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Chakraborty P, Parikh RY, Choi S, Tran D, Gooz M, Hedley ZT, Kim DS, Pytel D, Kang I, Nadig SN, Beeson GC, Ball L, Mehrotra M, Wang H, Berto S, Palanisamy V, Li H, Chatterjee S, Rodriguez PC, Maldonado EN, Diehl JA, Gangaraju VK, Mehrotra S. Carbon Monoxide Activates PERK-Regulated Autophagy to Induce Immunometabolic Reprogramming and Boost Antitumor T-cell Function. Cancer Res 2022; 82:1969-1990. [PMID: 35404405 PMCID: PMC9117468 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-3155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) share structural and functional networks and activate well-orchestrated signaling processes to shape cells' fate and function. While persistent ER stress (ERS) response leads to mitochondrial collapse, moderate ERS promotes mitochondrial function. Strategies to boost antitumor T-cell function by targeting ER-mitochondria cross-talk have not yet been exploited. Here, we used carbon monoxide (CO), a short-lived gaseous molecule, to test whether engaging moderate ERS conditions can improve mitochondrial and antitumor functions in T cells. In melanoma antigen-specific T cells, CO-induced transient activation of ERS sensor protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) significantly increased antitumor T-cell function. Furthermore, CO-induced PERK activation temporarily halted protein translation and induced protective autophagy, including mitophagy. The use of LC3-GFP enabled differentiation between the cells that prepare themselves to undergo active autophagy (LC3-GFPpos) and those that fail to enter the process (LC3-GFPneg). LC3-GFPpos T cells showed strong antitumor potential, whereas LC3-GFPneg cells exhibited a T regulatory-like phenotype, harbored dysfunctional mitochondria, and accumulated abnormal metabolite content. These anomalous ratios of metabolites rendered the cells with a hypermethylated state and distinct epigenetic profile, limiting their antitumor activity. Overall, this study shows that ERS-activated autophagy pathways modify the mitochondrial function and epigenetically reprogram T cells toward a superior antitumor phenotype to achieve robust tumor control. SIGNIFICANCE Transient activation of ER stress with carbon monoxide drives mitochondrial biogenesis and protective autophagy that elicits superior antitumor T-cell function, revealing an approach to improving adoptive cell efficacy therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paramita Chakraborty
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Rasesh Y Parikh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Seungho Choi
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Danh Tran
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Monika Gooz
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Zachariah T Hedley
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Do-Sung Kim
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Dariusz Pytel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Inhong Kang
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Satish N Nadig
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Gyda C Beeson
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Lauren Ball
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Meenal Mehrotra
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Hongjun Wang
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Viswanathan Palanisamy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Public Health, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Shilpak Chatterjee
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Paulo C Rodriguez
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
| | - Eduardo N Maldonado
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - J Alan Diehl
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Vamsi K Gangaraju
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Shikhar Mehrotra
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
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