bims-lymeca Biomed News
on Lysosome metabolism in cancer
Issue of 2023–09–10
seven papers selected by
Harilaos Filippakis, University of New England



  1. Cell Discov. 2023 Sep 07. 9(1): 92
      Lysosomes are central platforms for not only the degradation of macromolecules but also the integration of multiple signaling pathways. However, whether and how lysosomes mediate the mitochondrial stress response (MSR) remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that lysosomal acidification via the vacuolar H+-ATPase (v-ATPase) is essential for the transcriptional activation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt). Mitochondrial stress stimulates v-ATPase-mediated lysosomal activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which then directly phosphorylates the MSR transcription factor, activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4). Disruption of mTORC1-dependent ATF4 phosphorylation blocks the UPRmt, but not other similar stress responses, such as the UPRER. Finally, ATF4 phosphorylation downstream of the v-ATPase/mTORC1 signaling is indispensable for sustaining mitochondrial redox homeostasis and protecting cells from ROS-associated cell death upon mitochondrial stress. Thus, v-ATPase/mTORC1-mediated ATF4 phosphorylation via lysosomes links mitochondrial stress to UPRmt activation and mitochondrial function resilience.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41421-023-00589-1
  2. Free Radic Biol Med. 2023 Sep 06. pii: S0891-5849(23)00622-6. [Epub ahead of print]
      Autophagy is a major clearance pathway for misfolded α-synuclein which promotes ferroptosis through NCOA4-mediated ferritin degradation. The regulation of these two processes to achieve improved neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease (PD) must be elucidated. Transcription factor EB (TFEB) is a master regulator of both autophagy and lysosome biogenesis, and lysosomes are important cellular iron storage organelles; however, the role of TFEB in ferroptosis and iron metabolism remains unclear. In this study, TFEB overexpression promoted the clearance of misfolded α-synuclein and prevented ferroptosis and iron overload. TFEB overexpression up-regulated transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) synthesis and increased the localization of TfR1 in the lysosome, facilitating lysosomal iron import and transient lysosomal iron storage. TFEB overexpression increased the levels of cellular iron-safe storage proteins (both ferritin light and heavy chains). These functions in iron metabolism maintain the cellular labile iron at a low level and electrical activity, even under iron overload conditions. Notably, lower levels of cellular labile iron and the upregulation of ferritin light and heavy chains were reversed after TfR1 knockdown in cells overexpressing TFEB, indicating that TFEB regulates cellular labile iron and suppresses ferroptosis in a TfR1 dependent manner. Taken together, this evidence of the regulation of iron metabolism enriches our understanding of the function of TFEB. In addition, TFEB overexpression protects against ferroptosis and iron overload and provides a new direction and perspective for autophagy regulation in PD.
    Keywords:  Ferroptosis; Iron metabolism; Lysosome; TFEB; TfR1
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.09.004
  3. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2023 Sep 06.
       BACKGROUND: Caveolins are the principal structural components of plasma membrane caveolae. Dominant pathogenic mutations in the muscle-specific caveolin-3 (Cav3) gene isoform, such as the limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 1C (LGMD-1C) P104L mutation, result in dramatic loss of the Cav3 protein and pathophysiological muscle weakness/wasting. We hypothesize that such muscle degeneration may be linked to disturbances in signalling events that impact protein turnover. Herein, we report studies assessing the effects of Cav3 deficiency on mammalian or mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signalling in skeletal muscle cells.
    METHODS: L6 myoblasts were stably transfected with Cav3P104L or expression of native Cav3 was abolished by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing (Cav3 knockout [Cav3KO]) prior to performing subcellular fractionation and immunoblotting, analysis of real-time mitochondrial respiration or fixed cell immunocytochemistry. Skeletal muscle from wild-type and Cav3-/- mice was processed for immunoblot analysis of downstream mTORC1 substrate phosphorylation.
    RESULTS: Cav3 was detected in lysosomal-enriched membranes isolated from L6 myoblasts and observed by confocal microscopy to co-localize with lysosomal-specific markers. Cav3P104L expression, which results in significant (~95%) loss of native Cav3, or CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Cav3KO, reduced amino acid-dependent mTORC1 activation. The decline in mTORC1-directed signalling was detected by immunoblot analysis of L6 muscle cells and gastrocnemius Cav3-/- mouse muscle as judged by reduced phosphorylation of mTORC1 substrates that play key roles in the initiation of protein synthesis (4EBP1S65 and S6K1T389 ). S6K1T389 and 4EBP1S65 phosphorylation reduced by over 75% and 80% in Cav3KO muscle cells and by over 90% and 30% in Cav3-/- mouse skeletal muscle, respectively. The reduction in protein synthetic capacity in L6 muscle cells was confirmed by analysis of puromycylated peptides using the SUnSET assay. Cav3 loss was also associated with a 26% increase in lysosomal cholesterol, and pharmacological manipulation of lysosomal cholesterol was effective in replicating the reduction in mTORC1 activity observed in Cav3KO cells. Notably, re-expression of Cav3 in Cav3KO myoblasts normalized lysosomal cholesterol content, which coincided with a recovery in protein translation and an associated increase in mTORC1-directed phosphorylation of downstream targets.
    CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that Cav3 can localize on lysosomal membranes and is a novel regulator of mTORC1 signalling in muscle. Cav3 deficiency associated with the Cav3P104L mutation impairs mTORC1 activation and protein synthetic capacity in skeletal muscle cells, which may be linked to disturbances in lysosomal cholesterol trafficking and contribute to the pathology of LGMD-1C.
    Keywords:  LGMD-1C; amino acid; caveolin-3; caveolinopathy; lysosome; mTORC1; skeletal muscle
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.13317
  4. EMBO Rep. 2023 Sep 06. e56948
      The maintenance of lysosome homeostasis is crucial for cell growth. Lysosome-dependent degradation and metabolism sustain tumor cell survival. Here, we demonstrate that CCDC50 serves as a lysophagy receptor, promoting tumor progression and invasion by controlling lysosomal integrity and renewal. CCDC50 monitors lysosomal damage, recognizes galectin-3 and K63-linked polyubiquitination on damaged lysosomes, and specifically targets them for autophagy-dependent degradation. CCDC50 deficiency causes the accumulation of ruptured lysosomes, impaired autophagic flux, and superfluous reactive oxygen species, consequently leading to cell death and tumor suppression. CCDC50 expression is associated with malignancy, progression to metastasis, and poor overall survival in human melanoma. Targeting CCDC50 suppresses tumor growth and lung metastasis, and enhances the effect of BRAFV600E inhibition. Thus, we demonstrate critical roles of CCDC50-mediated clearance of damaged lysosomes in supporting tumor growth, hereby identifying a potential therapeutic target of melanoma.
    Keywords:  CCDC50; cell death; lysophagy; lysosome damage; melanoma
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202356948
  5. Autophagy. 2023 Sep 08. 1-2
      PTEN is a negative modulator of the INS-PI3K-AKT pathway and is an essential regulator of metabolism and cell growth. PTEN is one of the most commonly mutated tumor suppressors in cancer. However, PTEN overexpression extends the lifespan of both sexes of mice. We recently showed that PTEN is necessary and sufficient to activate chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) in the mouse liver and cultured cells. Selective protein degradation via CMA is required to suppress glycolysis and fatty acid synthesis when PTEN is overexpressed. Thus, activation of CMA downstream of PTEN might modulate health and metabolism through selective degradation of key metabolic enzymes.
    Keywords:  Aging; PTEN; autophagy; chaperone-mediated autophagy; metabolism
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2023.2255966
  6. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Aug 30. pii: 4327. [Epub ahead of print]15(17):
      Adaptations of cancer cells for survival are remarkable. One of the most significant properties of cancer cells to prevent the immune system response and resist chemotherapy is the altered lipid metabolism and resulting irregular cell membrane composition. The phospholipid distribution in the plasma membrane of normal animal cells is distinctly asymmetric. Lipid flippases are a family of enzymes regulating membrane asymmetry, and the main class of flippases are type IV P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases). Alteration in the function of flippases results in changes to membrane organization. For some lipids, such as phosphatidylserine, the changes are so drastic that they are considered cancer biomarkers. This review will analyze and discuss recent publications highlighting the role that P4-ATPases play in the development and progression of various cancer types, as well as prospects of targeting P4-ATPases for anti-cancer treatment.
    Keywords:  P4-ATPase; cancer development and progression; flippase; phosphatidylserine (PS)
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15174327
  7. Glycobiology. 2023 Sep 02. pii: cwad070. [Epub ahead of print]
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant cancer with limited treatment options. Mannose, a common monosaccharide taken up by cells through the same transporters as glucose, has been shown to induce growth retardation and enhance cell death in response to chemotherapy in several cancers, including PDAC. However, the molecular targets and mechanisms underlying mannose's action against PDAC are not well understood. In this study, we used an integrative approach of network pharmacology, bioinformatics analysis, and experimental verification to investigate the pharmacological targets and mechanisms of mannose against PDAC. Our results showed that the protein Src is a key target of mannose in PDAC. Additionally, computational analysis revealed that mannose is a highly soluble compound that meets Lipinski's rule of five and that the expression of its target molecules is correlated with survival rates and prognosis in PDAC patients. Finally, we validated our findings through in vitro and in vivo experiments. In conclusion, our study provides evidence that mannose plays a critical role in inhibiting PDAC growth by targeting Src, suggesting that it may be a promising therapeutic candidate for PDAC.
    Keywords:  Src; computational biology; mannose; network pharmacology; pancreatic cancer
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/glycob/cwad070