1
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Edwards DN, Wang S, Song W, Kim LC, Ngwa VM, Hwang Y, Ess KC, Boothby MR, Chen J. Regulation of fatty acid delivery to metastases by tumor endothelium. bioRxiv 2024:2024.04.02.587724. [PMID: 38617241 PMCID: PMC11014634 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.02.587724] [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: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Tumor metastasis, the main cause of death in cancer patients, requires outgrowth of tumor cells after their dissemination and residence in microscopic niches. Nutrient sufficiency is a determinant of such outgrowth1. Fatty acids (FA) can be metabolized by cancer cells for their energetic and anabolic needs but impair the cytotoxicity of T cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME)2,3, thereby supporting metastatic progression. However, despite the important role of FA in metastatic outgrowth, the regulation of intratumoral FA is poorly understood. In this report, we show that tumor endothelium actively promotes tumor growth and restricts anti-tumor cytolysis by transferring FA into developing metastatic tumors. This process uses transendothelial fatty acid transport via endosome cargo trafficking in a mechanism that requires mTORC1 activity. Thus, tumor burden was significantly reduced upon endothelial-specific targeted deletion of Raptor, a unique component of the mTORC1 complex (RptorECKO). In vivo trafficking of a fluorescent palmitic acid analog to tumor cells and T cells was reduced in RptorECKO lung metastatic tumors, which correlated with improved markers of T cell cytotoxicity. Combination of anti-PD1 with RAD001/everolimus, at a low dose that selectively inhibits mTORC1 in endothelial cells4, impaired FA uptake in T cells and reduced metastatic disease, corresponding to improved anti-tumor immunity. These findings describe a novel mechanism of transendothelial fatty acid transfer into the TME during metastatic outgrowth and highlight a target for future development of therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna N. Edwards
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Shan Wang
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Wenqiang Song
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Epidemiology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Laura C. Kim
- Vanderbilt University, Program in Cancer Biology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Verra M. Ngwa
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yoonha Hwang
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kevin C. Ess
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Department of Pediatrics, Denver, CO, USA
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark R. Boothby
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University, Program in Cancer Biology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jin Chen
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University, Program in Cancer Biology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, USA
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2
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Wang-Bishop L, Kimmel BR, Ngwa VM, Madden MZ, Baljon JJ, Florian DC, Hanna A, Pastora LE, Sheehy TL, Kwiatkowski AJ, Wehbe M, Wen X, Becker KW, Garland KM, Schulman JA, Shae D, Edwards D, Wolf MM, Delapp R, Christov PP, Beckermann KE, Balko JM, Rathmell WK, Rathmell JC, Chen J, Wilson JT. STING-activating nanoparticles normalize the vascular-immune interface to potentiate cancer immunotherapy. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadd1153. [PMID: 37146128 PMCID: PMC10226150 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.add1153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [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: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The tumor-associated vasculature imposes major structural and biochemical barriers to the infiltration of effector T cells and effective tumor control. Correlations between stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway activation and spontaneous T cell infiltration in human cancers led us to evaluate the effect of STING-activating nanoparticles (STANs), which are a polymersome-based platform for the delivery of a cyclic dinucleotide STING agonist, on the tumor vasculature and attendant effects on T cell infiltration and antitumor function. In multiple mouse tumor models, intravenous administration of STANs promoted vascular normalization, evidenced by improved vascular integrity, reduced tumor hypoxia, and increased endothelial cell expression of T cell adhesion molecules. STAN-mediated vascular reprogramming enhanced the infiltration, proliferation, and function of antitumor T cells and potentiated the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive T cell therapy. We present STANs as a multimodal platform that activates and normalizes the tumor microenvironment to enhance T cell infiltration and function and augments responses to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Wang-Bishop
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Blaise R. Kimmel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Verra M. Ngwa
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Matthew Z. Madden
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Jessalyn J. Baljon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - David C. Florian
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Ann Hanna
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Lucinda E. Pastora
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Taylor L. Sheehy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Alexander J. Kwiatkowski
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Mohamed Wehbe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Xiaona Wen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Kyle W. Becker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Kyle M. Garland
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Jacob A. Schulman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Daniel Shae
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Deanna Edwards
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Melissa M. Wolf
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Rossane Delapp
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Plamen P. Christov
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Kathryn E. Beckermann
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Justin M. Balko
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - W. Kimryn Rathmell
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Jeffrey C. Rathmell
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Jin Chen
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - John T. Wilson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
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3
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Ngwa VM, Edwards DN, Hwang Y, Karno B, Wang X, Yan C, Richmond A, Brantley-Sieders DM, Chen J. Loss of vascular endothelial glutaminase inhibits tumor growth and metastasis, and increases sensitivity to chemotherapy. Cancer Res Commun 2022; 2:694-705. [PMID: 36381236 PMCID: PMC9645801 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Glutamine is the most abundant non-essential amino acid in blood stream; yet it's concentration in tumor interstitium is markedly lower than that in the serum, reflecting the huge demand of various cell types in tumor microenvironment for glutamine. While many studies have investigated glutamine metabolism in tumor epithelium and infiltrating immune cells, the role of glutamine metabolism in tumor blood vessels remains unknown. Here, we report that inducible genetic deletion of glutaminase (GLS) specifically in host endothelium, GLSECKO, impairs tumor growth and metastatic dissemination in vivo. Loss of GLS decreased tumor microvascular density, increased perivascular support cell coverage, improved perfusion, and reduced hypoxia in mammary tumors. Importantly, chemotherapeutic drug delivery and therapeutic efficacy were improved in tumor-bearing GLSECKO hosts or in combination with GLS inhibitor, CB839. Mechanistically, loss of GLS in tumor endothelium resulted in decreased leptin levels, and exogenous recombinant leptin rescued tumor growth defects in GLSECKO mice. Together, these data demonstrate that inhibition of endothelial glutamine metabolism normalizes tumor vessels, reducing tumor growth and metastatic spread, improving perfusion, and reducing hypoxia, and enhancing chemotherapeutic delivery. Thus, targeting glutamine metabolism in host vasculature may improve clinical outcome in patients with solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verra M. Ngwa
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Deanna N. Edwards
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Yoonha Hwang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Breelyn Karno
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Xiaoyong Wang
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Chi Yan
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Ann Richmond
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Dana M. Brantley-Sieders
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jin Chen
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
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4
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Edwards DN, Ngwa VM, Raybuck AL, Wang S, Hwang Y, Kim LC, Cho SH, Paik Y, Wang Q, Zhang S, Manning HC, Rathmell JC, Cook RS, Boothby MR, Chen J. Selective glutamine metabolism inhibition in tumor cells improves antitumor T lymphocyte activity in triple-negative breast cancer. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:140100. [PMID: 33320840 PMCID: PMC7880417 DOI: 10.1172/jci140100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.7] [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: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapidly proliferating tumor and immune cells need metabolic programs that support energy and biomass production. The amino acid glutamine is consumed by effector T cells and glutamine-addicted triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, suggesting that a metabolic competition for glutamine may exist within the tumor microenvironment, potentially serving as a therapeutic intervention strategy. Here, we report that there is an inverse correlation between glutamine metabolic genes and markers of T cell-mediated cytotoxicity in human basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) patient data sets, with increased glutamine metabolism and decreased T cell cytotoxicity associated with poor survival. We found that tumor cell-specific loss of glutaminase (GLS), a key enzyme for glutamine metabolism, improved antitumor T cell activation in both a spontaneous mouse TNBC model and orthotopic grafts. The glutamine transporter inhibitor V-9302 selectively blocked glutamine uptake by TNBC cells but not CD8+ T cells, driving synthesis of glutathione, a major cellular antioxidant, to improve CD8+ T cell effector function. We propose a "glutamine steal" scenario, in which cancer cells deprive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes of needed glutamine, thus impairing antitumor immune responses. Therefore, tumor-selective targeting of glutamine metabolism may be a promising therapeutic strategy in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna N. Edwards
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Verra M. Ngwa
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ariel L. Raybuck
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Shan Wang
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Yoonha Hwang
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Laura C. Kim
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sung Hoon Cho
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Yeeun Paik
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Qingfei Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Mike and Josie Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA
| | - Siyuan Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Mike and Josie Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA
| | - H. Charles Manning
- Department of Chemistry
- Center for Molecular Probes
- Vanderbilt Institute for Imaging Sciences
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
| | - Jeffrey C. Rathmell
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, and
| | - Rebecca S. Cook
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Mark R. Boothby
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, and
| | - Jin Chen
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, and
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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5
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Ngwa VM, Edwards DN, Philip M, Chen J. Microenvironmental Metabolism Regulates Antitumor Immunity. Cancer Res 2019; 79:4003-4008. [PMID: 31362930 PMCID: PMC6697577 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-0617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [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] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment are emerging as key factors governing tumor growth, metastasis, and response to therapies including immune checkpoint inhibitors. It has been recognized that rapidly proliferating cancer cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and vascular endothelial cells compete for oxygen and nutrients. Tumor cells and other cell types in the microenvironment not only compete for nutrients, but they also simultaneously produce immunosuppressive metabolites, leading to immune escape. In addition, commensal microbial metabolites can influence regulatory T cells and inflammation in the intestine, thus playing an essential role in cancer prevention or cancer promotion. In this review, we summarize recent advances on metabolic interactions among various cell types in the tumor microenvironment, with a focus on how these interactions affect tumor immunity. We also discuss the potential role of blood vessel metabolism in regulating immune cell trafficking and activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verra M Ngwa
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Deanna N Edwards
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Mary Philip
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jin Chen
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Health Care System, Nashville, Tennessee
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6
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Edwards DN, Ngwa VM, Wang S, Shiuan E, Brantley-Sieders DM, Kim LC, Reynolds AB, Chen J. Abstract P2-02-02: The receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 promotes glutamine metabolism in tumors by activating the transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ. Cancer Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs18-p2-02-02] [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
Malignant tumors reprogram cellular metabolism to support cancer cell proliferation and survival. Although most cancers depend on a high rate of aerobic glycolysis, many cancer cells also display addiction to glutamine. Glutamine transporters and glutaminase activity are critical for glutamine metabolism in tumor cells, and upstream regulatory signaling pathways may represent a novel mechanism for targeted therapies in glutamine-addicted breast tumors such as Her2-overexpressing and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). We have found that the receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 activated the transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ (YAP/TAZ), likely in a ligand-independent manner, to promote glutamine metabolism in cells and mouse models of breast cancer. Overexpression of EphA2 induced the nuclear accumulation of YAP and TAZ and increased the expression of YAP/TAZ target genes. Inhibition of the GTPase Rho or the kinase ROCK abolished EphA2-dependent YAP/TAZ nuclear localization. Silencing YAP or TAZ reduced the amount of intracellular glutamate through decreased expression of SLC1A5 and GLS, respectively, genes that encode proteins that promote glutamine uptake and metabolism. The regulatory DNA elements of both SLC1A5 and GLS contain the consensus sequence of the TEAD family of transcription factors that are closely associated with YAP/TAZ and were bound by TEAD4 in an EphA2-dependent manner. In patient breast cancer tissues, EphA2 expression positively correlated with that of YAP and TAZ, as well as that of GLS and SLC1A5. Although high expression of EphA2 predicted enhanced metastatic potential and poor patient survival, it also rendered breast cancer cells more sensitive to glutaminase inhibition. The findings define a previously unknown mechanism of EphA2-mediated glutaminolysis through YAP/TAZ activation in breast cancer and identify potential therapeutic targets in patients.
Citation Format: Edwards DN, Ngwa VM, Wang S, Shiuan E, Brantley-Sieders DM, Kim LC, Reynolds AB, Chen J. The receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 promotes glutamine metabolism in tumors by activating the transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-02-02.
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Affiliation(s)
- DN Edwards
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - VM Ngwa
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - S Wang
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - E Shiuan
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - DM Brantley-Sieders
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - LC Kim
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - AB Reynolds
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - J Chen
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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7
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Edwards DN, Ngwa VM, Wang S, Shiuan E, Brantley-Sieders D, Kim L, Reynolds AB, Chen J. Abstract 1452: The receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 promotes glutamine metabolism in tumors by activating the transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ. Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2018-1452] [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
Malignant tumors reprogram cellular metabolism to support cancer cell proliferation and survival. Although most cancers depend on a high rate of aerobic glycolysis, many cancer cells also display addiction to glutamine. Glutamine transporters and glutaminase activity are critical for glutamine metabolism in tumor cells. We found that the receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 activated the TEAD family transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ (YAP/TAZ), likely in a ligand-independent manner, to promote glutamine metabolism in cells and mouse models of HER2-positive breast cancer. Overexpression of EphA2 induced the nuclear accumulation of YAP and TAZ and increased the expression of YAP/TAZ target genes. Inhibition of the GTPase Rho or the kinase ROCK abolished EphA2-dependent YAP/TAZ nuclear localization. Silencing YAP or TAZ substantially reduced the amount of intracellular glutamate through decreased expression of SLC1A5 and GLS, respectively, genes that encode proteins that promote glutamine uptake and metabolism. The regulatory DNA elements of both SLC1A5 and GLS contain TEAD binding sites and were bound by TEAD4 in an EphA2-dependent manner. In patient breast cancer tissues, EphA2 expression positively correlated with that of YAP and TAZ, as well as that of GLS and SLC1A5. Although high expression or EphA2 predicted enhanced metastatic potential and poor patient survival, it also rendered HER2-positive breast cancer cells more sensitive to glutaminase inhibition. The findings define a previously unknown mechanism of EphA2-mediated glutaminolysis through YAP/TAZ activation in HER2-positive breast cancer and identify therapeutic targets in patients.
Citation Format: Deanna N. Edwards, Verra M. Ngwa, Shan Wang, Eileen Shiuan, Dana Brantley-Sieders, Laura Kim, Albert B. Reynolds, Jin Chen. The receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 promotes glutamine metabolism in tumors by activating the transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1452.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shan Wang
- 1Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | | | | | - Laura Kim
- 2Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | | | - Jin Chen
- 1Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
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8
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Edwards DN, Ngwa VM, Wang S, Shiuan E, Brantley-Sieders DM, Kim LC, Reynolds AB, Chen J. The receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 promotes glutamine metabolism in tumors by activating the transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ. Sci Signal 2017; 10:eaan4667. [PMID: 29208682 PMCID: PMC5819349 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aan4667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [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: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Malignant tumors reprogram cellular metabolism to support cancer cell proliferation and survival. Although most cancers depend on a high rate of aerobic glycolysis, many cancer cells also display addiction to glutamine. Glutamine transporters and glutaminase activity are critical for glutamine metabolism in tumor cells. We found that the receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 activated the TEAD family transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ (YAP/TAZ), likely in a ligand-independent manner, to promote glutamine metabolism in cells and mouse models of HER2-positive breast cancer. Overexpression of EphA2 induced the nuclear accumulation of YAP and TAZ and increased the expression of YAP/TAZ target genes. Inhibition of the GTPase Rho or the kinase ROCK abolished EphA2-dependent YAP/TAZ nuclear localization. Silencing YAP or TAZ substantially reduced the amount of intracellular glutamate through decreased expression of SLC1A5 and GLS, respectively, genes that encode proteins that promote glutamine uptake and metabolism. The regulatory DNA elements of both SLC1A5 and GLS contain TEAD binding sites and were bound by TEAD4 in an EphA2-dependent manner. In patient breast cancer tissues, EphA2 expression positively correlated with that of YAP and TAZ, as well as that of GLS and SLC1A5 Although high expression of EphA2 predicted enhanced metastatic potential and poor patient survival, it also rendered HER2-positive breast cancer cells more sensitive to glutaminase inhibition. The findings define a previously unknown mechanism of EphA2-mediated glutaminolysis through YAP/TAZ activation in HER2-positive breast cancer and identify potential therapeutic targets in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna N Edwards
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Verra M Ngwa
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Shan Wang
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Eileen Shiuan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Dana M Brantley-Sieders
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Laura C Kim
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Albert B Reynolds
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jin Chen
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
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9
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Ngwa VM, Axford DS, Healey AN, Nowak SJ, Chrestensen CA, McMurry JL. A versatile cell-penetrating peptide-adaptor system for efficient delivery of molecular cargos to subcellular destinations. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0178648. [PMID: 28552994 PMCID: PMC5446193 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell penetrating peptides have long held great potential for delivery of biomolecular cargos for research, therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. They allow rapid, relatively nontoxic passage of a wide variety of biomolecules through the plasma membranes of living cells. However, CPP-based research tools and therapeutics have been stymied by poor efficiency in release from endosomes and a great deal of effort has been made to solve this ‘endosomal escape problem.’ Previously, we showed that use of a reversible, noncovalent coupling between CPP and cargo using calmodulin and a calmodulin binding motif allowed efficient delivery of cargo proteins to the cytoplasm in baby hamster kidney and other mammalian cell lines. The present report demonstrates the efficacy of our CPP-adaptor scheme for efficient delivery of model cargos to the cytoplasm using a variety of CPPs and adaptors. Effective overcoming of the endosomal escape problem is further demonstrated by the delivery of cargo to the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisomes by addition of appropriate subcellular localization signals to the cargos. CPP-adaptors were also used to deliver cargo to myotubes, demonstrating the feasibility of the system as an alternative to transfection for the manipulation of hard-to-transfect cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verra M. Ngwa
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America
| | - David S. Axford
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Allison N. Healey
- New Echota Biotechnology, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Scott J. Nowak
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Carol A. Chrestensen
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jonathan L. McMurry
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Salerno JC, Ngwa VM, Nowak SJ, Chrestensen CA, Healey AN, McMurry JL. Novel cell-penetrating peptide-adaptors effect intracellular delivery and endosomal escape of protein cargos. J Cell Sci 2016; 129:2473-4. [PMID: 27307494 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.192666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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11
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Qadota H, Mayans O, Matsunaga Y, McMurry JL, Wilson KJ, Kwon GE, Stanford R, Deehan K, Tinley TL, Ngwa VM, Benian GM. The SH3 domain of UNC-89 (obscurin) interacts with paramyosin, a coiled-coil protein, in Caenorhabditis elegans muscle. Mol Biol Cell 2016; 27:1606-20. [PMID: 27009202 PMCID: PMC4865318 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e15-09-0675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
UNC-89 is a giant polypeptide located at the sarcomeric M-line of Caenorhabditis elegans muscle. The human homologue is obscurin. To understand how UNC-89 is localized and functions, we have been identifying its binding partners. Screening a yeast two-hybrid library revealed that UNC-89 interacts with paramyosin. Paramyosin is an invertebrate-specific coiled-coil dimer protein that is homologous to the rod portion of myosin heavy chains and resides in thick filament cores. Minimally, this interaction requires UNC-89's SH3 domain and residues 294-376 of paramyosin and has a KD of ∼1.1 μM. In unc-89 loss-of-function mutants that lack the SH3 domain, paramyosin is found in accumulations. When the SH3 domain is overexpressed, paramyosin is mislocalized. SH3 domains usually interact with a proline-rich consensus sequence, but the region of paramyosin that interacts with UNC-89's SH3 is α-helical and lacks prolines. Homology modeling of UNC-89's SH3 suggests structural features that might be responsible for this interaction. The SH3-binding region of paramyosin contains a "skip residue," which is likely to locally unwind the coiled-coil and perhaps contributes to the binding specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Qadota
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Olga Mayans
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Yohei Matsunaga
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Jonathan L McMurry
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144
| | - Kristy J Wilson
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Grace E Kwon
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Rachel Stanford
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Kevin Deehan
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Tina L Tinley
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Verra M Ngwa
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144
| | - Guy M Benian
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
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12
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Salerno JC, Ngwa VM, Nowak SJ, Chrestensen CA, Healey AN, McMurry JL. Novel cell-penetrating peptide-adaptors effect intracellular delivery and endosomal escape of protein cargos. J Cell Sci 2016; 129:893-7. [PMID: 26801086 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.182113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) as biomolecular delivery vehicles holds great promise for therapeutic and other applications, but development has been stymied by poor delivery and lack of endosomal escape. We have developed a CPP-adaptor system capable of efficient intracellular delivery and endosomal escape of user-defined protein cargos. The cell-penetrating sequence of HIV transactivator of transcription was fused to calmodulin, which binds with subnanomolar affinity to proteins containing a calmodulin binding site. Our strategy has tremendous advantage over prior CPP technologies because it utilizes high-affinity non-covalent, but reversible coupling between CPP and cargo. Three different cargo proteins fused to a calmodulin binding sequence were delivered to the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells and released, demonstrating the feasibility of numerous applications in living cells including alteration of signaling pathways and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Salerno
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology and Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
| | - Verra M Ngwa
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
| | - Scott J Nowak
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology and Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
| | - Carol A Chrestensen
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
| | | | - Jonathan L McMurry
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology and Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
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