bims-camemi Biomed News
on Mitochondrial metabolism in cancer
Issue of 2021‒03‒14
forty-five papers selected by
Christian Frezza,

  1. Fat induces glucose metabolism in non-transformed liver cells and promotes liver tumorigenesis.
  2. SIRT3 is required for liver regeneration but not for the beneficial effect of nicotinamide riboside.
  3. Blockade of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase generates CD8+ effector T cells with enhanced anti-tumor function.
  4. Mitochondrial Redox and TCA Cycle Metabolite Signaling in the Heart.
  5. Pathway-based classification of glioblastoma uncovers a mitochondrial subtype with therapeutic vulnerabilities.
  6. Dimethyl Fumarate Induces Metabolic Crisie to Suppress Pancreatic Carcinoma.
  7. Folate metabolism: a re-emerging therapeutic target in haematological cancers.
  8. Analysis of Melanoma Cell Glutamine Metabolism by Stable Isotope Tracing and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.
  9. Gluconeogenic enzyme PCK1 deficiency promotes CHK2 O-GlcNAcylation and hepatocellular carcinoma growth upon glucose deprivation.
  10. Differential metabolic sensitivity of insulin-like-response- and TORC1-dependent overgrowth in Drosophila fat cells.
  11. Lysosomal retargeting of Myoferlin mitigates membrane stress to enable pancreatic cancer growth.
  12. Time-resolved single-cell analysis of Brca1 associated mammary tumourigenesis reveals aberrant differentiation of luminal progenitors.
  13. BOK controls apoptosis by Ca2+ transfer through ER-mitochondrial contact sites.
  14. SMAD4 loss limits the vulnerability of pancreatic cancer cells to complex I inhibition via promotion of mitophagy.
  15. The role of ceramide accumulation in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes on mitochondrial oxidative stress and mitophagy.
  16. Metabolic ROS Signaling: To Immunity and Beyond.
  17. ROS-dependent HIF1α activation under forced lipid catabolism entails glycolysis and mitophagy as mediators of higher proliferation rate in cervical cancer cells.
  18. Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer's Disease.
  19. Acetyl-CoA and Metabolite Fluxes Regulate White Adipose Tissue Expansion.
  20. mTORC1 couples cyst(e)ine availability with GPX4 protein synthesis and ferroptosis regulation.
  21. An ARF GTPase module promoting invasion and metastasis through regulating phosphoinositide metabolism.
  22. Bacterial infection reinforces host metabolic flux from arginine to spermine for NLRP3 inflammasome evasion.
  23. Loss of mitochondrial aconitase promotes colorectal cancer progression via SCD1-mediated lipid remodeling.
  24. Aerobic pyruvate metabolism sensitizes cells to ferroptosis primed by GSH depletion.
  25. Targeting mitochondrial iron metabolism suppresses tumor growth and metastasis by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy.
  26. c-Src facilitates tumorigenesis by phosphorylating and activating G6PD.
  27. 3D mesenchymal cell migration is driven by anterior cellular contraction that generates an extracellular matrix prestrain.
  28. Drp1 is required for AgRP neuronal activity and feeding.
  29. Plasma metabolites to profile pathways in noncommunicable disease multimorbidity.
  30. The role of tumor heterogeneity in immune-tumor interactions.
  31. Androgen receptor (AR) antagonism triggers acute succinate-mediated adaptive responses to reactivate AR signaling.
  32. Hypoxia Routes Tryptophan Homeostasis Towards Increased Tryptamine Production.
  33. KRAS mutation in pancreatic cancer.
  34. A compendium of kinetic modulatory profiles identifies ferroptosis regulators.
  35. Reflux of Endoplasmic Reticulum proteins to the cytosol inactivates tumor suppressors.
  36. CD36-mediated ferroptosis dampens intratumoral CD8+ T cell effector function and impairs their antitumor ability.
  37. Regulation of translation by methylation multiplicity of 18S rRNA.
  38. T cell metabolism in homeostasis and cancer immunity.
  39. Itaconate confers tolerance to late NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
  40. Integrated cross-study datasets of genetic dependencies in cancer.
  41. When the metabolism meets the cell cycle in bacteria.
  42. The fructose-dependent acceleration of ethanol metabolism.
  43. Effective delivery of STING agonist using exosomes suppresses tumor growth and enhances anti-tumor immunity.
  44. Primary coenzyme Q deficiencies: A literature review and online platform of clinical features to uncover genotype-phenotype correlations.
  45. Structure and Function of ATP-dependent Chromatin Remodeling Complexes.
  1. Cancer Res. 2021 Mar 09. pii: canres.1954.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
    Fat induces glucose metabolism in non-transformed liver cells and promotes liver tumorigenesis.
    Lindsay A Broadfield, João André Gonçalves Duarte, Roberta Schmieder, Dorien Broekaert, Koen Veys, Mélanie Planque, Kim Vriens, Yasuaki Karasawa, Francesco Napolitano, Suguru Fujita, Masashi Fujii, Miki Eto, Bryan Holvoet, Roman Vangoitsenhoven, Juan Fernandez-Garcia, Joke Van Elsen, Jonas Dehairs, Jia Zeng, James Dooley, Rebeca Alba Rubio, Jos van Pelt, Thomas G P Grünewald, Adrian Liston, Chantal Mathieu, Christophe M Deroose, Johannes V Swinnen, Diether Lambrechts, Diego di Bernardo, Shinya Kuroda, Katrien De Bock, Sarah-Maria Fendt.
      Hepatic fat accumulation is associated with diabetes and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we characterize the metabolic response that high fat availability elicits in livers prior to disease development. After a short term on a high fat diet, otherwise healthy mice showed elevated hepatic glucose uptake and increased glucose contribution to serine and pyruvate carboxylase activity compared to control diet mice. This glucose phenotype occurred independently from transcriptional or proteomic programming, which identifies increased peroxisomal and lipid metabolism pathways. High fat diet-fed mice exhibited increased lactate production when challenged with glucose. Consistently, administration of an oral glucose bolus to healthy individuals revealed a correlation between waist circumference and lactate secretion in a human cohort. In vitro, palmitate exposure stimulated production of reactive oxygen species and subsequent glucose uptake and lactate secretion in hepatocytes and liver cancer cells. Furthermore, high fat diet enhanced the formation of HCC compared to control diet in mice exposed to a hepatic carcinogen. Regardless of the dietary background, all murine tumors showed similar alterations in glucose metabolism to those identified in fat exposed non-transformed mouse livers; however, particular lipid species were elevated in high fat diet tumor and non-tumor-bearing high fat diet liver tissue. These findings suggest that fat can induce glucose-mediated metabolic changes in non-transformed liver cells similar to those found in HCC.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-1954
  2. JCI Insight. 2021 Mar 09. pii: 147193. [Epub ahead of print]
    SIRT3 is required for liver regeneration but not for the beneficial effect of nicotinamide riboside.
    Sarmistha Mukherjee, James Mo, Lauren M Paolella, Caroline E Perry, Jade Toth, Mindy M Hugo, Qingwei Chu, Qiang Tong, Karthikeyani Chellappa, Joseph A Baur.
      Liver regeneration is critical to survival after traumatic injuries, exposure to hepatotoxins, or surgical interventions, yet the underlying signaling and metabolic pathways remain unclear. Here we show that hepatocyte-specific loss of the mitochondrial deacetylase SIRT3 drastically impairs regeneration and worsens mitochondrial function after partial hepatectomy. Sirtuins, including SIRT3, require nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) as a cosubstrate. We previously showed that the NAD precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) promotes liver regeneration, but whether this involves sirtuins has not been tested. Here we show that despite their NAD-dependence and critical roles in regeneration, neither SIRT3 nor its nuclear counterpart SIRT1 is required for NR to enhance liver regeneration. NR improves mitochondrial respiration in regenerating wild type or mutant livers and rapidly increases oxygen consumption and glucose output in cultured hepatocytes. Our data support a direct enhancement of mitochondrial redox metabolism as the mechanism mediating improved liver regeneration after NAD supplementation and exclude signaling via SIRT1 and SIRT3. Thus, we provide the first evidence for an essential role for a mitochondrial sirtuin during liver regeneration and insight into the beneficial effects of NR.
    Keywords:  Fatty acid oxidation; Hepatology; Metabolism; Mitochondria; Molecular pathology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.147193
  3. Cell Rep. 2021 Mar 09. pii: S2211-1247(21)00145-5. [Epub ahead of print]34(10): 108831
    Blockade of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase generates CD8+ effector T cells with enhanced anti-tumor function.
    Saeed Daneshmandi, Teresa Cassel, Penghui Lin, Richard M Higashi, Gerburg M Wulf, Vassiliki A Boussiotis, Teresa W-M Fan, Pankaj Seth.
      Although T cell expansion depends on glycolysis, T effector cell differentiation requires signaling via the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) regulates ROS by generating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), we examined how PPP blockade affects T cell differentiation and function. Here, we show that genetic ablation or pharmacologic inhibition of the PPP enzyme 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) in the oxidative PPP results in the generation of superior CD8+ T effector cells. These cells have gene signatures and immunogenic markers of effector phenotype and show potent anti-tumor functions both in vitro and in vivo. In these cells, metabolic reprogramming occurs along with increased mitochondrial ROS and activated antioxidation machinery to balance ROS production against oxidative damage. Our findings reveal a role of 6PGD as a checkpoint for T cell effector differentiation/survival and evidence for 6PGD as an attractive metabolic target to improve tumor immunotherapy.
    Keywords:  6PGD; effector T cells; metabolism; pentose phosphate pathway; reactive oxygen species; tumor immunotherapy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108831
  4. Free Radic Biol Med. 2021 Mar 03. pii: S0891-5849(21)00139-8. [Epub ahead of print]
    Mitochondrial Redox and TCA Cycle Metabolite Signaling in the Heart.
    Ana Vujic, Amy N M Koo, Hiran A Prag, Thomas Krieg.
      Mitochondria are essential signaling organelles that regulate a broad range of cellular processes and thereby heart function. Multiple mechanisms participate in the communication between mitochondria and the nucleus that maintain cardiomyocyte homeostasis, including mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and metabolic shifts in TCA cycle metabolite availability. An increased rate of ROS generation can cause irreversible damage to the cell and proposed to be a leading cause of many pathologies, including accelerated aging and heart disease. Myocardial impairments are also characterised by specific coordinated metabolic changes and dysregulated inflammatory responses. Hence, the mitochondrial respiratory chain is an important mediator between health and disease in the heart. This review will first outline the sources of ROS in the heart, mitochondrial metabolite dynamics, and provide an overview of their implications for heart disease. In addition, we will concentrate our discussion around current cardioprotective strategies relevant to mitochondrial ROS. Thorough understanding of mitochondrial signaling and the complex interplay with vital signaling pathways in the heart might allow us to develop novel therapeutic approaches to cardiovascular disease.
    Keywords:  Cardiovascular disease; ROS; metabolism; mitochondria; redox signaling
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.02.041
  5. Nat Cancer. 2021 Feb;2(2): 141-156
    Pathway-based classification of glioblastoma uncovers a mitochondrial subtype with therapeutic vulnerabilities.
    Luciano Garofano, Simona Migliozzi, Young Taek Oh, Fulvio D'Angelo, Ryan D Najac, Aram Ko, Brulinda Frangaj, Francesca Pia Caruso, Kai Yu, Jinzhou Yuan, Wenting Zhao, Anna Luisa Di Stefano, Franck Bielle, Tao Jiang, Peter Sims, Mario L Suvà, Fuchou Tang, Xiao-Dong Su, Michele Ceccarelli, Marc Sanson, Anna Lasorella, Antonio Iavarone.
      The transcriptomic classification of glioblastoma (GBM) has failed to predict survival and therapeutic vulnerabilities. A computational approach for unbiased identification of core biological traits of single cells and bulk tumors uncovered four tumor cell states and GBM subtypes distributed along neurodevelopmental and metabolic axes, classified as proliferative/progenitor, neuronal, mitochondrial and glycolytic/plurimetabolic. Each subtype was enriched with biologically coherent multiomic features. Mitochondrial GBM was associated with the most favorable clinical outcome. It relied exclusively on oxidative phosphorylation for energy production, whereas the glycolytic/plurimetabolic subtype was sustained by aerobic glycolysis and amino acid and lipid metabolism. Deletion of the glucose-proton symporter SLC45A1 was the truncal alteration most significantly associated with mitochondrial GBM, and the reintroduction of SLC45A1 in mitochondrial glioma cells induced acidification and loss of fitness. Mitochondrial, but not glycolytic/plurimetabolic, GBM exhibited marked vulnerability to inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation. The pathway-based classification of GBM informs survival and enables precision targeting of cancer metabolism.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-020-00159-4
  6. Front Pharmacol. 2021 ;12 617714
    Dimethyl Fumarate Induces Metabolic Crisie to Suppress Pancreatic Carcinoma.
    Kaiyuan Chen, Shanshan Wu, Sisi Ye, Huimin Huang, Yi Zhou, Hongfei Zhou, Shijia Wu, Yefan Mao, Fugen Shangguan, Linhua Lan, Bicheng Chen.
      Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an approved drug used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and psoriasis therapy. Multiple studies have demonstrated other pharmacological activities of DMF such as an anti-cancer agent. In particular, studies have shown that DMF can modulate the NRF2/HO1/NQO1 antioxidant signal pathway and inactivate NF-κB to suppress the growth of colon and breast cancer cells, and induce cell death. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-tumor activities of DMF in pancreatic cancer (PC) focusing on cell death as the predominant mechanism of response. We showed that both mitochondrial respiration and aerobic glycolysis were severely depressed following treatment with DMF and the effects could be abrogated by treatment with L-cysteine and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). Importantly, we verified that DMF induced metabolic crisis and that cell death was not related to alterations in ROS. Our data implied that MTHFD1 could be a potential downstream target of DMF identified by molecular docking analysis. Finally, we confirmed that MTHFD1 is up-regulated in PC and overexpression of MTHFD1 was negatively related to outcomes of PC patients. Our data indicate that DMF induces metabolic crisie to suppress cell growth and could be a potential novel therapy in the treatment of PC.
    Keywords:  covalent modification; dimethyl fumarate; folate metabolism; metabolic crisie; mitochondrial dynamics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.617714
  7. Leukemia. 2021 Mar 11.
    Folate metabolism: a re-emerging therapeutic target in haematological cancers.
    Martha M Zarou, Alexei Vazquez, G Vignir Helgason.
      Folate-mediated one carbon (1C) metabolism supports a series of processes that are essential for the cell. Through a number of interlinked reactions happening in the cytosol and mitochondria of the cell, folate metabolism contributes to de novo purine and thymidylate synthesis, to the methionine cycle and redox defence. Targeting the folate metabolism gave rise to modern chemotherapy, through the introduction of antifolates to treat paediatric leukaemia. Since then, antifolates, such as methotrexate and pralatrexate have been used to treat a series of blood cancers in clinic. However, traditional antifolates have many deleterious side effects in normal proliferating tissue, highlighting the urgent need for novel strategies to more selectively target 1C metabolism. Notably, mitochondrial 1C enzymes have been shown to be significantly upregulated in various cancers, making them attractive targets for the development of new chemotherapeutic agents. In this article, we present a detailed overview of folate-mediated 1C metabolism, its importance on cellular level and discuss how targeting folate metabolism has been exploited in blood cancers. Additionally, we explore possible therapeutic strategies that could overcome the limitations of traditional antifolates.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-021-01189-2
  8. Methods Mol Biol. 2021 ;2265 91-110
    Analysis of Melanoma Cell Glutamine Metabolism by Stable Isotope Tracing and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.
    David A Scott.
      Glutamine is a major substrate for biosynthesis. It contributes to multiple pathways required for cell proliferation, supports antioxidant defense via glutathione synthesis, and sustains the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle through anaplerosis. Glutamine-fueled anaplerosis and related biosynthesis can be studied in detail in melanoma using stable isotope (13C) labeling followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of metabolite amounts and labeling. Detailed protocols for the assay of polar metabolites (including amino acids, TCA cycle, and glycolysis metabolites) and fatty acids by these methods following cell treatment with 13C-glutamine or 13C-glucose are presented.
    Keywords:  Amino acids; Fatty acids; GC-MS; Glutamine; Glycolysis; Melanoma; Metabolite quantification; Stable-isotope tracing; Tricarboxylic acid cycle
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1205-7_7
  9. J Clin Invest. 2021 Mar 09. pii: 144703. [Epub ahead of print]
    Gluconeogenic enzyme PCK1 deficiency promotes CHK2 O-GlcNAcylation and hepatocellular carcinoma growth upon glucose deprivation.
    Jin Xiang, Chang Chen, Rui Liu, Dongmei Gou, Lei Chang, Haijun Deng, Qingzhu Gao, Wanjun Zhang, Lin Tuo, Xuanming Pan, Li Liang, Jie Xia, Luyi Huang, Ke Yao, Bohong Wang, Zeping Hu, Ailong Huang, Kai Wang, Ni Tang.
      Although cancer cells are frequently faced with nutrient- and oxygen-poor microenvironment, elevated hexosamine-biosynthesis pathway (HBP) activity and protein O-GlcNAcylation (a nutrient sensor) contribute to rapid growth of tumor and are emerging hallmarks of cancer. Inhibiting O-GlcNAcylation could be a promising anti-cancer strategy. The gluconeogenic enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) was downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, little is known about the potential role of PCK1 in enhanced HBP activity and HCC carcinogenesis under glucose-limited conditions. In this study, PCK1 knockout markedly enhanced the global O-GlcNAcylation levels under low glucose condition. Mechanistically, metabolic reprogramming in PCK1-loss hepatoma cells led to oxaloacetate accumulation and increased de novo UTP synthesis contributing to uridine diphosphate-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) biosynthesis. Meanwhile, deletion of PCK1 also resulted in AMPK-GFAT1 axis inactivation promoting UDP-GlcNAc synthesis for elevated O-GlcNAcylation. Notably, lower expression of PCK1 promoted CHK2 threonine 378 O-GlcNAcylation counteracting its stability and dimer formation, increasing CHK2-dependent Rb phosphorylation and HCC cell proliferation. Moreover, aminooxyacetic acid hemihydrochloride and 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine blocked HBP-mediated O-GlcNAcylation and suppressed tumor progression in liver-specific Pck1-knockout mice. We reveal a link between PCK1 depletion and hyper-O-GlcNAcylation that underlies HCC oncogenesis and suggest therapeutic targets for HCC that act by inhibiting O-GlcNAcylation.
    Keywords:  Gluconeogenesis; Liver cancer; Metabolism; Molecular biology; Oncology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI144703
  10. Genetics. 2021 Mar 03. 217(1): 1-12
    Differential metabolic sensitivity of insulin-like-response- and TORC1-dependent overgrowth in Drosophila fat cells.
    Maelle Devilliers, Damien Garrido, Mickael Poidevin, Thomas Rubin, Arnaud Le Rouzic, Jacques Montagne.
      Glycolysis and fatty acid (FA) synthesis directs the production of energy-carrying molecules and building blocks necessary to support cell growth, although the absolute requirement of these metabolic pathways must be deeply investigated. Here, we used Drosophila genetics and focus on the TOR (Target of Rapamycin) signaling network that controls cell growth and homeostasis. In mammals, mTOR (mechanistic-TOR) is present in two distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2; the former directly responds to amino acids and energy levels, whereas the latter sustains insulin-like-peptide (Ilp) response. The TORC1 and Ilp signaling branches can be independently modulated in most Drosophila tissues. We show that TORC1 and Ilp-dependent overgrowth can operate independently in fat cells and that ubiquitous over-activation of TORC1 or Ilp signaling affects basal metabolism, supporting the use of Drosophila as a powerful model to study the link between growth and metabolism. We show that cell-autonomous restriction of glycolysis or FA synthesis in fat cells retrains overgrowth dependent on Ilp signaling but not TORC1 signaling. Additionally, the mutation of FASN (Fatty acid synthase) results in a drop in TORC1 but not Ilp signaling, whereas, at the cell-autonomous level, this mutation affects none of these signals in fat cells. These findings thus reveal differential metabolic sensitivity of TORC1- and Ilp-dependent growth and suggest that cell-autonomous metabolic defects might elicit local compensatory pathways. Conversely, enzyme knockdown in the whole organism results in animal death. Importantly, our study weakens the use of single inhibitors to fight mTOR-related diseases and strengthens the use of drug combination and selective tissue-targeting.
    Keywords:  cell-autonomous effect; fatty acid synthesis; glycolysis; homeostasis
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyaa010
  11. Nat Cell Biol. 2021 Mar 08.
    Lysosomal retargeting of Myoferlin mitigates membrane stress to enable pancreatic cancer growth.
    Suprit Gupta, Julian Yano, Vincent Mercier, Htet Htwe Htwe, Hijai R Shin, Gilles Rademaker, Zeynep Cakir, Thomas Ituarte, Kwun W Wen, Grace E Kim, Roberto Zoncu, Aurélien Roux, David W Dawson, Rushika M Perera.
      Lysosomes must maintain the integrity of their limiting membrane to ensure efficient fusion with incoming organelles and degradation of substrates within their lumen. Pancreatic cancer cells upregulate lysosomal biogenesis to enhance nutrient recycling and stress resistance, but it is unknown whether dedicated programmes for maintaining the integrity of the lysosome membrane facilitate pancreatic cancer growth. Using proteomic-based organelle profiling, we identify the Ferlin family plasma membrane repair factor Myoferlin as selectively and highly enriched on the membrane of pancreatic cancer lysosomes. Mechanistically, lysosomal localization of Myoferlin is necessary and sufficient for the maintenance of lysosome health and provides an early acting protective system against membrane damage that is independent of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT)-mediated repair network. Myoferlin is upregulated in human pancreatic cancer, predicts poor survival and its ablation severely impairs lysosome function and tumour growth in vivo. Thus, retargeting of plasma membrane repair factors enhances the pro-oncogenic activities of the lysosome.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-021-00644-7
  12. Nat Commun. 2021 03 09. 12(1): 1502
    Time-resolved single-cell analysis of Brca1 associated mammary tumourigenesis reveals aberrant differentiation of luminal progenitors.
    Karsten Bach, Sara Pensa, Marija Zarocsinceva, Katarzyna Kania, Julie Stockis, Silvain Pinaud, Kyren A Lazarus, Mona Shehata, Bruno M Simões, Alice R Greenhalgh, Sacha J Howell, Robert B Clarke, Carlos Caldas, Timotheus Y F Halim, John C Marioni, Walid T Khaled.
      It is unclear how genetic aberrations impact the state of nascent tumour cells and their microenvironment. BRCA1 driven triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been shown to arise from luminal progenitors yet little is known about how BRCA1 loss-of-function (LOF) and concomitant mutations affect the luminal progenitor cell state. Here we demonstrate how time-resolved single-cell profiling of genetically engineered mouse models before tumour formation can address this challenge. We found that perturbing Brca1/p53 in luminal progenitors induces aberrant alveolar differentiation pre-malignancy accompanied by pro-tumourigenic changes in the immune compartment. Unlike alveolar differentiation during gestation, this process is cell autonomous and characterised by the dysregulation of transcription factors driving alveologenesis. Based on our data we propose a model where Brca1/p53 LOF inadvertently promotes a differentiation program hardwired in luminal progenitors, highlighting the deterministic role of the cell-of-origin and offering a potential explanation for the tissue specificity of BRCA1 tumours.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21783-3
  13. Cell Rep. 2021 Mar 09. pii: S2211-1247(21)00141-8. [Epub ahead of print]34(10): 108827
    BOK controls apoptosis by Ca2+ transfer through ER-mitochondrial contact sites.
    Marcos A Carpio, Robert E Means, Allison L Brill, Alva Sainz, Barbara E Ehrlich, Samuel G Katz.
      Calcium transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to mitochondria is a critical contributor to apoptosis. B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) ovarian killer (BOK) localizes to the ER and binds the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosophate receptor (IP3R). Here, we show that BOK is necessary for baseline mitochondrial calcium levels and stimulus-induced calcium transfer from the ER to the mitochondria. Murine embryonic fibroblasts deficient for BOK have decreased proximity of the ER to the mitochondria and altered protein composition of mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs), which form essential calcium microdomains. Rescue of the ER-mitochondrial juxtaposition with drug-inducible interorganelle linkers reveals a kinetic disruption, which when overcome in Bok-/- cells is still insufficient to rescue thapsigargin-induced calcium transfer and apoptosis. Likewise, a BOK mutant unable to interact with IP3R restores ER-mitochondrial proximity, but not ER-mitochondrial calcium transfer, MAM protein composition, or apoptosis. This work identifies the dynamic coordination of ER-mitochondrial contact by BOK as an important control point for apoptosis.
    Keywords:  BCL-2 family; BOK; IP3R; MAMs; MERCs; apoptosis; calcium; endoplasmic reticulum; mitochondria-ER contact sites; mitochondria-associated membranes
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108827
  14. Oncogene. 2021 Mar 08.
    SMAD4 loss limits the vulnerability of pancreatic cancer cells to complex I inhibition via promotion of mitophagy.
    Zuzana Ezrova, Zuzana Nahacka, Jan Stursa, Lukas Werner, Erik Vlcak, Petra Kralova Viziova, Michael V Berridge, Radislav Sedlacek, Renata Zobalova, Jakub Rohlena, Stepana Boukalova, Jiri Neuzil.
      Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, which is attributed to lack of effective treatment options and drug resistance. Mitochondrial inhibitors have emerged as a promising class of anticancer drugs, and several inhibitors of the electron transport chain (ETC) are being clinically evaluated. We hypothesized that resistance to ETC inhibitors from the biguanide class could be induced by inactivation of SMAD4, an important tumor suppressor involved in transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling, and associated with altered mitochondrial activity. Here we show that, paradoxically, both TGFβ-treatment and the loss of SMAD4, a downstream member of TGFβ signaling cascade, induce resistance to biguanides, decrease mitochondrial respiration, and fragment the mitochondrial network. Mechanistically, the resistance of SMAD4-deficient cells is mediated by increased mitophagic flux driven by MAPK/ERK signaling, whereas TGFβ-induced resistance is autophagy-independent and linked to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Interestingly, mitochondria-targeted tamoxifen, a complex I inhibitor under clinical trial, overcomes resistance mediated by SMAD4-deficiency or TGFβ signaling. Our data point to differential mechanisms underlying the resistance to treatment in PDAC arising from TGFβ signaling and SMAD4 loss, respectively. The findings will help the development of mitochondria-targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer patients with SMAD4 as a plausible predictive marker.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-021-01726-4
  15. Free Radic Biol Med. 2021 Mar 08. pii: S0891-5849(21)00100-3. [Epub ahead of print]
    The role of ceramide accumulation in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes on mitochondrial oxidative stress and mitophagy.
    Mohamed Bekhite, Andres González-Delgado, Sascha Hübner, Pëllumb Haxhikadrija, Tom Kretzschmar, Tina Müller, Jasmine M F Wu, Tarek Bekfani, Marcus Franz, Maria Wartenberg, Markus Gräler, Boris Greber, P Christian Schulzedrp.
      Oversupply of fatty acids (FAs) to cardiomyocytes (CMs) is associated with increased ceramide content and elevated the risk of lipotoxic cardiomyopathy. Here we investigate the role of ceramide accumulation on mitochondrial function and mitophagy in cardiac lipotoxicity using CMs derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC). Mature CMs derived from hiPSC exposed to the diabetic-like environment or transfected with plasmids overexpressing serine-palmitoyltransferase long chain base subunit 1 (SPTLC1), a subunit of the serine-palmitoyltransferase (SPT) complex, resulted in increased intracellular ceramide levels. Accumulation of ceramides impaired insulin-dependent phosphorylation of Akt through activating protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and disturbed gene and protein levels of key metabolic enzymes including GLUT4, AMPK, PGC-1α, PPARα, CD36, PDK4, and PPARγ compared to controls. Analysis of CMs oxidative metabolism using a Seahorse analyzer showed a significant reduction in ATP synthesis-related O2 consumption, mitochondrial β-oxidation and respiratory capacity, indicating an impaired mitochondrial function under diabetic-like conditions or SPTLC1-overexpression. Further, ceramide accumulation increased mitochondrial fission regulators such as dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) and mitochondrial fission factor (MFF) as well as auto/mitophagic proteins LC3B and PINK-1 compared to control. Incubation of CMs with the specific SPT inhibitor (myriocin) showed a significant increase in mitochondrial fusion regulators the mitofusin 2 (MFN2) and optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) as well as p-Akt, PGC-1 α, GLUT-4, and ATP production. In addition, a significant decrease in auto/mitophagy and apoptosis was found in CMs treated with myriocin. Our results suggest that ceramide accumulation has important implications in driving insulin resistance, oxidative stress, increased auto/mitophagy, and mitochondrial dysfunction in the setting of lipotoxic cardiomyopathy. Therefore, modulation of the de novo ceramide synthesis pathway may serve as a novel therapeutic target to treat metabolic cardiomyopathy.
    Keywords:  HiPSC; cardiotoxicity; ceramide; mitochondrial dysfunction; oxidative stress
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.02.016
  16. Biochemistry (Mosc). 2020 Dec;85(12): 1650-1667
    Metabolic ROS Signaling: To Immunity and Beyond.
    A Y Andreyev, Y E Kushnareva, N N Starkova, A A Starkov.
      Metabolism is a critical determinant of immune cell functionality. Immunometabolism, by definition, is a multidisciplinary area of immunology research that integrates the knowledge of energy transduction mechanisms and biochemical pathways. An important concept in the field is metabolic switch, a transition of immune cells upon activation to preferential utilization of select catabolic pathways for their energy needs. Mitochondria are not inert in this process and contribute to the metabolic adaptation by different mechanisms which include increasing ATP production to match dynamic bioenergetic demands and serving as a signaling platform. The latter involves generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), one of the most intensively studied mitochondrial processes. While the role of mitochondrial ROS in the context of oxidative stress is well established, ROS signaling in immunity is an emerging and quickly changing field. In this review, we discuss ROS signaling and immunometabolism concepts from the standpoint of bioenergetics. We also provide a critical insight into the methodology for ROS assessment, outlining current challenges in the field. Finally, based on our analysis of the literature data, we hypothesize that regulatory ROS production, as opposed to oxidative stress, is controlled by mitochondrial biogenesis rather than metabolic switches.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1134/S0006297920120160
  17. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Mar 11. 40(1): 94
    ROS-dependent HIF1α activation under forced lipid catabolism entails glycolysis and mitophagy as mediators of higher proliferation rate in cervical cancer cells.
    Serena Castelli, Fabio Ciccarone, Daniela Tavian, Maria Rosa Ciriolo.
      BACKGROUND: In the last decades, the concept of metabolic rewiring as a cancer hallmark has been expanded beyond the "Warburg effect" and the importance of other metabolic routes, including lipid metabolism, has emerged. In cancer, lipids are not only a source of energy but are also required for the formation of membranes building blocks, signaling and post-translational modification of proteins. Since lipid metabolism contributes to the malignancy of cancer cells, it is an attractive target for therapeutic strategies.METHODS: Over-expression of the adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) was used to boost lipid catabolism in cervical cancer cells. The cervical cancer cell line HeLa was employed as the primary experimental model for all subsequent studies. The lipolytic activity of ATGL was mimicked by caproate, a short-chain fatty acid that is efficiently oxidized in mitochondria.
    RESULTS: Here, we provide evidence of the association between boosted lipid catabolism and the increased proliferation and migration capability of cervical cancer cells. These pro-tumoral effects were ascribed to the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated induction of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) triggered by the increased mitochondrial fatty acids (FAs) oxidation. HIF1α activation increases glycolytic flux and lactate production, promoting cell proliferation. At the same time, HIF1α increases protein and mRNA levels of its known target BCL2 and adenovirus E1B 19-kDa-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), which in turn activates mitophagy as a pro-survival process, as demonstrated by the induction of apoptosis upon inhibition of mitophagy. These effects were mimicked by the short-chain fatty acid caproate, confirming that forcing lipid catabolism results in HIF1α induction.
    CONCLUSIONS: Boosting lipid catabolism by ATGL over-expression has a pro-tumor role in cervical cancer cells, dependent on ROS production and HIF1α induction. Together with the bioinformatics evidence of the correlation of ATGL activity with the aggressiveness of cervical cancer cells, our data suggest that ATGL could be a promising prognostic marker for cervical cancer and highlight the need of further investigations on the role of this lipase in cancer cells. This evidence could be exploited to develop new personalized therapy, based on the functionality of the antioxidant equipment of cancer cells, considering that ROS content could affect ATGL role.
    Keywords:  ATGL; HIF1α; Lipid catabolism; Mitophagy; Pseudo-hypoxia; ROS
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-021-01887-w
  18. Front Aging Neurosci. 2021 ;13 617588
    Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer's Disease.
    Afzal Misrani, Sidra Tabassum, Li Yang.
      Mitochondria play a pivotal role in bioenergetics and respiratory functions, which are essential for the numerous biochemical processes underpinning cell viability. Mitochondrial morphology changes rapidly in response to external insults and changes in metabolic status via fission and fusion processes (so-called mitochondrial dynamics) that maintain mitochondrial quality and homeostasis. Damaged mitochondria are removed by a process known as mitophagy, which involves their degradation by a specific autophagosomal pathway. Over the last few years, remarkable efforts have been made to investigate the impact on the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) of various forms of mitochondrial dysfunction, such as excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial Ca2+ dyshomeostasis, loss of ATP, and defects in mitochondrial dynamics and transport, and mitophagy. Recent research suggests that restoration of mitochondrial function by physical exercise, an antioxidant diet, or therapeutic approaches can delay the onset and slow the progression of AD. In this review, we focus on recent progress that highlights the crucial role of alterations in mitochondrial function and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of AD, emphasizing a framework of existing and potential therapeutic approaches.
    Keywords:  Alzheimer’s disease; fission; fusion; mitochondria; mitophagy; oxidative stress
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2021.617588
  19. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Mar 09. pii: S1043-2760(21)00043-6. [Epub ahead of print]
    Acetyl-CoA and Metabolite Fluxes Regulate White Adipose Tissue Expansion.
    Jessica B Felix, Aaron R Cox, Sean M Hartig.
      White adipose tissue (WAT) depends on coordinated regulation of transcriptional and metabolic pathways to respond to whole-body energy demands. We highlight metabolites that contribute to biosynthetic reactions for WAT expansion. Recent studies have precisely defined how byproducts of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism affect physiological and endocrine functions in adipocytes. We emphasize the critical emerging roles of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites that connect lipogenesis to WAT energy balance and endocrine functions. These insights address how adipocytes use small molecules generated from central carbon metabolism to measure responses to nutritional stress.
    Keywords:  adipose tissue; insulin; lipid metabolism; metabolite; microenvironment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2021.02.008
  20. Nat Commun. 2021 03 11. 12(1): 1589
    mTORC1 couples cyst(e)ine availability with GPX4 protein synthesis and ferroptosis regulation.
    Yilei Zhang, Robert V Swanda, Litong Nie, Xiaoguang Liu, Chao Wang, Hyemin Lee, Guang Lei, Chao Mao, Pranavi Koppula, Weijie Cheng, Jie Zhang, Zhenna Xiao, Li Zhuang, Bingliang Fang, Junjie Chen, Shu-Bing Qian, Boyi Gan.
      Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) utilizes glutathione (GSH) to detoxify lipid peroxidation and plays an essential role in inhibiting ferroptosis. As a selenoprotein, GPX4 protein synthesis is highly inefficient and energetically costly. How cells coordinate GPX4 synthesis with nutrient availability remains unclear. In this study, we perform integrated proteomic and functional analyses to reveal that SLC7A11-mediated cystine uptake promotes not only GSH synthesis, but also GPX4 protein synthesis. Mechanistically, we find that cyst(e)ine activates mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and promotes GPX4 protein synthesis at least partly through the Rag-mTORC1-4EBP signaling axis. We show that pharmacologic inhibition of mTORC1 decreases GPX4 protein levels, sensitizes cancer cells to ferroptosis, and synergizes with ferroptosis inducers to suppress patient-derived xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Together, our results reveal a regulatory mechanism to coordinate GPX4 protein synthesis with cyst(e)ine availability and suggest using combinatorial therapy of mTORC1 inhibitors and ferroptosis inducers in cancer treatment.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21841-w
  21. Nat Commun. 2021 Mar 12. 12(1): 1623
    An ARF GTPase module promoting invasion and metastasis through regulating phosphoinositide metabolism.
    Marisa Nacke, Emma Sandilands, Konstantina Nikolatou, Álvaro Román-Fernández, Susan Mason, Rachana Patel, Sergio Lilla, Tamas Yelland, Laura C A Galbraith, Eva C Freckmann, Lynn McGarry, Jennifer P Morton, Emma Shanks, Hing Y Leung, Elke Markert, Shehab Ismail, Sara Zanivan, Karen Blyth, David M Bryant.
      The signalling pathways underpinning cell growth and invasion use overlapping components, yet how mutually exclusive cellular responses occur is unclear. Here, we report development of 3-Dimensional culture analyses to separately quantify growth and invasion. We identify that alternate variants of IQSEC1, an ARF GTPase Exchange Factor, act as switches to promote invasion over growth by controlling phosphoinositide metabolism. All IQSEC1 variants activate ARF5- and ARF6-dependent PIP5-kinase to promote PI(3,4,5)P3-AKT signalling and growth. In contrast, select pro-invasive IQSEC1 variants promote PI(3,4,5)P3 production to form invasion-driving protrusions. Inhibition of IQSEC1 attenuates invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Induction of pro-invasive IQSEC1 variants and elevated IQSEC1 expression occurs in a number of tumour types and is associated with higher-grade metastatic cancer, activation of PI(3,4,5)P3 signalling, and predicts long-term poor outcome across multiple cancers. IQSEC1-regulated phosphoinositide metabolism therefore is a switch to induce invasion over growth in response to the same external signal. Targeting IQSEC1 as the central regulator of this switch may represent a therapeutic vulnerability to stop metastasis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21847-4
  22. Cell Rep. 2021 Mar 09. pii: S2211-1247(21)00146-7. [Epub ahead of print]34(10): 108832
    Bacterial infection reinforces host metabolic flux from arginine to spermine for NLRP3 inflammasome evasion.
    Jiatiao Jiang, Wenwen Wang, Fei Sun, Yuanxing Zhang, Qin Liu, Dahai Yang.
      Hosts recognize cytosolic microbial infection via the nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor (NLR) protein family, triggering inflammasome complex assembly to provoke pyroptosis or cytokine-related caspase-1-dependent antimicrobial responses. Pathogens have evolved diverse strategies to antagonize inflammasome activation. Here, Edwardsiella piscicida gene-defined transposon library screening for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in nlrc4-/- bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) demonstrates that genes clustered in the bacterial arginine metabolism pathway participate in NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition. Blocking arginine uptake or putrescine export significantly relieves NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition, indicating that this bacterium rewires its arginine metabolism network during infection. Moreover, intracellular E. piscicida recruits the host arginine importer (mCAT-1) and putrescine exporter (Oct-2) to bacterium-containing vacuoles, accompanied by reduced arginine and accumulated cytosolic spermine. Neutralizing E. piscicida-induced cytosolic spermine enhancement by spermine synthetase or extracellular spermine significantly alters NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Importantly, accumulated cytosolic spermine inhibits K+ efflux-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These data highlight the mechanism of bacterial gene-mediated arginine metabolism control for NLRP3 inflammasome evasion.
    Keywords:  Edwardsiella piscicida; K(+) efflux; NLRP3 inflammasome; arginine metabolism; spermine
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108832
  23. Mol Metab. 2021 Mar 03. pii: S2212-8778(21)00043-0. [Epub ahead of print] 101203
    Loss of mitochondrial aconitase promotes colorectal cancer progression via SCD1-mediated lipid remodeling.
    Xin You, Jingyu Tian, Hui Zhang, Yunhua Guo, Jing Yang, Chaofeng Zhu, Ming Song, Peng Wang, Zexian Liu, John Cancilla, Wenhua Lu, Christhophe Glorieux, Shijun Wen, Hongli Du, Peng Huang, Yumin Hu.
      OBJECTIVE: The mitochondrial aconitase (ACO2) is an essential enzyme that bridges TCA cycle and lipid metabolism. However, its role in cancer development remains to be elucidated. The metabolic subtype of colorectal cancer (CRC) has recently been established. We aim to investigate the potential role of ACO2 in CRC progression through mediating metabolic alterations.METHODS: We compared the mRNA and protein expression of ACO2 between paired CRC and non-tumor tissues from 353 patients. Correlation between ACO2 level and clinicopathological features was examined. CRC cell lines with knockdown or overexpression of ACO2 were analyzed for cell proliferation and tumor growth. Metabolomics and stable isotope tracing analysis were used to study the metabolic alterations induced by loss of ACO2.
    RESULTS: ACO2 was decreased in >50% of CRC samples compared with matched non-tumor tissues. Decreased ACO2 level was correlated with advanced disease stage (P<0.001) and shorter patient survival (P<0.001). Knockdown of ACO2 in CRC cells promoted cell proliferation and tumor formation, while ectopic expression of ACO2 restrained tumor growth. Specifically, blockade of ACO2 caused reduction in TCA cycle intermediates and suppression of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, resulting in increase of glycolysis and elevated citrate flux for fatty acid and lipid synthesis. Increased citrate flux was able to induce upregulation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD1), which enhanced lipid desaturation in ACO2-deficent cells to favor colorectal cancer growth. Pharmacological inhibition of SCD selectively reduced tumor formation of CRC with ACO2 deficiency.
    CONCLUSIONS: Our study uncovers the rewiring metabolic pathway to maintain CRC survival during compromised TCA cycle and characterizes the therapeutic vulnerability of lipid desaturation in a meaningful subset of CRC with mitochondrial dysfunction.
    Keywords:  Colon cancer; Lipogenesis; Mitochondrial aconitase; Tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle; stearoyl-CoA desaturase
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101203
  24. Free Radic Biol Med. 2021 Mar 09. pii: S0891-5849(21)00143-X. [Epub ahead of print]
    Aerobic pyruvate metabolism sensitizes cells to ferroptosis primed by GSH depletion.
    Ana-Marija Vučković, Rina Venerando, Elena Tibaldi, Valentina Bosello Travain, Antonella Roveri, Luciana Bordin, Giovanni Miotto, Giorgio Cozza, Stefano Toppo, Matilde Maiorino, Fulvio Ursini.
      Ferroptosis is a form of non-accidental, regulated form of cell death operated by lipid peroxidation under strict control of GPx4 activity. This is consistent with the notion that lipid peroxidation is initiated by radicals produced from decomposition of traces of pre-existing lipid hydroperoxides. The question, therefore, emerges about the formation of these traces of lipid hydroperoxides interacting with Fe2+. In the most realistic option, they are produced by oxygen activated species generated during aerobic metabolism. Screening for metabolic sources of superoxide supporting ferroptosis induced by GSH depletion, we failed to detect, in our cell model, a role of respiratory chain. We observed instead that the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex -as other α keto acid dehydrogenases already known as a major source of superoxide in mitochondria-, supports ferroptosis. The opposite effect on ferroptosis by silencing either the E1 or the E3 subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex pointed out the autoxidation of dihydrolipoamide as the source of superoxide. We finally observed that GSH depletion activates superoxide production, seemingly through the inhibition of the specific kinase that inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase. In summary, this set of data is compatible with a scenario where the more electrophilic status produced by GSH depletion not only activates ferroptosis by preventing GPx4 activity, but also favors the formation of lipid hydroperoxides. In an attractive perspective of tissue homeostasis, it is the activation of energetic metabolism associated to a decreased nucleophilic tone that, besides supporting energy demanding proliferation, also sensitizes cells to a regulated form of death.
    Keywords:  Dihydrolipoate; GPx4; Glutathione; Lipid Peroxidation; Lipid hydroperoxide; Selenium; Superoxide
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.02.045
  25. Cancer Res. 2021 Mar 08. pii: canres.1628.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
    Targeting mitochondrial iron metabolism suppresses tumor growth and metastasis by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy.
    Cristian Sandoval-Acuña, Natalia Torrealba, Veronika Tomkova, Sukanya Balkrishna Jadhav, Kristyna Blazkova, Ladislav Merta, Sandra Lettlova, Miroslava Kari Adamcová, Daniel Rosel, Jan Brábek, Jiri Neuzil, Jan Stursa, Lukas Werner, Jaroslav Truksa.
      Deferoxamine (DFO) represents a widely used iron chelator for the treatment of iron overload. Here we describe the use of mitochondrially targeted deferoxamine (mitoDFO) as a novel approach to preferentially target cancer cells. The agent showed marked cytostatic, cytotoxic, and migrastatic properties in vitro, and it significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. The underlying molecular mechanisms included (I) impairment of [Fe-S] cluster/heme biogenesis, leading to destabilization and loss of activity of [Fe-S] cluster/heme containing enzymes, (II) inhibition of mitochondrial respiration leading to mitochondrial ROS production, resulting in dysfunctional mitochondria with markedly reduced supercomplexes, and (III) fragmentation of the mitochondrial network and induction of mitophagy. Mitochondrial targeting of DFO represents a way to deprive cancer cells of biologically active iron, which is incompatible with their proliferation and invasion, without disrupting systemic iron metabolism. Our findings highlight the importance of mitochondrial iron metabolism for cancer cells and demonstrate repurposing deferoxamine into an effective anti-cancer drug via mitochondrial targeting.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-1628
  26. Oncogene. 2021 Mar 08.
    c-Src facilitates tumorigenesis by phosphorylating and activating G6PD.
    Huanhuan Ma, Fengqiong Zhang, Lin Zhou, Tingyan Cao, Dachao Sun, Shixiong Wen, Jinpei Zhu, Zhaoqianyu Xiong, Ming-Tong Tsau, Mei-Ling Cheng, Li-Man Hung, Yanming Zhou, Qinxi Li.
      Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is the first and rate-limiting enzyme in pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), excessive activation of which has been considered to be involved in tumorigenesis. Here, we show that tyrosine kinase c-Src interacts with and phosphorylates G6PD at Tyr 112. This phosphorylation enhances catalytic activity of G6PD by dramatically decreasing its Km value and increasing its Kcat value for substrate glucose-6-phosphate. Activated G6PD therefore augments the PPP flux for NADPH and ribose-5-phosphate production which is required for detoxification of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and biosynthesis of cancer cells, and eventually contributes to tumorigenesis. Consistently, c-Src activation is closely correlated with tyrosine phosphorylation and activity of G6PD in clinical colorectal cancer samples. We thus uncover another aspect of c-Src in promoting cell proliferation and tumorigenesis, deepening our understanding of c-Src as a proto-oncogene.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-021-01673-0
  27. Dev Cell. 2021 Mar 04. pii: S1534-5807(21)00157-X. [Epub ahead of print]
    3D mesenchymal cell migration is driven by anterior cellular contraction that generates an extracellular matrix prestrain.
    Andrew D Doyle, Daniel J Sykora, Gustavo G Pacheco, Matthew L Kutys, Kenneth M Yamada.
      We describe a cellular contractile mechanism employed by fibroblasts and mesenchymal cancer cells to migrate in 3D collagen gels. During 3D spreading, fibroblasts strongly deform the matrix. They protrude, polarize, and initiate migration in the direction of highest extracellular matrix (ECM) deformation (prestrain). This prestrain is maintained through anterior cellular contractions behind the leading edge prior to protrusion, coordinating a distinct 3D migration cycle that varies between cell types. Myosin IIA is required for strain polarization, generating anterior contractions, and maintaining prestrain for efficient directional cell migration. Local matrix severing disrupts the matrix prestrain, suppressing directional protrusion. We show that epithelial cancer and endothelial cells rarely demonstrate the sustained prestrain or anterior contractions. We propose that mesenchymal cells sense ECM stiffness in 3D and generate their own matrix prestrain. This requires myosin IIA to generate polarized periodic anterior contractions for maintaining a 3D migration cycle.
    Keywords:  3D microenvironment; cancer; cell migration; contractility; fibroblasts; integrins; mesenchymal; myosin II
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2021.02.017
  28. Elife. 2021 Mar 09. pii: e64351. [Epub ahead of print]10
    Drp1 is required for AgRP neuronal activity and feeding.
    Sungho Jin, Nal Ae Yoon, Zhong-Wu Liu, Jae Eun Song, Tamas L Horvath, Jung Dae Kim, Sabrina Diano.
      The hypothalamic orexigenic Agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing neurons are crucial for the regulation of whole-body energy homeostasis. Here, we show that fasting-induced AgRP neuronal activation is associated with dynamin-related peptide 1 (DRP1)-mediated mitochondrial fission and mitochondrial fatty acid utilization in AgRP neurons. In line with this, mice lacking Dnm1l in adult AgRP neurons (Drp1 cKO) show decreased fasting- or ghrelin-induced AgRP neuronal activity and feeding and exhibited a significant decrease in body weight, fat mass, and feeding accompanied by a significant increase in energy expenditure. In support of the role for mitochondrial fission and fatty acids oxidation, Drp1 cKO mice showed attenuated palmitic acid-induced mitochondrial respiration. Altogether, our data revealed that mitochondrial dynamics and fatty acids oxidation in hypothalamic AgRP neurons is a critical mechanism for AgRP neuronal function and body-weight regulation.
    Keywords:  AgRP; feeding; metabolism; mitochondria; mouse; neuroscience
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.64351
  29. Nat Med. 2021 Mar 11.
    Plasma metabolites to profile pathways in noncommunicable disease multimorbidity.
    Maik Pietzner, Isobel D Stewart, Johannes Raffler, Kay-Tee Khaw, Gregory A Michelotti, Gabi Kastenmüller, Nicholas J Wareham, Claudia Langenberg.
      Multimorbidity, the simultaneous presence of multiple chronic conditions, is an increasing global health problem and research into its determinants is of high priority. We used baseline untargeted plasma metabolomics profiling covering >1,000 metabolites as a comprehensive readout of human physiology to characterize pathways associated with and across 27 incident noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) assessed using electronic health record hospitalization and cancer registry data from over 11,000 participants (219,415 person years). We identified 420 metabolites shared between at least 2 NCDs, representing 65.5% of all 640 significant metabolite-disease associations. We integrated baseline data on over 50 diverse clinical risk factors and characteristics to identify actionable shared pathways represented by those metabolites. Our study highlights liver and kidney function, lipid and glucose metabolism, low-grade inflammation, surrogates of gut microbial diversity and specific health-related behaviors as antecedents of common NCD multimorbidity with potential for early prevention. We integrated results into an open-access webserver ( https://omicscience.org/apps/mwasdisease/ ) to facilitate future research and meta-analyses.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01266-0
  30. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2021 Mar 08.
    The role of tumor heterogeneity in immune-tumor interactions.
    Shelby M Knoche, Alaina C Larson, Bailee H Sliker, Brittany J Poelaert, Joyce C Solheim.
      The development of cancer stems from genetic instability and changes in genomic sequences, and hence, the heterogeneity exhibited by tumors is integral to the nature of cancer itself. Tumor heterogeneity can be further altered by factors that are not cancer cell intrinsic, i.e., by the microenvironment, including the patient's immune responses to tumors and administered therapies (immunotherapies, chemotherapies, and/or radiation therapies). The focus of this review is the impact of tumor heterogeneity on the interactions between immune cells and the tumor, taking into account that heterogeneity can exist at several levels. These levels include heterogeneity within an individual tumor, within an individual patient (particularly between the primary tumor and metastatic lesions), among the subtypes of a specific type of cancer, or within cancers that originate from different tissues. Because of the potential for immunity (either the natural immune system or via immunotherapeutics) to halt the progression of cancer, major clinical significance exists in understanding the impact of tumor heterogeneity on the associations between immune cells and tumor cells. Increased knowledge of why, whether, and how immune-tumor interactions occur provides the means to guide these interactions and improve outcomes for patients.
    Keywords:  Cancer; Heterogeneity; Immune; Interactions; Tumor
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10555-021-09957-3
  31. EMBO Mol Med. 2021 Mar 11. e13427
    Androgen receptor (AR) antagonism triggers acute succinate-mediated adaptive responses to reactivate AR signaling.
    Neetu Saxena, Eliana Beraldi, Ladan Fazli, Syam Prakash Somasekharan, Hans Adomat, Fan Zhang, Chidi Molokwu, Anna Gleave, Lucia Nappi, Kimberly Nguyen, Pavn Brar, Nicholas Nikesitch, Yuzhuo Wang, Colin Collins, Poul H Sorensen, Martin Gleave.
      Treatment-induced adaptive pathways converge to support androgen receptor (AR) reactivation and emergence of castration-resistant prostate cancer (PCa) after AR pathway inhibition (ARPI). We set out to explore poorly defined acute adaptive responses that orchestrate shifts in energy metabolism after ARPI and identified rapid changes in succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), a TCA cycle enzyme with well-known tumor suppressor activity. We show that AR directly regulates transcription of its catalytic subunits (SDHA, SDHB) via androgen response elements (AREs). ARPI acutely suppresses SDH activity, leading to accumulation of the oncometabolite, succinate. Succinate triggers calcium ions release from intracellular stores, which in turn phospho-activates the AR-cochaperone, Hsp27 via p-CaMKK2/p-AMPK/p-p38 axis to enhance AR protein stabilization and activity. Activation of this pathway was seen in tissue microarray analysis on prostatectomy tissues and patient-derived xenografts. This adaptive response is blocked by co-targeting AR with Hsp27 under both in vitro and in vivo studies, sensitizing PCa cells to ARPI treatments.
    Keywords:  Androgen receptor; Hsp27; prostate cancer; succinate; succinate dehydrogenase
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.202013427
  32. Front Immunol. 2021 ;12 590532
    Hypoxia Routes Tryptophan Homeostasis Towards Increased Tryptamine Production.
    Soumya R Mohapatra, Ahmed Sadik, Suraj Sharma, Gernot Poschet, Hagen M Gegner, Tobias V Lanz, Philippe Lucarelli, Ursula Klingmüller, Michael Platten, Ines Heiland, Christiane A Opitz.
      The liver is the central hub for processing and maintaining homeostatic levels of dietary nutrients especially essential amino acids such as tryptophan (Trp). Trp is required not only to sustain protein synthesis but also as a precursor for the production of NAD, neurotransmitters and immunosuppressive metabolites. In light of these roles of Trp and its metabolic products, maintaining homeostatic levels of Trp is essential for health and well-being. The liver regulates global Trp supply by the immunosuppressive enzyme tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2), which degrades Trp down the kynurenine pathway (KP). In the current study, we show that isolated primary hepatocytes when exposed to hypoxic environments, extensively rewire their Trp metabolism by reducing constitutive Tdo2 expression and differentially regulating other Trp pathway enzymes and transporters. Mathematical modelling of Trp metabolism in liver cells under hypoxia predicted decreased flux through the KP while metabolic flux through the tryptamine branch significantly increased. In line, the model also revealed an increased accumulation of tryptamines under hypoxia, at the expense of kynurenines. Metabolic measurements in hypoxic hepatocytes confirmed the predicted reduction in KP metabolites as well as accumulation of tryptamine. Tdo2 expression in cultured primary hepatocytes was reduced upon hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) stabilisation by dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG), demonstrating that HIFs are involved in the hypoxic downregulation of hepatic Tdo2. DMOG abrogated hepatic luciferase signals in Tdo2 reporter mice, indicating that HIF stability also recapitulates hypoxic rewiring of Trp metabolism in vivo. Also in WT mice HIF stabilization drove homeostatic Trp metabolism away from the KP towards enhanced tryptamine production, leading to enhanced levels of tryptamine in liver, serum and brain. As tryptamines are the most potent hallucinogens known, the observed upregulation of tryptamine in response to hypoxic exposure of hepatocytes may be involved in the generation of hallucinations occurring at high altitude. KP metabolites are known to activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). The AHR-activating properties of tryptamines may explain why immunosuppressive AHR activity is maintained under hypoxia despite downregulation of the KP. In summary our results identify hypoxia as an important factor controlling Trp metabolism in the liver with possible implications for immunosuppressive AHR activation and mental disturbances.
    Keywords:  AHR activity; TDO2; hallucination; hypoxia; liver; regulation; tryptamine; tryptophan
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.590532
  33. Semin Oncol. 2021 Feb 23. pii: S0093-7754(21)00008-7. [Epub ahead of print]
    KRAS mutation in pancreatic cancer.
    Ji Luo.
      Pancreatic cancer is a recalcitrant cancer with one of the lowest 5-year survival rates. A hallmark of pancreatic cancer is the prevalence of oncogenic mutation in the KRAS gene. The KRAS oncogene plays a critical role in the initiation and maintenance of pancreatic tumors and its signaling network represents a major target for therapeutic intervention. A number of inhibitors have been developed against kinase effectors in various Ras signaling pathways. Their clinical activity, however, has been disappointing thus far. More recently, covalent inhibitors targeting the KRASG12C oncoprotein have been developed. These inhibitors showed promising activity in KRASG12C mutant pancreatic cancer in early clinical trials. This review will present an updated summary of our understanding of mutant KRAS function in pancreatic cancer and discuss therapeutic strategies that target oncogenic KRAS signaling in this disease.
    Keywords:  G12C; KRAS; MAPK pathway; Pancreatic cancer; Targeted therapy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1053/j.seminoncol.2021.02.003
  34. Nat Chem Biol. 2021 Mar 08.
    A compendium of kinetic modulatory profiles identifies ferroptosis regulators.
    Megan Conlon, Carson D Poltorack, Giovanni C Forcina, David A Armenta, Melodie Mallais, Marcos A Perez, Alex Wells, Alexis Kahanu, Leslie Magtanong, Jennifer L Watts, Derek A Pratt, Scott J Dixon.
      Cell death can be executed by regulated apoptotic and nonapoptotic pathways, including the iron-dependent process of ferroptosis. Small molecules are essential tools for studying the regulation of cell death. Using time-lapse imaging and a library of 1,833 bioactive compounds, we assembled a large compendium of kinetic cell death modulatory profiles for inducers of apoptosis and ferroptosis. From this dataset we identify dozens of ferroptosis suppressors, including numerous compounds that appear to act via cryptic off-target antioxidant or iron chelating activities. We show that the FDA-approved drug bazedoxifene acts as a potent radical trapping antioxidant inhibitor of ferroptosis both in vitro and in vivo. ATP-competitive mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, by contrast, are on-target ferroptosis inhibitors. Further investigation revealed both mTOR-dependent and mTOR-independent mechanisms that link amino acid metabolism to ferroptosis sensitivity. These results highlight kinetic modulatory profiling as a useful tool to investigate cell death regulation.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-021-00751-4
  35. EMBO Rep. 2021 Mar 12. e51412
    Reflux of Endoplasmic Reticulum proteins to the cytosol inactivates tumor suppressors.
    Daria Sicari, Federica G Centonze, Raphael Pineau, Pierre-Jean Le Reste, Luc Negroni, Sophie Chat, M Aiman Mohtar, Daniel Thomas, Reynald Gillet, Ted Hupp, Eric Chevet, Aeid Igbaria.
      In the past decades, many studies reported the presence of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident proteins in the cytosol. However, the mechanisms by which these proteins relocate and whether they exert cytosolic functions remain unknown. We find that a subset of ER luminal proteins accumulates in the cytosol of glioblastoma cells isolated from mouse and human tumors. In cultured cells, ER protein reflux to the cytosol occurs upon ER proteostasis perturbation. Using the ER luminal protein anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) as a proof of concept, we tested whether the refluxed proteins gain new functions in the cytosol. We find that refluxed, cytosolic AGR2 binds and inhibits the tumor suppressor p53. These data suggest that ER reflux constitutes an ER surveillance mechanism to relieve the ER from its contents upon stress, providing a selective advantage to tumor cells through gain-of-cytosolic functions-a phenomenon we name ER to Cytosol Signaling (ERCYS).
    Keywords:  ER stress; ERAD; cancer; endoplasmic reticulum; reflux
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202051412
  36. Cell Metab. 2021 Mar 03. pii: S1550-4131(21)00071-1. [Epub ahead of print]
    CD36-mediated ferroptosis dampens intratumoral CD8+ T cell effector function and impairs their antitumor ability.
    Xingzhe Ma, Liuling Xiao, Lintao Liu, Lingqun Ye, Pan Su, Enguang Bi, Qiang Wang, Maojie Yang, Jianfei Qian, Qing Yi.
      Understanding the mechanisms underlying how T cells become dysfunctional in a tumor microenvironment (TME) will greatly benefit cancer immunotherapy. We found that increased CD36 expression in tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, which was induced by TME cholesterol, was associated with tumor progression and poor survival in human and murine cancers. Genetic ablation of Cd36 in effector CD8+ T cells exhibited increased cytotoxic cytokine production and enhanced tumor eradication. CD36 mediated uptake of fatty acids by tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells in TME, induced lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis, and led to reduced cytotoxic cytokine production and impaired antitumor ability. Blocking CD36 or inhibiting ferroptosis in CD8+ T cells effectively restored their antitumor activity and, more importantly, possessed greater antitumor efficacy in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies. This study reveals a new mechanism of CD36 regulating the function of CD8+ effector T cells and therapeutic potential of targeting CD36 or inhibiting ferroptosis to restore T cell function.
    Keywords:  CD36; CD8(+) T cells; ferroptosis; lipid peroxidation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.02.015
  37. Cell Rep. 2021 Mar 09. pii: S2211-1247(21)00139-X. [Epub ahead of print]34(10): 108825
    Regulation of translation by methylation multiplicity of 18S rRNA.
    Kuanqing Liu, Daniel A Santos, Jeffrey A Hussmann, Yun Wang, Benjamin M Sutter, Jonathan S Weissman, Benjamin P Tu.
      N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a conserved ribonucleoside modification that regulates many facets of RNA metabolism. Using quantitative mass spectrometry, we find that the universally conserved tandem adenosines at the 3' end of 18S rRNA, thought to be constitutively di-methylated (m62A), are also mono-methylated (m6A). Although present at substoichiometric amounts, m6A at these positions increases significantly in response to sulfur starvation in yeast cells and mammalian cell lines. Combining yeast genetics and ribosome profiling, we provide evidence to suggest that m6A-bearing ribosomes carry out translation distinctly from m62A-bearing ribosomes, featuring a striking specificity for sulfur metabolism genes. Our work thus reveals methylation multiplicity as a mechanism to regulate translation.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108825
  38. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2021 Mar 03. pii: S0958-1669(21)00031-8. [Epub ahead of print]68 240-250
    T cell metabolism in homeostasis and cancer immunity.
    Jun Wei, Wenting Zheng, Nicole M Chapman, Terrence L Geiger, Hongbo Chi.
      T cells shape immune responses in cancer, autoimmunity and infection, in which CD4+ T helper (Th) and CD8+ T cells mediate effector responses that are suppressed by regulatory T (Treg) cells. The balance between effector T cell and Treg cell function orchestrates immune homeostasis and functional programming, with important contributions to the onset and progression of cancer. Cellular metabolism is dynamically rewired in T cells in response to environmental cues and dictates various aspects of T cell function. In this review, we summarize recent findings on how cellular metabolism modulates effector T cell and Treg cell functional fitness in homeostasis and cancer immunity, and highlight the therapeutic implications of targeting immunometabolic pathways for cancer and other diseases.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2021.02.003
  39. Cell Rep. 2021 Mar 09. pii: S2211-1247(21)00069-3. [Epub ahead of print]34(10): 108756
    Itaconate confers tolerance to late NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
    Monika Bambouskova, Lucie Potuckova, Tomas Paulenda, Martina Kerndl, Denis A Mogilenko, Kate Lizotte, Amanda Swain, Sebastian Hayes, Ryan D Sheldon, Hyeryun Kim, Unnati Kapadnis, Abigail E Ellis, Christine Isaguirre, Samantha Burdess, Anwesha Laha, Gaya K Amarasinghe, Victor Chubukov, Thomas P Roddy, Michael S Diamond, Russell G Jones, Donald M Simons, Maxim N Artyomov.
      Itaconate is a unique regulatory metabolite that is induced upon Toll-like receptor (TLR) stimulation in myeloid cells. Here, we demonstrate major inflammatory tolerance and cell death phenotypes associated with itaconate production in activated macrophages. We show that endogenous itaconate is a key regulator of the signal 2 of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation after long lipopolysaccharide (LPS) priming, which establishes tolerance to late NLRP3 inflammasome activation. We show that itaconate acts synergistically with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and that the ability of various TLR ligands to establish NLRP3 inflammasome tolerance depends on the pattern of co-expression of IRG1 and iNOS. Mechanistically, itaconate accumulation upon prolonged inflammatory stimulation prevents full caspase-1 activation and processing of gasdermin D, which we demonstrate to be post-translationally modified by endogenous itaconate. Altogether, our data demonstrate that metabolic rewiring in inflammatory macrophages establishes tolerance to NLRP3 inflammasome activation that, if uncontrolled, can result in pyroptotic cell death and tissue damage.
    Keywords:  immunometabolism; inflammasome; innate immunity; itaconate; macrophages
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108756
  40. Nat Commun. 2021 Mar 12. 12(1): 1661
    Integrated cross-study datasets of genetic dependencies in cancer.
    Clare Pacini, Joshua M Dempster, Isabella Boyle, Emanuel Gonçalves, Hanna Najgebauer, Emre Karakoc, Dieudonne van der Meer, Andrew Barthorpe, Howard Lightfoot, Patricia Jaaks, James M McFarland, Mathew J Garnett, Aviad Tsherniak, Francesco Iorio.
      CRISPR-Cas9 viability screens are increasingly performed at a genome-wide scale across large panels of cell lines to identify new therapeutic targets for precision cancer therapy. Integrating the datasets resulting from these studies is necessary to adequately represent the heterogeneity of human cancers and to assemble a comprehensive map of cancer genetic vulnerabilities. Here, we integrated the two largest public independent CRISPR-Cas9 screens performed to date (at the Broad and Sanger institutes) by assessing, comparing, and selecting methods for correcting biases due to heterogeneous single-guide RNA efficiency, gene-independent responses to CRISPR-Cas9 targeting originated from copy number alterations, and experimental batch effects. Our integrated datasets recapitulate findings from the individual datasets, provide greater statistical power to cancer- and subtype-specific analyses, unveil additional biomarkers of gene dependency, and improve the detection of common essential genes. We provide the largest integrated resources of CRISPR-Cas9 screens to date and the basis for harmonizing existing and future functional genetics datasets.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21898-7
  41. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2021 Mar 04. pii: S1369-5274(21)00029-1. [Epub ahead of print]60 104-113
    When the metabolism meets the cell cycle in bacteria.
    François Beaufay, Jérôme Coppine, Régis Hallez.
      Nutrients availability is the sinews of the war for single microbial cells, driving growth and cell cycle progression. Therefore, coordinating cellular processes with nutrients availability is crucial, not only to survive upon famine or fluctuating conditions but also to rapidly thrive and colonize plentiful environments. While metabolism is traditionally seen as a set of chemical reactions taking place in cells to extract energy and produce building blocks from available nutrients, numerous connections between metabolic pathways and cell cycle phases have been documented. The few regulatory systems described at the molecular levels show that regulation is mediated either by a second messenger molecule or by a metabolite and/or a metabolic enzyme. In the latter case, a secondary moonlighting regulatory function evolved independently of the primary catalytic function of the enzyme. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the complex cross-talks between metabolism and cell cycle in bacteria.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mib.2021.02.006
  42. Biochem Pharmacol. 2021 Mar 03. pii: S0006-2952(21)00094-0. [Epub ahead of print] 114498
    The fructose-dependent acceleration of ethanol metabolism.
    Daniel Villalobos-García, Carlos Alberto Ayhllon-Osorio, Rolando Hernández-Muñoz.
      The aim of the present study was to elucidate how fructose is able to increase the rate of ethanol metabolism in the liver, an observation previously termed the fructose effect. Previous studies suggest that an increase in ATP consumption driven by glucose synthesis from fructose stimulates the oxidation of NADH in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, allowing faster oxidation of ethanol by alcohol dehydrogenase; however, this idea has been frequently challenged. We tested the effects of fructose, sorbose and tagatose both in vitro and in vivo. Both ethanol and each sugar were either added to isolated hepatocytes or injected intraperitoneally in the rat. In the in vitro experiments, samples were taken from the hepatocyte suspension in a time-dependent manner and deproteinized with perchloric acid. In the in vivo experiments, blood samples were taken every 15 minutes and the metabolites were determined in the plasma. These metabolites include ethanol, glucose, glycerol, sorbitol, lactate, fructose and sorbose. Ethanol oxidation by rat hepatocytes was increased by more than 50% with the addition of fructose. The stimulation was accompanied by increased glucose, glycerol, lactate and sorbitol production. A similar effect was observed with sorbose, while tagatose had no effect. The same pattern was observed in the in vivo experiments. This effect was abolished by inhibiting alcohol dehydrogenase with 4-methylpyrazole, whereas inhibition of the respiratory chain with cyanide did not affect the fructose effect. In conclusion, present results provide evidence that, by reducing glyceraldehyde and glycerol and fructose to sorbitol, respectively, NADH is consumed, allowing an increase in the elimination of ethanol. Hence, this effect is not linked to a stimulation of mitochondrial re-oxidation of NADH driven by ATP consumption.
    Keywords:  Isolated hepatocytes; NADH re-oxidation; ethanol; fructose effect; glycerol; polyol
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114498
  43. J Biol Chem. 2021 Mar 09. pii: S0021-9258(21)00301-X. [Epub ahead of print] 100523
    Effective delivery of STING agonist using exosomes suppresses tumor growth and enhances anti-tumor immunity.
    Kathleen M McAndrews, Sara P Y Che, Valerie S LeBleu, Raghu Kalluri.
      The Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) pathway is implicated in the innate immune response and is important in both oncogenesis and cancer treatment. Specifically, activation of the cytosolic DNA sensor STING in antigen presenting cells (APCs) induces a type I interferon response and cytokine production that facilitates anti-tumor immune therapy. However, use of STING agonists (STINGa) as a cancer therapeutic has been limited by unfavorable pharmacological properties and targeting inefficiency due to rapid clearance and limited uptake into the cytosol. Exosomes, a class of extracellular vesicles shed by all cells, are under consideration for their use as effective carriers of drugs owing to their innate ability to be taken up by cells and their biocompatibility for optimal drug biodistribution. Therefore, we engineered exosomes to deliver the STING agonist cyclic GMP-AMP (iExoSTINGa), to exploit their favorable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Selective targeting of the STING pathway in APCs with iExoSTINGa was associated with superior potency compared to STINGa alone in suppressing B16F10 tumor growth. Moreover, iExoSTINGa showed superior uptake of STINGa into dendritic cells compared to STINGa alone, which led to increased accumulation of activated CD8+ T-cells and an anti-tumor immune response. Our study highlights the potential of exosomes in general, and iExoSTINGa specifically, in enhancing cancer therapy outcomes.
    Keywords:  anticancer drug; cellular immune response; extracellular vesicles; tumor microenvironment; tumor therapy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100523
  44. Free Radic Biol Med. 2021 Mar 04. pii: S0891-5849(21)00144-1. [Epub ahead of print]
    Primary coenzyme Q deficiencies: A literature review and online platform of clinical features to uncover genotype-phenotype correlations.
    María Alcázar-Fabra, Francisco Rodríguez-Sánchez, Eva Trevisson, Gloria Brea-Calvo.
      Primary Coenzyme Q (CoQ) deficiencies are clinically heterogeneous conditions and lack clear genotype-phenotype correlations, complicating diagnosis and prognostic assessment. Here we present a compilation of all the symptoms and patients with primary CoQ deficiency described in the literature so far and analyse the most common clinical manifestations associated with pathogenic variants identified in the different COQ genes. In addition, we identified new associations between the age of onset of symptoms and different pathogenic variants, which could help to a better diagnosis and guided treatment. To make these results usable for clinicians, we created an online platform (https://coenzymeQbiology.github.io/clinic-CoQ-deficiency) about clinical manifestations of primary CoQ deficiency that will be periodically updated to incorporate new information published in the literature. As CoQ primary deficiency is a rare disease, the available data are still limited, but as new patients are added over time, this tool could become a key resource for a more efficient diagnosis of primary CoQ deficiencies.
    Keywords:  Coenzyme Q primary deficiency; genotype-phenotype correlation; mitochondrial diseases; rare diseases; web-based live platform
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.02.046
  45. J Mol Biol. 2021 Mar 09. pii: S0022-2836(21)00129-7. [Epub ahead of print] 166929
    Structure and Function of ATP-dependent Chromatin Remodeling Complexes.
    Alexis A Reyes, Ryan D Marcum, Yuan He.
      Chromatin remodelers act to regulate multiple cellular processes, such as transcription and DNA repair, by controlling access to genomic DNA. Four families of chromatin remodelers have been identified in yeast, each with non-redundant roles within the cell. There has been a recent surge in structural models of chromatin remodelers in complex with their nucleosomal substrate. These structural studies provide new insight into the mechanism of action for individual chromatin remodelers. In this review, we summarize available data for the structure and mechanism of action of the four chromatin remodeling complex families.
    Keywords:  CHD; Chromatin remodeling; INO80; ISWI; SWI/SNF
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166929
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