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Hu S, Liu TCY. Mechanism of action of photobiomodulation with light-emitting diode on the glutamine-dependent CT26 cell. J Biophotonics 2024; 17:e202300353. [PMID: 37824572 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202300353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the mechanism of action of photobiomodulation (PBM) with light-emitting diode (led) 640 nm of glutamine-dependent CT26 cells. Cells were exposed to 0.147-10.979 mW/cm2 of 640 ± 15 nm laser light for 15 min/day for 10 days. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by MTT (3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-diphenytetrazoliumromide) and annexin V-FITC assays. mRNA and protein levels of cell proliferation-related genes were measured by RT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. With Gln 7.94 mM, on Day 8 and 10, genes GLUT1, MEK1, ERK2, BCL2, E2F1, HO-1, Ctnnb1, and Per2 was significantly upregulated (p < 0.01) of glutamine addiction. In PBM therapy, compared with the non-illuminated group, 2.17 mW/cm2 can significantly reduce cell apoptosis, the mRNA level of gene mTOR1 was significantly upregulated, and the protein level of raptor of GLUT1 and mTOR1, MEK1/2, and ERK1/2 were upregulated. LED 640 nm inhibits cell apoptosis without increasing cell proliferation by regulating GLUT1, MEK/ERK, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojuan Hu
- College of Physical Education and Sports Science, HengYang Normal University, Hengyang, China
| | - Timon Cheng-Yi Liu
- Laboratory of Laser Sports Medicine, College of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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Mathew M, Nguyen NT, Bhutia YD, Sivaprakasam S, Ganapathy V. Metabolic Signature of Warburg Effect in Cancer: An Effective and Obligatory Interplay between Nutrient Transporters and Catabolic/Anabolic Pathways to Promote Tumor Growth. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:504. [PMID: 38339256 PMCID: PMC10854907 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells, originally observed by Warburg 100 years ago, which involves the production of lactate as the end product of glucose breakdown even in the presence of adequate oxygen, is the foundation for the current interest in the cancer-cell-specific reprograming of metabolic pathways. The renewed interest in cancer cell metabolism has now gone well beyond the original Warburg effect related to glycolysis to other metabolic pathways that include amino acid metabolism, one-carbon metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, nucleotide synthesis, antioxidant machinery, etc. Since glucose and amino acids constitute the primary nutrients that fuel the altered metabolic pathways in cancer cells, the transporters that mediate the transfer of these nutrients and their metabolites not only across the plasma membrane but also across the mitochondrial and lysosomal membranes have become an integral component of the expansion of the Warburg effect. In this review, we focus on the interplay between these transporters and metabolic pathways that facilitates metabolic reprogramming, which has become a hallmark of cancer cells. The beneficial outcome of this recent understanding of the unique metabolic signature surrounding the Warburg effect is the identification of novel drug targets for the development of a new generation of therapeutics to treat cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Vadivel Ganapathy
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; (M.M.); (N.T.N.); (Y.D.B.); (S.S.)
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3
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Adhikary G, Shrestha S, Naselsky W, Newland JJ, Chen X, Xu W, Emadi A, Friedberg JS, Eckert RL. Mesothelioma cancer cells are glutamine addicted and glutamine restriction reduces YAP1 signaling to attenuate tumor formation. Mol Carcinog 2023; 62:438-449. [PMID: 36562471 PMCID: PMC10071591 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Glutamine addiction is an important phenotype displayed in some types of cancer. In these cells, glutamine depletion results in a marked reduction in the aggressive cancer phenotype. Mesothelioma is an extremely aggressive disease that lacks effective therapy. In this study, we show that mesothelioma tumors are glutamine addicted suggesting that glutamine depletion may be a potential therapeutic strategy. We show that glutamine restriction, by removing glutamine from the medium or treatment with inhibitors that attenuate glutamine uptake (V-9302) or conversion to glutamate (CB-839), markedly reduces mesothelioma cell proliferation, spheroid formation, invasion, and migration. Inhibition of the SLC1A5 glutamine importer, by knockout or treatment with V-9302, an SLC1A5 inhibitor, also markedly reduces mesothelioma cell tumor growth. A relationship between glutamine utilization and YAP1/TEAD signaling has been demonstrated in other tumor types, and the YAP1/TEAD signaling cascade is active in mesothelioma cells and drives cell survival and proliferation. We therefore assessed the impact of glutamine depletion on YAP1/TEAD signaling. We show that glutamine restriction, SLC1A5 knockdown/knockout, or treatment with V-9302 or CB-839, reduces YAP1 level, YAP1/TEAD-dependent transcription, and YAP1/TEAD target protein (e.g., CTGF, cyclin D1, COL1A2, COL3A1, etc.) levels. These changes are observed in both cells and tumors. These findings indicate that mesothelioma is a glutamine addicted cancer, show that glutamine depletion attenuates YAP1/TEAD signaling and tumor growth, and suggest that glutamine restriction may be useful as a mesothelioma treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautam Adhikary
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Suruchi Shrestha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Warren Naselsky
- Department of Surgery University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - John J. Newland
- Department of Surgery University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Wen Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Ashkan Emadi
- Department of Medicine University of Maryland School of Medicine
- The Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Joseph S. Friedberg
- Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
| | - Richard L. Eckert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Maryland School of Medicine
- Department of Dermatology University of Maryland School of Medicine
- The Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center University of Maryland School of Medicine
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Ni R, Li Z, Li L, Peng D, Ming Y, Li L, Liu Y. Rethinking glutamine metabolism and the regulation of glutamine addiction by oncogenes in cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1143798. [PMID: 36959802 PMCID: PMC10029103 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1143798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamine, the most abundant non-essential amino acid in human blood, is crucial for cancer cell growth and cancer progression. Glutamine mainly functions as a carbon and nitrogen source for biosynthesis, energy metabolism, and redox homeostasis maintenance in cancer cells. Dysregulated glutamine metabolism is a notable metabolic characteristic of cancer cells. Some carcinogen-driven cancers exhibit a marked dependence on glutamine, also known as glutamine addiction, which has rendered the glutamine metabolic pathway a breakpoint in cancer therapeutics. However, some cancer cells can adapt to the glutamine unavailability by reprogramming metabolism, thus limiting the success of this therapeutic approach. Given the complexity of metabolic networks and the limited impact of inhibiting glutamine metabolism alone, the combination of glutamine metabolism inhibition and other therapeutic methods may outperform corresponding monotherapies in the treatment of cancers. This review summarizes the uptake, transport, and metabolic characteristics of glutamine, as well as the regulation of glutamine dependence by some important oncogenes in various cancers to emphasize the therapeutic potential of targeting glutamine metabolism. Furthermore, we discuss a glutamine metabolic pathway, the glutaminase II pathway, that has been substantially overlooked. Finally, we discuss the applicability of polytherapeutic strategies targeting glutamine metabolism to provide a new perspective on cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Ni
- Department of pharmacy, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ziwei Li
- Department of pharmacy, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of pharmacy, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dan Peng
- Department of pharmacy, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yue Ming
- Department of pharmacy, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of pharmacy, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Lin Li, ; Yao Liu,
| | - Yao Liu
- Department of pharmacy, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Lin Li, ; Yao Liu,
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Zhang L, Zhu P, Wan T, Wang H, Mao Z. Glutamine coated titanium for synergistic sonodynamic and photothermal on tumor therapy upon targeted delivery. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1139426. [PMID: 37101748 PMCID: PMC10123279 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1139426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) for cancer therapy has been studied for decades; however, the targeted delivery of TiO2 NPs to tumor tissues is challenging, and its efficiency needs to be improved. Method: In this study, we designed an oxygen-deficient TiO2-x coated with glutamine layer for targeted delivery, as well as the enhanced separation of electrons (e-) and holes (h+) following the joint application of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT). Results: This oxygen-deficient TiO2-x possesses relatively high photothermal and sonodynamic efficiency at the 1064 nm NIR-II bio-window. The GL-dependent design eased the penetration of the TiO2-x into the tumor tissues (approximately three-fold). The in vitro and in vivo tests showed that the SDT/PTT-based synergistic treatment achieved more optimized therapeutic effects than the sole use of either SDT or PTT. Conclusion: Our study provided a safety targeted delivery strategy, and enhanced the therapeutic efficiency of SDT/PTT synergistic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Zhang
- Changzhou Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China
| | - Pengfeng Zhu
- Changzhou Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China
| | - Ting Wan
- Changzhou Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China
| | - Huaiyan Wang
- Changzhou Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhilei Mao, ; Huaiyan Wang,
| | - Zhilei Mao
- Changzhou Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Zhilei Mao, ; Huaiyan Wang,
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Ramachandran S, R Sennoune S, Sharma M, Thangaraju M, V Suresh V, Sneigowski T, D Bhutia Y, Pruitt K, Ganapathy V. Expression and function of SLC38A5, an amino acid-coupled Na+/H+ exchanger, in triple-negative breast cancer and its relevance to macropinocytosis. Biochem J 2021; 478:3957-76. [PMID: 34704597 DOI: 10.1042/BCJ20210585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming in cancer necessitates increased amino acid uptake, which is accomplished by up-regulation of specific amino acid transporters. However, not all tumors rely on any single amino acid transporter for this purpose. Here, we report on the differential up-regulation of the amino acid transporter SLC38A5 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The up-regulation is evident in TNBC tumors, conventional and patient-derived xenograft TNBC cell lines, and a mouse model of spontaneous TNBC mammary tumor. The up-regulation is confirmed by functional assays. SLC38A5 is an amino acid-dependent Na+/H+ exchanger which transports Na+ and amino acids into cells coupled with H+ efflux. Since cell-surface Na+/H+ exchanger is an established inducer of macropinocytosis, an endocytic process for cellular uptake of bulk fluid and its components, we examined the impact of SLC38A5 on macropinocytosis in TNBC cells. We found that the transport function of SLC38A5 is coupled to the induction of macropinocytosis. Surprisingly, the transport function of SLC38A5 is inhibited by amilorides, the well-known inhibitors of Na+/H+ exchanger. Down-regulation of SLC38A5 in TNBC cells attenuates serine-induced macropinocytosis and reduces cell proliferation significantly as assessed by multiple methods, but does not induce cell death. The Cancer Genome Atlas database corroborates SLC38A5 up-regulation in TNBC. This represents the first report on the selective expression of SLC38A5 in TNBC and its role as an inducer of macropinocytosis, thus revealing a novel, hitherto unsuspected, function for an amino acid transporter that goes beyond amino acid delivery but is still relevant to cancer cell nutrition and proliferation.
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Weglarz-Tomczak E, Mondeel TDGA, Piebes DGE, Westerhoff HV. Simultaneous Integration of Gene Expression and Nutrient Availability for Studying the Metabolism of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11040490. [PMID: 33805227 PMCID: PMC8064315 DOI: 10.3390/biom11040490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
How cancer cells utilize nutrients to support their growth and proliferation in complex nutritional systems is still an open question. However, it is certainly determined by both genetics and an environmental-specific context. The interactions between them lead to profound metabolic specialization, such as consuming glucose and glutamine and producing lactate at prodigious rates. To investigate whether and how glucose and glutamine availability impact metabolic specialization, we integrated computational modeling on the genome-scale metabolic reconstruction with an experimental study on cell lines. We used the most comprehensive human metabolic network model to date, Recon3D, to build cell line-specific models. RNA-Seq data was used to specify the activity of genes in each cell line and the uptake rates were quantitatively constrained according to nutrient availability. To integrated both constraints we applied a novel method, named Gene Expression and Nutrients Simultaneous Integration (GENSI), that translates the relative importance of gene expression and nutrient availability data into the metabolic fluxes based on an observed experimental feature(s). We applied GENSI to study hepatocellular carcinoma addiction to glucose/glutamine. We were able to identify that proliferation, and lactate production is associated with the presence of glucose but does not necessarily increase with its concentration when the latter exceeds the physiological concentration. There was no such association with glutamine. We show that the integration of gene expression and nutrient availability data into genome-wide models improves the prediction of metabolic phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Weglarz-Tomczak
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (T.D.G.A.M.); (D.G.E.P.); (H.V.W.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Thierry D. G. A. Mondeel
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (T.D.G.A.M.); (D.G.E.P.); (H.V.W.)
| | - Diewertje G. E. Piebes
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (T.D.G.A.M.); (D.G.E.P.); (H.V.W.)
| | - Hans V. Westerhoff
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (T.D.G.A.M.); (D.G.E.P.); (H.V.W.)
- Molecular Cell Physiology, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology, School for Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
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Sniegowski T, Korac K, Bhutia YD, Ganapathy V. SLC6A14 and SLC38A5 Drive the Glutaminolysis and Serine-Glycine-One-Carbon Pathways in Cancer. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14030216. [PMID: 33806675 PMCID: PMC8000594 DOI: 10.3390/ph14030216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The glutaminolysis and serine–glycine–one-carbon pathways represent metabolic reactions that are reprogramed and upregulated in cancer; these pathways are involved in supporting the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Glutaminolysis participates in the production of lactate, an oncometabolite, and also in anabolic reactions leading to the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol. The serine–glycine–one-carbon pathway is involved in the synthesis of purines and pyrimidines and the control of the epigenetic signature (DNA methylation, histone methylation) in cancer cells. Methionine is obligatory for most of the methyl-transfer reactions in the form of S-adenosylmethionine; here, too, the serine–glycine–one-carbon pathway is necessary for the resynthesis of methionine following the methyl-transfer reaction. Glutamine, serine, glycine, and methionine are obligatory to fuel these metabolic pathways. The first three amino acids can be synthesized endogenously to some extent, but the need for these amino acids in cancer cells is so high that they also have to be acquired from extracellular sources. Methionine is an essential amino acid, thus making it necessary for cancer cells to acquire this amino acid solely from the extracellular milieu. Cancer cells upregulate specific amino acid transporters to meet this increased demand for these four amino acids. SLC6A14 and SLC38A5 are the two transporters that are upregulated in a variety of cancers to mediate the influx of glutamine, serine, glycine, and methionine into cancer cells. SLC6A14 is a Na+/Cl− -coupled transporter for multiple amino acids, including these four amino acids. In contrast, SLC38A5 is a Na+-coupled transporter with rather restricted specificity towards glutamine, serine, glycine, and methionine. Both transporters exhibit unique functional features that are ideal for the rapid proliferation of cancer cells. As such, these two amino acid transporters play a critical role in promoting the survival and growth of cancer cells and hence represent novel, hitherto largely unexplored, targets for cancer therapy.
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Yoshida GJ. The Harmonious Interplay of Amino Acid and Monocarboxylate Transporters Induces the Robustness of Cancer Cells. Metabolites 2021; 11:27. [PMID: 33401672 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11010027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of evidence that metabolic reprogramming contributes to the acquisition and maintenance of robustness associated with malignancy. The fine regulation of expression levels of amino acid and monocarboxylate transporters enables cancer cells to exhibit the metabolic reprogramming that is responsible for therapeutic resistance. Amino acid transporters characterized by xCT (SLC7A11), ASCT2 (SLC1A5), and LAT1 (SLC7A5) function in the uptake and export of amino acids such as cystine and glutamine, thereby regulating glutathione synthesis, autophagy, and glutaminolysis. CD44 variant, a cancer stem-like cell marker, stabilizes the xCT antiporter at the cellular membrane, and tumor cells positive for xCT and/or ASCT2 are susceptible to sulfasalazine, a system Xc(-) inhibitor. Inhibiting the interaction between LAT1 and CD98 heavy chain prevents activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 by glutamine and leucine. mTOR signaling regulated by LAT1 is a sensor of dynamic alterations in the nutrient tumor microenvironment. LAT1 is overexpressed in various malignancies and positively correlated with poor clinical outcome. Metabolic reprogramming of glutamine occurs often in cancer cells and manifests as ASCT2-mediated glutamine addiction. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) mediate metabolic symbiosis, by which lactate in cancer cells under hypoxia is exported through MCT4 and imported by MCT1 in less hypoxic regions, where it is used as an oxidative metabolite. Differential expression patterns of transporters cause functional intratumoral heterogeneity leading to the therapeutic resistance. Therefore, metabolic reprogramming based on these transporters may be a promising therapeutic target. This review highlights the pathological function and therapeutic targets of transporters including xCT, ASCT2, LAT1, and MCT.
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Jin H, Wang S, Zaal EA, Wang C, Wu H, Bosma A, Jochems F, Isima N, Jin G, Lieftink C, Beijersbergen R, Berkers CR, Qin W, Bernards R. A powerful drug combination strategy targeting glutamine addiction for the treatment of human liver cancer. eLife 2020; 9:56749. [PMID: 33016874 PMCID: PMC7535927 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [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: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The dependency of cancer cells on glutamine may be exploited therapeutically as a new strategy for treating cancers that lack druggable driver genes. Here we found that human liver cancer was dependent on extracellular glutamine. However, targeting glutamine addiction using the glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 as monotherapy had a very limited anticancer effect, even against the most glutamine addicted human liver cancer cells. Using a chemical library, we identified V-9302, a novel inhibitor of glutamine transporter ASCT2, as sensitizing glutamine dependent (GD) cells to CB-839 treatment. Mechanically, a combination of CB-839 and V-9302 depleted glutathione and induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in apoptosis of GD cells. Moreover, this combination also showed tumor inhibition in HCC xenograft mouse models in vivo. Our findings indicate that dual inhibition of glutamine metabolism by targeting both glutaminase and glutamine transporter ASCT2 represents a potential novel treatment strategy for glutamine addicted liver cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haojie Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute. The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Siying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Esther A Zaal
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Cun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute. The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Haiqiu Wu
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Astrid Bosma
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute. The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Fleur Jochems
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute. The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nikita Isima
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute. The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Guangzhi Jin
- Department of Pathology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cor Lieftink
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute. The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Roderick Beijersbergen
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute. The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Celia R Berkers
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Wenxin Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Rene Bernards
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute. The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Dorai T, Dorai B, Pinto JT, Grasso M, Cooper AJL. High Levels of Glutaminase II Pathway Enzymes in Normal and Cancerous Prostate Suggest a Role in ' Glutamine Addiction'. Biomolecules 2019; 10:biom10010002. [PMID: 31861280 PMCID: PMC7022959 DOI: 10.3390/biom10010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract: Many tumors readily convert l-glutamine to α-ketoglutarate. This conversion is almost invariably described as involving deamidation of l-glutamine to l-glutamate followed by a transaminase (or dehydrogenase) reaction. However, mammalian tissues possess another pathway for conversion of l-glutamine to α-ketoglutarate, namely the glutaminase II pathway: l-Glutamine is transaminated to α-ketoglutaramate, which is then deamidated to α-ketoglutarate by ω-amidase. Here we show that glutamine transaminase and ω-amidase specific activities are high in normal rat prostate. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that glutamine transaminase K (GTK) and ω-amidase are present in normal and cancerous human prostate and that expression of these enzymes increases in parallel with aggressiveness of the cancer cells. Our findings suggest that the glutaminase II pathway is important in providing anaplerotic carbon to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, closing the methionine salvage pathway, and in the provision of citrate carbon in normal and cancerous prostate. Finally, our data also suggest that selective inhibitors of GTK and/or ω-amidase may be clinically important for treatment of prostate cancer. In conclusion, the demonstration of a prominent glutaminase II pathway in prostate cancer cells and increased expression of the pathway with increasing aggressiveness of tumor cells provides a new perspective on 'glutamine addiction' in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thambi Dorai
- Department of Urology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA; (T.D.); (M.G.)
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA;
| | - Bhuvaneswari Dorai
- Department of Pathology, Montefiore-Nyack Hospital, Nyack, NY 10960, USA;
| | - John T. Pinto
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA;
| | - Michael Grasso
- Department of Urology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA; (T.D.); (M.G.)
| | - Arthur J. L. Cooper
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-914-594-3330; Fax: +1-914-594-4058
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Chiu M, Taurino G, Bianchi MG, Ottaviani L, Andreoli R, Ciociola T, Lagrasta CAM, Tardito S, Bussolati O. Oligodendroglioma Cells Lack Glutamine Synthetase and Are Auxotrophic for Glutamine, but Do not Depend on Glutamine Anaplerosis for Growth. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E1099. [PMID: 29642388 PMCID: PMC5979401 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19041099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In cells derived from several types of cancer, a transcriptional program drives high consumption of glutamine (Gln), which is used for anaplerosis, leading to a metabolic addiction for the amino acid. Low or absent expression of Glutamine Synthetase (GS), the only enzyme that catalyzes de novo Gln synthesis, has been considered a marker of Gln-addicted cancers. In this study, two human cell lines derived from brain tumors with oligodendroglioma features, HOG and Hs683, have been shown to be GS-negative. Viability of both lines depends from extracellular Gln with EC50 of 0.175 ± 0.056 mM (Hs683) and 0.086 ± 0.043 mM (HOG), thus suggesting that small amounts of extracellular Gln are sufficient for OD cell growth. Gln starvation does not significantly affect the cell content of anaplerotic substrates, which, consistently, are not able to rescue cell growth, but causes hindrance of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and protein synthesis attenuation, which is mitigated by transient GS expression. Gln transport inhibitors cause partial depletion of intracellular Gln and cell growth inhibition, but do not lower cell viability. Therefore, GS-negative human oligodendroglioma cells are Gln-auxotrophic but do not use the amino acid for anaplerosis and, hence, are not Gln addicted, exhibiting only limited Gln requirements for survival and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Chiu
- Laboratory of General Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Taurino
- Laboratory of General Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy.
| | - Massimiliano G Bianchi
- Laboratory of General Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy.
| | - Laura Ottaviani
- Laboratory of General Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy.
| | - Roberta Andreoli
- Laboratory of Industrial Toxicology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy.
| | - Tecla Ciociola
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy.
| | - Costanza A M Lagrasta
- Laboratory of Anatomical Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy.
| | - Saverio Tardito
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback road, Glasgow G611BD, UK.
| | - Ovidio Bussolati
- Laboratory of General Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy.
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Masamha CP, Xia Z, Peart N, Collum S, Li W, Wagner EJ, Shyu AB. CFIm25 regulates glutaminase alternative terminal exon definition to modulate miR-23 function. RNA 2016; 22:830-838. [PMID: 27095025 PMCID: PMC4878610 DOI: 10.1261/rna.055939.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) and alternative splicing (AS) provide mRNAs with the means to avoid microRNA repression through selective shortening or differential usage of 3'UTRs. The two glutaminase (GLS) mRNA isoforms, termed KGA and GAC, contain distinct 3'UTRs with the KGA isoform subject to repression by miR-23. We show that depletion of the APA regulator CFIm25 causes a strong shift to the usage of a proximal poly(A) site within the KGA 3'UTR and also alters splicing to favor exclusion of the GAC 3'UTR. Surprisingly, we observe that while miR-23 is capable of down-regulating the shortened KGA 3'UTR, it has only minor impact on the full-length KGA 3'UTR, demonstrating that additional potent negative regulation of GLS expression exists beyond this single microRNA targeting site. Finally, we show that the apoptosis induced upon down-regulation of the GAC isoform can be alleviated through concurrent reduction in CFIm25 expression, revealing the sensitivity of glutaminase expression to the levels of RNA processing factors. These results exemplify the complex interplay between RNA processing and microRNA repression in controlling glutamine metabolism in cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chioniso P Masamha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Zheng Xia
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Natoya Peart
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030, USA The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Scott Collum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030, USA The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Eric J Wagner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030, USA The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Ann-Bin Shyu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030, USA The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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