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Burgos-Barragan G, Wit N, Meiser J, Dingler FA, Pietzke M, Mulderrig L, Pontel LB, Rosado IV, Brewer TF, Cordell RL, Monks PS, Chang CJ, Vazquez A, Patel KJ. Mammals divert endogenous genotoxic formaldehyde into one-carbon metabolism. Nature 2017; 548:549-554. [PMID: 28813411 PMCID: PMC5714256 DOI: 10.1038/nature23481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The folate-driven one-carbon (1C) cycle is a fundamental metabolic hub in cells that enables the synthesis of nucleotides and amino acids and epigenetic modifications. This cycle might also release formaldehyde, a potent protein and DNA crosslinking agent that organisms produce in substantial quantities. Here we show that supplementation with tetrahydrofolate, the essential cofactor of this cycle, and other oxidation-prone folate derivatives kills human, mouse and chicken cells that cannot detoxify formaldehyde or that lack DNA crosslink repair. Notably, formaldehyde is generated from oxidative decomposition of the folate backbone. Furthermore, we find that formaldehyde detoxification in human cells generates formate, and thereby promotes nucleotide synthesis. This supply of 1C units is sufficient to sustain the growth of cells that are unable to use serine, which is the predominant source of 1C units. These findings identify an unexpected source of formaldehyde and, more generally, indicate that the detoxification of this ubiquitous endogenous genotoxin creates a benign 1C unit that can sustain essential metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Niek Wit
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | | | - Felix A Dingler
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | | | - Lee Mulderrig
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Lucas B Pontel
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Ivan V Rosado
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS) Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Thomas F Brewer
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Rebecca L Cordell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Paul S Monks
- Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Christopher J Chang
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Alexei Vazquez
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Ketan J Patel
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
- University of Cambridge, Department of Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK
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Silver MJ, Corbin KD, Hellenthal G, da Costa KA, Dominguez-Salas P, Moore SE, Owen J, Prentice AM, Hennig BJ, Zeisel SH. Evidence for negative selection of gene variants that increase dependence on dietary choline in a Gambian cohort. FASEB J 2015; 29:3426-35. [PMID: 25921832 PMCID: PMC4511208 DOI: 10.1096/fj.15-271056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Choline is an essential nutrient, and the amount needed in the diet is modulated by
several factors. Given geographical differences in dietary choline intake and
disparate frequencies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in choline metabolism
genes between ethnic groups, we tested the hypothesis that 3 SNPs that increase
dependence on dietary choline would be under negative selection pressure in settings
where choline intake is low: choline dehydrogenase (CHDH) rs12676,
methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 1 (MTHFD1) rs2236225, and
phosphatidylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase
(PEMT) rs12325817. Evidence of negative selection was assessed in
2 populations: one in The Gambia, West Africa, where there is historic evidence of a
choline-poor diet, and the other in the United States, with a comparatively
choline-rich diet. We used 2 independent methods, and confirmation of our hypothesis
was sought via a comparison with SNP data from the Maasai, an East
African population with a genetic background similar to that of Gambians but with a
traditional diet that is higher in choline. Our results show that frequencies of SNPs
known to increase dependence on dietary choline are significantly reduced in the
low-choline setting of The Gambia. Our findings suggest that adequate intake levels
of choline may have to be reevaluated in different ethnic groups and highlight a
possible approach for identifying novel functional SNPs under the influence of
dietary selective pressure.—Silver, M. J., Corbin, K. D., Hellenthal, G., da
Costa, K.-A., Dominguez-Salas, P., Moore, S. E., Owen, J., Prentice, A. M., Hennig,
B. J., Zeisel, S. H. Evidence for negative selection of gene variants that increase
dependence on dietary choline in a Gambian cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt J Silver
- *Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, The Gambia; Nutrition Research Institute, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, United Kingdom; Toxicology Services, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; and Maternal and Child Nutrition Group, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Karen D Corbin
- *Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, The Gambia; Nutrition Research Institute, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, United Kingdom; Toxicology Services, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; and Maternal and Child Nutrition Group, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Garrett Hellenthal
- *Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, The Gambia; Nutrition Research Institute, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, United Kingdom; Toxicology Services, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; and Maternal and Child Nutrition Group, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kerry-Ann da Costa
- *Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, The Gambia; Nutrition Research Institute, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, United Kingdom; Toxicology Services, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; and Maternal and Child Nutrition Group, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paula Dominguez-Salas
- *Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, The Gambia; Nutrition Research Institute, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, United Kingdom; Toxicology Services, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; and Maternal and Child Nutrition Group, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie E Moore
- *Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, The Gambia; Nutrition Research Institute, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, United Kingdom; Toxicology Services, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; and Maternal and Child Nutrition Group, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Owen
- *Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, The Gambia; Nutrition Research Institute, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, United Kingdom; Toxicology Services, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; and Maternal and Child Nutrition Group, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew M Prentice
- *Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, The Gambia; Nutrition Research Institute, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, United Kingdom; Toxicology Services, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; and Maternal and Child Nutrition Group, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Branwen J Hennig
- *Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, The Gambia; Nutrition Research Institute, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, United Kingdom; Toxicology Services, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; and Maternal and Child Nutrition Group, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Steven H Zeisel
- *Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, The Gambia; Nutrition Research Institute, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; University College London Genetics Institute, University College London, United Kingdom; Toxicology Services, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; and Maternal and Child Nutrition Group, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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