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So J, Lewis AC, Smith LK, Stanley K, Franich R, Yoannidis D, Pijpers L, Dominguez P, Hogg SJ, Vervoort SJ, Brown FC, Johnstone RW, McDonald G, Ulanet DB, Murtie J, Gruber E, Kats LM. Inhibition of pyrimidine biosynthesis targets protein translation in acute myeloid leukemia. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e15203. [PMID: 35514210 PMCID: PMC9260210 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202115203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) catalyzes one of the rate‐limiting steps in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, a pathway that provides essential metabolic precursors for nucleic acids, glycoproteins, and phospholipids. DHODH inhibitors (DHODHi) are clinically used for autoimmune diseases and are emerging as a novel class of anticancer agents, especially in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) where pyrimidine starvation was recently shown to reverse the characteristic differentiation block in AML cells. Herein, we show that DHODH blockade rapidly shuts down protein translation in leukemic stem cells (LSCs) and has potent and selective activity against multiple AML subtypes. Moreover, we find that ablation of CDK5, a gene that is recurrently deleted in AML and related disorders, increases the sensitivity of AML cells to DHODHi. Our studies provide important molecular insights and identify a potential biomarker for an emerging strategy to target AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan So
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | | | - Lorey K Smith
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Kym Stanley
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Rheana Franich
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - David Yoannidis
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Lizzy Pijpers
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Pilar Dominguez
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Simon J Hogg
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephin J Vervoort
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Fiona C Brown
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Ricky W Johnstone
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | | | | | | | - Emily Gruber
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Lev M Kats
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
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McDonald G, Chubukov V, Coco J, Truskowski K, Narayanaswamy R, Choe S, Steadman M, Artin E, Padyana AK, Jin L, Ronseaux S, Locuson C, Fan ZP, Erdmann T, Mann A, Hayes S, Fletcher M, Nellore K, Rao SS, Subramanya H, Reddy KS, Panigrahi SK, Antony T, Gopinath S, Sui Z, Nagaraja N, Dang L, Lenz G, Hurov J, Biller SA, Murtie J, Marks KM, Ulanet DB. Selective Vulnerability to Pyrimidine Starvation in Hematologic Malignancies Revealed by AG-636, a Novel Clinical-Stage Inhibitor of Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 19:2502-2515. [PMID: 33082276 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Agents targeting metabolic pathways form the backbone of standard oncology treatments, though a better understanding of differential metabolic dependencies could instruct more rationale-based therapeutic approaches. We performed a chemical biology screen that revealed a strong enrichment in sensitivity to a novel dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor, AG-636, in cancer cell lines of hematologic versus solid tumor origin. Differential AG-636 activity translated to the in vivo setting, with complete tumor regression observed in a lymphoma model. Dissection of the relationship between uridine availability and response to AG-636 revealed a divergent ability of lymphoma and solid tumor cell lines to survive and grow in the setting of depleted extracellular uridine and DHODH inhibition. Metabolic characterization paired with unbiased functional genomic and proteomic screens pointed to adaptive mechanisms to cope with nucleotide stress as contributing to response to AG-636. These findings support targeting of DHODH in lymphoma and other hematologic malignancies and suggest combination strategies aimed at interfering with DNA-damage response pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John Coco
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Sung Choe
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Mya Steadman
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Erin Artin
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Lei Jin
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Zi-Peng Fan
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Tabea Erdmann
- Department of Medicine A for Hematology, Oncology, and Pneumology, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Alan Mann
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Mark Fletcher
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Thomas Antony
- Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd., Bangalore, India
| | | | - Zhihua Sui
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Lenny Dang
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Georg Lenz
- Department of Medicine A for Hematology, Oncology, and Pneumology, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | | | - Josh Murtie
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Kevin M Marks
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Allen EL, Ulanet DB, Pirman D, Mahoney CE, Coco J, Si Y, Chen Y, Huang L, Ren J, Choe S, Clasquin MF, Artin E, Fan ZP, Cianchetta G, Murtie J, Dorsch M, Jin S, Smolen GA. Differential Aspartate Usage Identifies a Subset of Cancer Cells Particularly Dependent on OGDH. Cell Rep 2017; 17:876-890. [PMID: 27732861 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.09.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although aberrant metabolism in tumors has been well described, the identification of cancer subsets with particular metabolic vulnerabilities has remained challenging. Here, we conducted an siRNA screen focusing on enzymes involved in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and uncovered a striking range of cancer cell dependencies on OGDH, the E1 subunit of the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex. Using an integrative metabolomics approach, we identified differential aspartate utilization, via the malate-aspartate shuttle, as a predictor of whether OGDH is required for proliferation in 3D culture assays and for the growth of xenograft tumors. These findings highlight an anaplerotic role of aspartate and, more broadly, suggest that differential nutrient utilization patterns can identify subsets of cancers with distinct metabolic dependencies for potential pharmacological intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric L Allen
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, 88 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - David Pirman
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, 88 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - John Coco
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, 88 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yaguang Si
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, 88 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ying Chen
- Shanghai ChemPartner Co. Ltd., 998 Halei Road, Pudong, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Lingling Huang
- Shanghai ChemPartner Co. Ltd., 998 Halei Road, Pudong, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Jinmin Ren
- Shanghai ChemPartner Co. Ltd., 998 Halei Road, Pudong, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Sung Choe
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, 88 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Erin Artin
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, 88 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Zi Peng Fan
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, 88 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Joshua Murtie
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, 88 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Marion Dorsch
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, 88 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Shengfang Jin
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, 88 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Ulanet DB, Couto K, Jha A, Choe S, Wang A, Woo HK, Steadman M, DeLaBarre B, Gross S, Driggers E, Dorsch M, Hurov JB. Mesenchymal phenotype predisposes lung cancer cells to impaired proliferation and redox stress in response to glutaminase inhibition. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115144. [PMID: 25502225 PMCID: PMC4264947 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent work has highlighted glutaminase (GLS) as a key player in cancer cell metabolism, providing glutamine-derived carbon and nitrogen to pathways that support proliferation. There is significant interest in targeting GLS for cancer therapy, although the gene is not known to be mutated or amplified in tumors. As a result, identification of tractable markers that predict GLS dependence is needed for translation of GLS inhibitors to the clinic. Herein we validate a small molecule inhibitor of GLS and show that non-small cell lung cancer cells marked by low E-cadherin and high vimentin expression, hallmarks of a mesenchymal phenotype, are particularly sensitive to inhibition of the enzyme. Furthermore, lung cancer cells induced to undergo epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) acquire sensitivity to the GLS inhibitor. Metabolic studies suggest that the mesenchymal cells have a reduced capacity for oxidative phosphorylation and increased susceptibility to oxidative stress, rendering them unable to cope with the perturbations induced by GLS inhibition. These findings elucidate selective metabolic dependencies of mesenchymal lung cancer cells and suggest novel pathways as potential targets in this aggressive cancer type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle B. Ulanet
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kiley Couto
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Abhishek Jha
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sung Choe
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Amanda Wang
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Hin-Koon Woo
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mya Steadman
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Byron DeLaBarre
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stefan Gross
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Edward Driggers
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Marion Dorsch
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jonathan B. Hurov
- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Ulanet DB, Flavahan NA, Casciola-Rosen L, Rosen A. Selective cleavage of nucleolar autoantigen B23 by granzyme B in differentiated vascular smooth muscle cells: insights into the association of specific autoantibodies with distinct disease phenotypes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 50:233-41. [PMID: 14730621 DOI: 10.1002/art.11485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of specific autoantibodies with distinct disease phenotypes. The association of autoantibodies to nucleophosmin/B23 with pulmonary hypertension in scleroderma, and the susceptibility of autoantigens to cleavage by granzyme B (GB), provided a focus for these studies. METHODS Intact cells were subjected to cytotoxic lymphocyte granule-induced death, and the susceptibility of autoantigens to cleavage by GB was addressed by immunoblotting and/or by a novel immunofluorescence assay. RESULTS B23 was cleaved efficiently by GB in vitro, but was highly resistant to cleavage by GB during cytotoxic lymphocyte granule-mediated death of many intact cell types. In contrast, this molecule was highly susceptible to GB-mediated proteolysis exclusively in differentiated vascular smooth muscle cells. Topoisomerase I and several other GB substrates did not show this striking change in cleavage susceptibility in different cell types. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that the cleavage of B23 by GB in intact cells is dependent upon both cell type and phenotype. The susceptibility of this autoantigen (which is associated with a distinct pulmonary vascular phenotype in scleroderma) to GB-mediated proteolysis selectively in vascular smooth muscle cells suggests that the GB-cleavable conformation of autoantigens may occur selectively in the target tissue, and may play a role in shaping the phenotype-specific autoimmune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle B Ulanet
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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Ulanet DB, Torbenson M, Dang CV, Casciola-Rosen L, Rosen A. Unique conformation of cancer autoantigen B23 in hepatoma: a mechanism for specificity in the autoimmune response. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2003; 100:12361-6. [PMID: 14519847 PMCID: PMC218763 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2035245100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The association of a specific autoantibody response with distinct disease phenotypes is observed in both autoimmune diseases and cancer. Although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, it is likely that unique properties of disease-specific autoantigens expressed in the relevant target cells play a role. It has recently been observed that the majority of autoantigens targeted across the spectrum of systemic autoimmune diseases (but not nonautoantigens) are selectively cleaved by the cytotoxic lymphocyte granule protease granzyme B (GB), generating unique fragments not observed during other forms of cell death. Although susceptibility of a molecule to cleavage by GB strongly predicts autoantigen status, the significance of this association is unclear. We used hepatocellular carcinoma and the hepatocellular carcinoma autoantigen, nucleophosmin/B23, as a model system to define the unique features of disease-specific autoantigens in the relevant disease microenvironment. These studies revealed a striking, selective susceptibility of B23 to cleavage by GB in extracts of neoplastic liver. The increased sensitivity of tumor B23 to proteolysis by GB was accompanied by slightly increased mobility on SDS/PAGE, altered subcellular localization, enrichment of an SDS-stable oligomeric form of B23, and recognition by a conformation-specific antibody detecting a B23 epitope ending at the GB cleavage site. In vitro studies demonstrated that this unique B23 conformation and resultant increased susceptibility to cleavage by GB arise when B23 translation is initiated at methionine-7. We propose that unique features of autoantigens in the disease-relevant microenvironment may regulate susceptibility to cleavage by GB and their selection by the specific autoimmune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle B Ulanet
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Ulanet DB, Wigley FM, Gelber AC, Rosen A. Autoantibodies against B23, a nucleolar phosphoprotein, occur in scleroderma and are associated with pulmonary hypertension. Arthritis Rheum 2003; 49:85-92. [PMID: 12579598 DOI: 10.1002/art.10914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether the abundant nucleolar phosphoprotein B23 is a target of autoantibodies in scleroderma, and to examine the clinical phenotype associated with these antibodies. METHODS Ninety-two randomly selected scleroderma sera were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay against recombinant human B23. Demographic, clinical, and serologic parameters associated with B23 autoantibody status were examined. RESULTS We demonstrated that autoantibodies against B23 occur in approximately 11% of sera obtained from patients with scleroderma. B23 seropositivity was related to pulmonary hypertension, antifibrillarin antibody, anti-RNP antibody, and decreased lung capacity. In multivariate analysis, B23 autoantibodies remained strongly associated with moderate-to-severe pulmonary hypertension and antifibrillarin antibodies. CONCLUSION These data unite B23 with the group of nucleolar autoantigens targeted in scleroderma and thus focus attention on changes in the nucleolus that render its components immunogenic in this disease. The demonstration that antibodies to B23 are associated with an increased prevalence of pulmonary hypertension points to anti-B23 antibodies as a possible marker of a specific phenotype in scleroderma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle B Ulanet
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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