 60 mg/m2 (NALIRIFOX) in the perioperative treatment of patients with rPDAC.
    METHODS: Eligible patients had a rPDAC with < 180° interface with major veins' wall. Patients received 3 cycles before and 3 cycles after resection with NALIRIFOX, days 1 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients undergoing an R0 resection.
    RESULTS: 107 patients began preoperative treatment. Nine patients discontinued the treatment because of related or unrelated adverse events. Disease-control rate was 92.9%. 87 patients underwent surgical exploration, 11 had intraoperative evidence of metastatic disease, and 1 died for surgical complications. R0 resection rate was 65.3%. 49 patients completed the three postoperative cycles. The most common grade ≥ 3 adverse events were diarrhea and neutropenia. Median overall survival (OS) of ITT patients was 32.3 months (95% CI 27.8-44.3). Median disease-free and OS from surgery of resected patients were 19.3 (95% CI 12.6-34.1) and 40.3 months (95% CI 29-NA), respectively.
    CONCLUSION: Perioperative NALIRIFOX was manageable and active, and deserves further investigation in randomized trials comparing it with standard upfront surgery followed by adjuvant therapy.
    Keywords:  Liposomal irinotecan; NALIRIFOX; Perioperative treatment; Resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2023.113430
  28. Nat Cell Biol. 2023 Nov 20.
    Quick tips for interpreting cell death experiments.
    Scott J Dixon, Michael J Lee.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-023-01288-5
  29. Nat Commun. 2023 Nov 21. 14(1): 6763
    Intestinal Atp8b1 dysfunction causes hepatic choline deficiency and steatohepatitis.
    Ryutaro Tamura, Yusuke Sabu, Tadahaya Mizuno, Seiya Mizuno, Satoshi Nakano, Mitsuyoshi Suzuki, Daiki Abukawa, Shunsaku Kaji, Yoshihiro Azuma, Ayano Inui, Tatsuya Okamoto, Seiichi Shimizu, Akinari Fukuda, Seisuke Sakamoto, Mureo Kasahara, Satoru Takahashi, Hiroyuki Kusuhara, Yoh Zen, Tomohiro Ando, Hisamitsu Hayashi.
      Choline is an essential nutrient, and its deficiency causes steatohepatitis. Dietary phosphatidylcholine (PC) is digested into lysoPC (LPC), glycerophosphocholine, and choline in the intestinal lumen and is the primary source of systemic choline. However, the major PC metabolites absorbed in the intestinal tract remain unidentified. ATP8B1 is a P4-ATPase phospholipid flippase expressed in the apical membrane of the epithelium. Here, we use intestinal epithelial cell (IEC)-specific Atp8b1-knockout (Atp8b1IEC-KO) mice. These mice progress to steatohepatitis by 4 weeks. Metabolomic analysis and cell-based assays show that loss of Atp8b1 in IEC causes LPC malabsorption and thereby hepatic choline deficiency. Feeding choline-supplemented diets to lactating mice achieves complete recovery from steatohepatitis in Atp8b1IEC-KO mice. Analysis of samples from pediatric patients with ATP8B1 deficiency suggests its translational potential. This study indicates that Atp8b1 regulates hepatic choline levels through intestinal LPC absorption, encouraging the evaluation of choline supplementation therapy for steatohepatitis caused by ATP8B1 dysfunction.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42424-x
  30. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2023 Nov 23.
    Individualized threshold of the involuntary weight loss in prognostic assessment of cancer.
    Hailun Xie, Heyang Zhang, Guotian Ruan, Lishuang Wei, Yizhong Ge, Shiqi Lin, Mengmeng Song, Ziwen Wang, Chenan Liu, Jinyu Shi, Xiaoyue Liu, Ming Yang, Xin Zheng, Yue Chen, Xiaowei Zhang, Hanping Shi.
       BACKGROUND: Involuntary weight loss (WL) is a common symptom in cancer patients and is associated with poor outcomes. However, there is no standardized definition of WL, and it is unclear what magnitude of weight loss should be considered significant for prognostic purposes. This study aimed to determine an individualized threshold for WL that can be used for prognostic assessment in cancer patients.
    METHODS: Univariate and multivariate analyses of overall survival (OS) were performed using Cox proportional hazard models. The Kaplan-Meier method was performed to estimate the survival distribution of different WL levels. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between WL and 90-day outcomes. Restricted cubic splines with three knots were used to examine the effects of WL on survival under different body mass index (BMI) conditions.
    RESULTS: Among the 8806 enrolled patients with cancer, median survival time declined as WL increased, from 25.1 to 20.1, 17.8 and 16.4 months at <2%, 2-5%, 5-10% and ≥10% WL, respectively (P < 0.001). Multivariate adjusted Cox regression analysis showed that the risk of adverse prognosis increased by 18.1% based on the SD of WL (5.45 U) (HR: 1.181, 95% CI: 1.144-1.219, P < 0.001). Similarly, categorical WL was independently associated with OS in patients with cancer. With the worsening of WL, the risk of a poor prognosis in patients increases stepwise. Compared with <2% WL, all-cause mortalities were 15.1%, 37% and 64.2% higher in 2-5%, 5-10%, and ≥10% WL, respectively. WL can effectively stratify the prognosis of both overall and site-specific cancers. The clinical prognostic thresholds for WL based on different BMI levels were 4.21% (underweight), 5.03% (normal), 6.33% (overweight), and 7.60% (obese). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that WL was independently associated with 90-day outcomes in patients with cancer. Compared with patients with <2% WL, those with ≥10% WL had more than twice the risk of 90-day outcomes (OR: 3.277, 95% CI: 2.287-4.694, P < 0.001). Systemic inflammation was a cause of WL deterioration. WL mediates 6.3-10.3% of the overall association between systemic inflammation and poor prognoses in patients with cancer.
    CONCLUSIONS: An individualized threshold for WL based on baseline BMI can be used for prognostic assessment in cancer patients. WL and BMI should be evaluated simultaneously in treatment decision-making, nutritional intervention, and prognosis discussions of patients with cancer.
    Keywords:  Cancer; Nutrition; Prognosis; Weight loss
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.13368
  31. Nat Med. 2023 Nov 20.
    Large-scale pancreatic cancer detection via non-contrast CT and deep learning.
    Kai Cao, Yingda Xia, Jiawen Yao, Xu Han, Lukas Lambert, Tingting Zhang, Wei Tang, Gang Jin, Hui Jiang, Xu Fang, Isabella Nogues, Xuezhou Li, Wenchao Guo, Yu Wang, Wei Fang, Mingyan Qiu, Yang Hou, Tomas Kovarnik, Michal Vocka, Yimei Lu, Yingli Chen, Xin Chen, Zaiyi Liu, Jian Zhou, Chuanmiao Xie, Rong Zhang, Hong Lu, Gregory D Hager, Alan L Yuille, Le Lu, Chengwei Shao, Yu Shi, Qi Zhang, Tingbo Liang, Ling Zhang, Jianping Lu.
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most deadly solid malignancy, is typically detected late and at an inoperable stage. Early or incidental detection is associated with prolonged survival, but screening asymptomatic individuals for PDAC using a single test remains unfeasible due to the low prevalence and potential harms of false positives. Non-contrast computed tomography (CT), routinely performed for clinical indications, offers the potential for large-scale screening, however, identification of PDAC using non-contrast CT has long been considered impossible. Here, we develop a deep learning approach, pancreatic cancer detection with artificial intelligence (PANDA), that can detect and classify pancreatic lesions with high accuracy via non-contrast CT. PANDA is trained on a dataset of 3,208 patients from a single center. PANDA achieves an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.986-0.996 for lesion detection in a multicenter validation involving 6,239 patients across 10 centers, outperforms the mean radiologist performance by 34.1% in sensitivity and 6.3% in specificity for PDAC identification, and achieves a sensitivity of 92.9% and specificity of 99.9% for lesion detection in a real-world multi-scenario validation consisting of 20,530 consecutive patients. Notably, PANDA utilized with non-contrast CT shows non-inferiority to radiology reports (using contrast-enhanced CT) in the differentiation of common pancreatic lesion subtypes. PANDA could potentially serve as a new tool for large-scale pancreatic cancer screening.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02640-w
  32. J Biol Chem. 2023 Nov 22. pii: S0021-9258(23)02520-6. [Epub ahead of print] 105492
    Combined inhibition of MTAP and MAT2a mimics synthetic lethality in tumor models via PRMT5 inhibition.
    Gabriel T Bedard, Nord Gilaj, Karina Peregrina, Isabella Brew, Elena Tosti, Karl Shaffer, Peter C Tyler, Winfried Edelmann, Leonard H Augenlicht, Vern L Schramm.
      Homozygous 5'-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) deletions occur in approximately 15% of human cancers. Co-deletion of MTAP and methionine adenosyltransferase 2 alpha (MAT2a) induces a synthetic lethal phenotype involving protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) inhibition. MAT2a inhibitors are now in clinical trials for genotypic MTAP-/- cancers, however the MTAP-/- genotype represents fewer than 2% of human colorectal cancers (CRCs), limiting the utility of MAT2a inhibitors in these and other MTAP+/+ cancers. Methylthio-DADMe-Immucilin-A (MTDIA) is a picomolar transition state analogue inhibitor of MTAP that renders cells enzymatically MTAP-deficient to induce the MTAP-/- phenotype. Here we demonstrate that MTDIA and MAT2a inhibitor AG-270 combination therapy mimics synthetic lethality in MTAP+/+ CRC cell lines with similar effects in mouse xenografts and without adverse histology on normal tissues. Combination treatment is synergistic with a 104-fold increase in drug potency for inhibition of CRC cell growth in culture. Combined MTDIA and AG-270 decreased S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) and increased 5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA) in cells. The increased intracellular MTA:SAM ratio inhibits PRMT5 activity, leading to cellular arrest and apoptotic cell death by causing MDM4 alternative splicing and p53 activation. Combination MTDIA and AG-270 treatment differs from direct inhibition of PRMT5 by GSK3326595 by avoiding toxicity caused by cell death in the normal gut epithelium induced by the PRMT5 inhibitor. The combination of MTAP and MAT2a inhibitors expands this synthetic lethal approach to include MTAP+/+ cancers, especially the remaining 98% of CRCs without the MTAP-/- genotype.
    Keywords:  S-adenosyl-L-methionine; arginine methylation; cancer metabolism; cancer therapeutics; colorectal cancer; methionine salvage pathway
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105492
  33. J Clin Med. 2023 Nov 09. pii: 7007. [Epub ahead of print]12(22):
    Time-Restricted Eating and Its Metabolic Benefits.
    Sneha Mishra, Patress A Persons, Andrea M Lorenzo, Swarna S Chaliki, Sophie Bersoux.
      Newer management strategies are being evaluated to treat obesity, which continues to increase worldwide. After 12 h of fasting, the body switches from glucose to fat metabolism, regulating protein synthesis and autophagy. These cellular responses are central to the metabolic benefits of time-restricted eating (TRE), independent of calorie restriction and weight loss, and they have heightened interest in TRE regimens. Controversy remains, however, regarding the benefits of TRE regimens. We reviewed the current literature and concluded that TRE is equivalent to calorie restriction for weight loss and has positive effects for patients with diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
    Keywords:  circadian rhythm; fasting; lifestyle; time restricted; weight loss
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12227007
  34. Biophys J. 2023 Nov 23. pii: S0006-3495(23)00721-X. [Epub ahead of print]
    Membrane extraction in native lipid nanodiscs reveals dynamic regulation of Cdc42 complexes during cell polarization.
    Lars N Deutz, Sena Sarıkaya, Daniel J Dickinson.
      Embryonic development requires the establishment of cell polarity to enable cell fate segregation and tissue morphogenesis. This process is regulated by Par complex proteins, which partition into polarized membrane domains and direct downstream polarized cell behaviors. The kinase aPKC (along with its cofactor Par6) is a key member of this network and can be recruited to the plasma membrane by either the small GTPase Cdc42 or the scaffolding protein Par3. Although in vitro interactions among these proteins are well established, much is still unknown about the complexes they form during development. Here, to enable the study of membrane-associated complexes ex vivo, we used a maleic acid copolymer to rapidly isolate membrane proteins from single C. elegans zygotes into lipid nanodiscs. We show that native lipid nanodisc formation enables detection of endogenous complexes involving Cdc42, which are undetectable when cells are lysed in detergent. We found that Cdc42 interacts more strongly with aPKC/Par6 during polarity maintenance than polarity establishment, two developmental stages that are separated by only a few minutes. We further show that Cdc42 and Par3 do not bind aPKC/Par6 simultaneously, confirming recent in vitro findings in an ex vivo context. Our findings establish a new tool for studying membrane-associated signaling complexes and reveal an unexpected mode of polarity regulation via Cdc42.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2023.11.021
  35. Autophagy. 2023 Nov 24.
    Deacetylation of ATG7 drives the induction of macroautophagy and LC3-associated microautophagy.
    Yinfeng Xu, Chuying Qian, Qian Wang, Lijiang Song, Zhengfu He, Wei Liu, Wei Wan.
      LC3 lipidation plays an important role in the regulation of macroautophagy and LC3-associated microautophagy. The E1-like enzyme ATG7 is one of the core components that are directly involved in LC3 lipidation reaction. Here, we provide evidence showing that acetylation of ATG7 tightly controls its enzyme activity to regulate the induction of macroautophagy and LC3-associated microautophagy. Mechanistically, acetylation of ATG7 disrupts its interaction with the E2-like enzyme ATG3, leading to an inhibition of LC3 lipidation in vitro and in vivo. Functionally, in response to various different stimuli, cellular ATG7 undergoes deacetylation to induce macroautophagy and LC3-associated microautophagy, which are necessary for cells to eliminate cytoplasmic DNA and degrade lysosome membrane proteins, respectively. Taken together, these findings reveal that ATG7 acetylation acts as a critical rheostat in controlling LC3 lipidation and related cellular processes.
    Keywords:  ATG7; Acetylation; LC3 lipidation; macroautophagy; microautophagy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2023.2287932
  36. Cell Rep. 2023 Nov 17. pii: S2211-1247(23)01482-1. [Epub ahead of print]42(12): 113470
    Stabilizing vimentin phosphorylation inhibits stem-like cell properties and metastasis of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal carcinomas.
    Nick A Kuburich, Petra den Hollander, Maria Castaneda, Mika Pietilä, Ximing Tang, Harsh Batra, Francisco Martínez-Peña, Tanvi H Visal, Tieling Zhou, Breanna R Demestichas, Ritesh V Dontula, Jojo Y Liu, Joanna Joyce Maddela, Reethi S Padmanabhan, Lan Thi Hanh Phi, Matthew J Rosolen, Thiru Sabapathy, Dhiraj Kumar, Filippo G Giancotti, Luke L Lairson, Maria Gabriela Raso, Rama Soundararajan, Sendurai A Mani.
      Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) empowers epithelial cells with mesenchymal and stem-like attributes, facilitating metastasis, a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal (E/M) cells, retaining both epithelial and mesenchymal traits, exhibit heightened metastatic potential and stemness. The mesenchymal intermediate filament, vimentin, is upregulated during EMT, enhancing the resilience and invasiveness of carcinoma cells. The phosphorylation of vimentin is critical to its structure and function. Here, we identify that stabilizing vimentin phosphorylation at serine 56 induces multinucleation, specifically in hybrid E/M cells with stemness properties but not epithelial or mesenchymal cells. Cancer stem-like cells are especially susceptible to vimentin-induced multinucleation relative to differentiated cells, leading to a reduction in self-renewal and stemness. As a result, vimentin-induced multinucleation leads to sustained inhibition of stemness properties, tumor initiation, and metastasis. These observations indicate that a single, targetable phosphorylation event in vimentin is critical for stemness and metastasis in carcinomas with hybrid E/M properties.
    Keywords:  CP: Cancer; cancer stem cells, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, CSC, EMT, multinucleation, vimentin, metastasis, stemness, hybrid E/M, breast cancer
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113470
  37. Soft Matter. 2023 Nov 22.
    Dehydration of biological membranes in a non-condensing environment.
    G Hernández-Galván, H Mercado-Uribe.
      The study of the dehydration process in a cell membrane allows a better understanding of how water is bound to it. While in prior studies, cell dehydration was commonly analyzed under osmotic stress conditions, in the present work, we focus on the dehydration driven by evaporation in a restricted condensing environment. Using a thermogravimetry method, we studied the dehydration of Escherichia coli through isothermal evaporation in the presence of a gas flux. To figure out the loss of mass in this situation, we first evaluated the dynamics of water evaporation of a suspension of multilamellar liposomes. We found that the evaporation of liposomal suspensions composed of individual lipids is constant, although slightly restricted by the presence of liposomes, while the evaporation of liposomal suspensions composed of a mixture of different lipids follows an exponential decay. This is explained considering that the internal pressure at the air-water interface is proportional to the amount of bound water. The evaporation of water from a biomass sample follows this latter behaviour.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1039/d3sm01181j
  38. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Nov 28. 120(48): e2314043120
    Proteome-wide tagging with an H2O2 biosensor reveals highly localized and dynamic redox microenvironments.
    Paraskevi Kritsiligkou, Katharina Bosch, Tzu Keng Shen, Matthias Meurer, Michael Knop, Tobias P Dick.
      Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensing and signaling involves the reversible oxidation of particular thiols on particular proteins to modulate protein function in a dynamic manner. H2O2 can be generated from various intracellular sources, but their identities and relative contributions are often unknown. To identify endogenous "hotspots" of H2O2 generation on the scale of individual proteins and protein complexes, we generated a yeast library in which the H2O2 sensor HyPer7 was fused to the C-terminus of all protein-coding open reading frames (ORFs). We also generated a control library in which a redox-insensitive mutant of HyPer7 (SypHer7) was fused to all ORFs. Both libraries were screened side-by-side to identify proteins located within H2O2-generating environments. Screening under a variety of different metabolic conditions revealed dynamic changes in H2O2 availability highly specific to individual proteins and protein complexes. These findings suggest that intracellular H2O2 generation is much more localized and functionally differentiated than previously recognized.
    Keywords:  genetically encoded probes; hydrogen peroxide; redox regulation; redox signaling
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2314043120
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