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Wei W, Lyu X, Markhard AL, Fu S, Mardjuki RE, Cavanagh PE, Zeng X, Rajniak J, Lu N, Xiao S, Zhao M, Moya-Garzon MD, Truong SD, Chou JCC, Wat LW, Chidambaranathan-Reghupaty S, Coassolo L, Xu D, Shen F, Huang W, Ramirez CB, Jang C, Svensson KJ, Fischbach MA, Long JZ. A PTER-dependent pathway of taurine metabolism linked to energy balance. bioRxiv 2024:2024.03.21.586194. [PMID: 38562797 PMCID: PMC10983888 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.21.586194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Taurine is a conditionally essential micronutrient and one of the most abundant amino acids in humans1-3. In endogenous taurine metabolism, dedicated enzymes are involved in biosynthesis of taurine from cysteine as well as the downstream derivatization of taurine into secondary taurine metabolites4,5. One such taurine metabolite is N-acetyltaurine6. Levels of N-acetyltaurine are dynamically regulated by diverse physiologic perturbations that alter taurine and/or acetate flux, including endurance exercise7, nutritional taurine supplementation8, and alcohol consumption6,9. While taurine N-acetyltransferase activity has been previously detected in mammalian cells6,7, the molecular identity of this enzyme, and the physiologic relevance of N-acetyltaurine, have remained unknown. Here we show that the orphan body mass index-associated enzyme PTER (phosphotriesterase-related)10 is the principal mammalian taurine N-acetyltransferase/hydrolase. In vitro, recombinant PTER catalyzes bidirectional taurine N-acetylation with free acetate as well as the reverse N-acetyltaurine hydrolysis reaction. Genetic ablation of PTER in mice results in complete loss of tissue taurine N-acetyltransferase/hydrolysis activities and systemic elevation of N-acetyltaurine levels. Upon stimuli that increase taurine levels, PTER-KO mice exhibit lower body weight, reduced adiposity, and improved glucose homeostasis. These phenotypes are recapitulated by administration of N-acetyltaurine to wild-type mice. Lastly, the anorexigenic and anti-obesity effects of N-acetyltaurine require functional GFRAL receptors. Together, these data uncover enzymatic control of a previously enigmatic pathway of secondary taurine metabolism linked to energy balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xuchao Lyu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Andrew L. Markhard
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sipei Fu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rachel E. Mardjuki
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Xianfeng Zeng
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jakub Rajniak
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nannan Lu
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Shuke Xiao
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Meng Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Maria Dolores Moya-Garzon
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Steven D. Truong
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Lianna W. Wat
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Saranya Chidambaranathan-Reghupaty
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Laetitia Coassolo
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Duo Xu
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Fangfang Shen
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Wentao Huang
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cuauhtemoc B. Ramirez
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Cholsoon Jang
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Katrin J. Svensson
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael A Fischbach
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Z. Long
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- The Phil & Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the primary malignancy of hepatocytes, is a diagnosis with bleak outcome. According to National Cancer Institute's SEER database, the average five-year survival rate of HCC patients in the US is 19.6% but can be as low as 2.5% for advanced, metastatic disease. When diagnosed at early stages, it is treatable with locoregional treatments including surgical resection, Radio-Frequency Ablation, Trans-Arterial Chemoembolization or liver transplantation. However, HCC is usually diagnosed at advanced stages when the tumor is unresectable, making these treatments ineffective. In such instances, systemic therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) becomes the only viable option, even though it benefits only 30% of patients, provides only a modest (~3months) increase in overall survival and causes drug resistance within 6months. HCC, like many other cancers, is highly heterogeneous making a one-size fits all option problematic. The selection of liver transplantation, locoregional treatment, TKIs or immune checkpoint inhibitors as a treatment strategy depends on the disease stage and underlying condition(s). Additionally, patients with similar disease phenotype can have different molecular etiology making treatment responses different. Stratification of patients at the molecular level would facilitate development of the most effective treatment option. With the increase in efficiency and affordability of "omics"-level analysis, considerable effort has been expended in classifying HCC at the molecular, metabolic and immunologic levels. This review examines the results of these efforts and the ways they can be leveraged to develop targeted treatment options for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saranya Chidambaranathan-Reghupaty
- C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Paul B Fisher
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Devanand Sarkar
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
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Chidambaranathan-Reghupaty S, Dozmorov M, Mendoza R, Lai Z, Fisher PB, Reichman T, Sarkar D. Abstract 4001: Unraveling the molecular mechanism of racial disparity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A link between type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling and HCC disparity. Cancer Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2019-4001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Among HCC patients, there is a statistically significant increase in incidence and mortality as well as a decrease in 5-year survival rates in African-American (hereafter referred to as black) patients compared to non-Hispanic white (hereafter referred to as white) patients. Currently, there is a gap in our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying this racial disparity. The purpose of this study is to unravel this molecular mechanism.
Gene expression profiles were analyzed by RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq). Canonical pathway analysis of the differentially expressed genes was performed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Differential expression of the genes was validated by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The role of the identified genes in regulating proliferation was determined by transient knockdown by siRNA in a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cell line established from a black HCC patient followed by MTT assay.
In TCGA database, RNA-Seq data from 377 HCC patients were available, of which 17 were black and 184 were white. 279 genes were identified, with a p-value<0.01, that are differentially regulated between black and white patients. IPA analysis identified Type I Interferon (IFN-I) signaling as the only pathway that showed statistically significant activation in black patients. RNA-Seq on HCC samples from 14 white and 18 black patients from the tissue bank at VCU Medical Center identified 283 differentially regulated genes and IPA analysis revealed that the only pathway that showed statistically significant activation in black patients is the IFN-I signaling pathway. Activation of the IFN-I signaling pathway in black patients was identified even after correction of the differential gene expression data for HCV status, indicating that the observed findings are independent of HCV infection. Four interferon stimulated genes (ISGs), ISG15, IFI6, MX1 and OAS1, showing significantly increased expression in black HCC patients in both the TCGA database and our own analysis, were chosen for further analysis by qRT-PCR in HCC patient-derived xenografts (PDX) samples from black and white patients, both HCV positive and negative. The levels of the four ISGs were very low in two HCV-negative white HCC PDX lines. In three HCV-negative black HCC PDX lines, their expression levels were significantly and robustly higher. In a HCV-positive black HCC PDX line, their expression was further higher. The results for OAS1, ISG15 and MX1 were validated at the protein level using immunohistochemistry. Transient knock down of IFI6 and ISG15 significantly decreased proliferation of a PDX line established from a black HCC patient.
Persistent activation of the IFN-I signaling pathway might be a key determinant of racial disparity in black HCC patients. This pathway might be exploited to develop targeted treatment that work best for black HCC patients.
Citation Format: Saranya Chidambaranathan-Reghupaty, Mikhail Dozmorov, Rachel Mendoza, Zhao Lai, Paul B. Fisher, Trevor Reichman, Devanand Sarkar. Unraveling the molecular mechanism of racial disparity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A link between type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling and HCC disparity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4001.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhao Lai
- 2University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
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Abstract
Staphylococcal nuclease and tudor domain containing 1 (SND1) is a protein that regulates a complex array of functions. It controls gene expression through transcriptional activation, mRNA degradation, mRNA stabilization, ubiquitination and alternative splicing. More than two decades of research has accumulated evidence of the role of SND1 as an oncogene in various cancers. It is a promoter of cancer hallmarks like proliferation, invasion, migration, angiogenesis and metastasis. In addition to these functions, it has a role in lipid metabolism, inflammation and stress response. The participation of SND1 in such varied functions makes it distinct from most oncogenes that are relatively more focused in their role. This becomes important in the case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) since in addition to typical cancer drivers, factors like lipid metabolism deregulation and chronic inflammation can predispose hepatocytes to HCC. The objective of this review is to provide a summary of the current knowledge available on SND1, specifically in relation to HCC and to shed light on its prospect as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel Mendoza
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Paul B Fisher
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.,Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.,VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Devanand Sarkar
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.,Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.,VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
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