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Li C, Yang Q, Zhang L. Identification of putative allosteric inhibitors of BCKDK via virtual screening and biological evaluation. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2024; 39:2290458. [PMID: 38059302 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2290458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal accumulation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can lead to metabolic diseases and cancers. Branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) is a key negative regulator of BCAA catabolism, and targeting BCKDK provides a promising therapeutic approach for diseases caused by BCAA accumulation. Here, we screened PPHN and POAB as novel putative allosteric inhibitors by integrating allosteric binding site prediction, large-scale ligand database virtual screening, and bioactivity evaluation assays. Both of them showed a high binding affinity to BCKDK, with Kd values of 3.9 μM and 1.86 μM, respectively. In vivo experiments, the inhibitors demonstrated superior kinase inhibitory activity and notable antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects on diverse cancer cells. Finally, bulk RNA-seq analysis revealed that PPHN and POAB suppressed cell growth through a range of signalling pathways. Taken together, our findings highlight two novel BCKDK inhibitors as potent therapeutic candidates for metabolic diseases and cancers associated with BCAA dysfunctional metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunqiong Li
- Genomics Center, Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Quanjun Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Genomics Center, Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
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2
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Li Y, Lin Y, Tang Y, Jiang M, Chen X, Chen H, Nie Q, Wu J, Tong X, Li J, Yu L, Hou J, Guo W, Chen L, Chen M, Zhang J, Lin S, Fu F, Wang C. MAZ-mediated up-regulation of BCKDK reprograms glucose metabolism and promotes growth by regulating glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase stability in triple-negative breast cancer. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:516. [PMID: 39025830 PMCID: PMC11258276 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06835-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Tumour metabolic reprogramming is pivotal for tumour survival and proliferation. Investigating potential molecular mechanisms within the heterogeneous and clinically aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype is essential to identifying novel therapeutic targets. Accordingly, we investigated the role of branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) in promoting tumorigenesis in TNBC. We analysed The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset and immunohistochemically stained surgical specimens to investigate BCKDK expression and its prognostic implications in TNBC. The effects of BCKDK on tumorigenesis were assessed using cell viability, colony formation, apoptosis, and cell cycle assays, and subsequently validated in vivo. Metabolomic screening was performed via isotope tracer studies. The downstream target was confirmed using mass spectrometry and a co-immunoprecipitation experiment coupled with immunofluorescence analysis. Upstream transcription factors were also examined using chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays. BCKDK was upregulated in TNBC tumour tissues and associated with poor prognosis. BCKDK depletion led to reduced cell proliferation both in vitro and vivo. MYC-associated zinc finger protein (MAZ) was confirmed as the major transcription factor directly regulating BCKDK expression in TNBC. Mechanistically, BCKDK interacted with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), leading to increased flux in the pentose phosphate pathway for macromolecule synthesis and detoxification of reactive oxygen species. Forced expression of G6PD rescued the growth defect in BCKDK-deficient cells. Notably, the small-molecule inhibitor of BCKDK, 3,6-dichlorobenzo(b)thiophene-2-carboxylic acid, exhibited anti-tumour effects in a patient-derived tumour xenograft model. Our findings hold significant promise for developing targeted therapies aimed at disrupting the MAZ/BCKDK/G6PD signalling pathway, offering potential advancements in treating TNBC through metabolic reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yuxiang Lin
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yali Tang
- School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
| | - Meichen Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
| | - Xiaobin Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Hanxi Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Qian Nie
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Jinqiao Wu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Xin Tong
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Liuwen Yu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Jialin Hou
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Wenhui Guo
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Lili Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Minyan Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Shuhai Lin
- School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China.
| | - Fangmeng Fu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China.
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China.
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China.
| | - Chuan Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China.
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China.
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China.
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Wang W, Li Y, Tang L, Shi Y, Li W, Zou L, Zhang L, Cheng Y, Yuan Z, Zhu F, Duan Q. Cross-talk between BCKDK-mediated phosphorylation and STUB1-dependent ubiquitination degradation of BCAT1 promotes GBM progression. Cancer Lett 2024; 591:216849. [PMID: 38621458 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Branched-chain amino acid transferase 1 (BCAT1) is highly expressed in multiple cancers and is associated with poor prognosis, particularly in glioblastoma (GBM). However, the post-translational modification (PTM) mechanism of BCAT1 is unknown. Here, we investigated the cross-talk mechanisms between phosphorylation and ubiquitination modifications in regulating BCAT1 activity and stability. We found that BCAT1 is phosphorylated by branched chain ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) at S5, S9, and T312, which increases its catalytic and antioxidant activity and stability. STUB1 (STIP1 homology U-box-containing protein 1), the first we found and reported E3 ubiquitin ligase of BCAT1, can also be phosphorylated by BCKDK at the S19 site, which disrupts the interaction with BCAT1 and inhibits its degradation. In addition, we demonstrate through in vivo and in vitro experiments that BCAT1 phosphorylation inhibiting its ubiquitination at multiple sites is associated with GBM proliferation and that inhibition of the BCKDK-BCAT1 axis enhances the sensitivity to temozolomide (TMZ). Overall, we identified novel mechanisms for the regulation of BCAT1 modification and elucidated the importance of the BCKDK-STUB1-BCAT1 axis in GBM progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
| | - Youwei Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China; Department of Pain Management, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, China.
| | - Liu Tang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
| | - Yue Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
| | - Wensheng Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
| | - Ling Zou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
| | - Liyuan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
| | - Yue Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
| | - Zheng Yuan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
| | - Feng Zhu
- Translational Medicine Center, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, 475000, China; The Zhongzhou Laboratory for Integrative Biology, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China; Medical and Industry Crossover Research Institute of Medical College, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, 475000, China.
| | - Qiuhong Duan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China; Translational Medicine Center, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, 475000, China; The Zhongzhou Laboratory for Integrative Biology, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China; Medical and Industry Crossover Research Institute of Medical College, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, 475000, China.
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Hernandez-Huertas L, Moreno-Sanchez I, Crespo-Cuadrado J, Vargas-Baco A, da Silva Pescador G, Santos-Pereira JM, Bazzini AA, Moreno-Mateos MA. CRISPR-RfxCas13d screening uncovers Bckdk as a post-translational regulator of the maternal-to-zygotic transition in teleosts. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.22.595167. [PMID: 38826327 PMCID: PMC11142190 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.22.595167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The Maternal-to-Zygotic transition (MZT) is a reprograming process encompassing zygotic genome activation (ZGA) and the clearance of maternally-provided mRNAs. While some factors regulating MZT have been identified, there are thousands of maternal RNAs whose function has not been ascribed yet. Here, we have performed a proof-of-principle CRISPR-RfxCas13d maternal screening targeting mRNAs encoding protein kinases and phosphatases in zebrafish and identified Bckdk as a novel post-translational regulator of MZT. Bckdk mRNA knockdown caused epiboly defects, ZGA deregulation, H3K27ac reduction and a partial impairment of miR-430 processing. Phospho-proteomic analysis revealed that Phf10/Baf45a, a chromatin remodeling factor, is less phosphorylated upon Bckdk depletion. Further, phf10 mRNA knockdown also altered ZGA and Phf10 constitutively phosphorylated rescued the developmental defects observed after bckdk mRNA depletion. Altogether, our results demonstrate the competence of CRISPR-RfxCas13d screenings to uncover new regulators of early vertebrate development and shed light on the post-translational control of MZT mediated by protein phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Hernandez-Huertas
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), Pablo de Olavide University/CSIC/Junta de Andalucía, Ctra. Utrera Km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Pablo de Olavide University, Ctra. Utrera Km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - Ismael Moreno-Sanchez
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), Pablo de Olavide University/CSIC/Junta de Andalucía, Ctra. Utrera Km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Pablo de Olavide University, Ctra. Utrera Km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - Jesús Crespo-Cuadrado
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), Pablo de Olavide University/CSIC/Junta de Andalucía, Ctra. Utrera Km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - Ana Vargas-Baco
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), Pablo de Olavide University/CSIC/Junta de Andalucía, Ctra. Utrera Km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Pablo de Olavide University, Ctra. Utrera Km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | | | - José M. Santos-Pereira
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), Pablo de Olavide University/CSIC/Junta de Andalucía, Ctra. Utrera Km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - Ariel A. Bazzini
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E 50th St, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Miguel A. Moreno-Mateos
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), Pablo de Olavide University/CSIC/Junta de Andalucía, Ctra. Utrera Km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Pablo de Olavide University, Ctra. Utrera Km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
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Kang ZR, Jiang S, Han JX, Gao Y, Xie Y, Chen J, Liu Q, Yu J, Zhao X, Hong J, Chen H, Chen YX, Chen H, Fang JY. Deficiency of BCAT2-mediated branched-chain amino acid catabolism promotes colorectal cancer development. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:166941. [PMID: 37926361 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2023.166941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism is involved in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigates the role of BCAA metabolism in CRC progression. METHODS Dietary BCAA was administered to both azoxymethane-induced and azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate-induced CRC mouse models. The expression of genes related to BCAA metabolism was determined using RNA sequencing. Adjacent tissue samples, obtained from 58 patients with CRC, were subjected to quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemical analysis. Moreover, the suppressive role of branched-chain aminotransferase 2 (BCAT2) in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and xenograft mouse models was investigated. Alterations in BCAAs and activation of downstream pathways were also assessed using metabolic analysis and western blotting. RESULTS High levels of dietary BCAA intake promoted CRC tumorigenesis in chemical-induced CRC and xenograft mouse models. Both the mRNA and protein levels of BCAT2 were decreased in tumor tissues of patients with CRC compared to those in normal tissues. Proliferation assays and xenograft models confirmed the suppressive role of BCAT2 in CRC progression. Furthermore, the accumulation of BCAAs caused by BCAT2 deficiency facilitated the chronic activation of mTORC1, thereby mediating the oncogenic effect of BCAAs. CONCLUSION BCAT2 deficiency promotes CRC progression through inhibition of BCAAs metabolism and chronic activation of mTORC1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Ran Kang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanshan Jiang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ji-Xuan Han
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaqi Gao
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yile Xie
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinxian Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease and The Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Xin Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Hong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoyan Chen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying-Xuan Chen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huimin Chen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jing-Yuan Fang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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Ye C, Cheng F, Huang L, Wang K, Zhong L, Lu Y, Ouyang M. New plasma diagnostic markers for colorectal cancer: transporter fragments of glutamate tRNA origin. J Cancer 2024; 15:1299-1313. [PMID: 38356701 PMCID: PMC10861818 DOI: 10.7150/jca.92102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early diagnosis of the disease can greatly improve the clinical prognosis for patients with CRC. Unfortunately, there are no current simple and effective early diagnostic markers available. The transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), which have been shown to play an important role in the development and prognosis of CRC. However, only a few studies on tRFs as early diagnostic markers in CRC have been conducted. In this study, previously ignored tRFs expression data were extracted from six paired small RNA sequencing data in the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) database using MINTmap. Three i-tRFs, derived from the tRNA that transports glutamate (i-tRF-Glu), were identified and used to construct a random forest diagnostic model. The model performance was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and precision-recall (PR) curve. The area under the curves (AUC) for the ROC and PR was 0.941 and 0.944, respectively. We further verified the differences in expression of the these i-tRF-Glu in the tissue and plasma of both CRC patients and healthy subjects using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). We found that the ROC-AUC of the three was greater than traditional plasma tumor markers such as CEA and CA199. Our bioinformatics analysis suggested that the these i-tRF-Glu are associated with cancer development and glutamate (Glu)-glutamine (Gln) metabolism. Overall, our study uncovered these i-tRF-Glu that have early diagnostic significance and therapeutic potential for CRC, this warrants further investigation into the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of these i-tRF-Glu in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changda Ye
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong Province, 528300, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Fu Cheng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong Province, 528300, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Luji Huang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong Province, 528300, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Kang Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong Province, 528300, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Lin Zhong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong Province, 528300, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Yan Lu
- GCP Center, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Foshan, 528300, Guangdong, China
| | - Manzhao Ouyang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong Province, 528300, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
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Xu H, Wang X, Xu X, Liu L, Zhang Y, Yan X, Zhang Y, Dang K, Li Y. Association of plasma branched-chain amino acid with multiple cancers: A mendelian randomization analysis. Clin Nutr 2023; 42:2493-2502. [PMID: 37922693 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2023.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have suggested a possible relevance between branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolic enzymes and cancers. However, few studies have explored the variation in circulating concentrations of BCAAs. Our study used bi-directional, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis for predicting the causality between the BCAA levels and 9 types of cancers. METHODS The largest genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provided data for total BCAAs, valine, leucine, and isoleucine from the UK Biobank. Data on multiple cancer endpoints were collected from various sources, such as the International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO), the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium 1 (PanScan1), the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC), the FinnGen Biobank, and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCAC). The mainly analysis method was the inverse-variance-weighted (IVW). For assessing horizontal pleiotropy, the researchers performed MR-Egger regression and MR-PRESSO global test. Finally, the Cochran's Q test served for evaluating the heterogeneity. RESULTS Circulating total BCAAs levels (OR 1.708, 95%CI 1.168, 2.498; p = 0.006), valine levels (OR 1.747, 95%CI 1.217, 2.402; p < 0.001), leucine levels (OR 1.923, 95%CI 1.279, 2.890; p = 0.002) as well as isoleucine levels (OR 1.898, 95%CI 1.164, 3.094; p = 0.010) positively correlated with the squamous cell lung cancer risk. Nevertheless, no compelling evidence was found to support a causal link between BCAAs and any other examined cancers. CONCLUSIONS Increased circulating total-BCAAs levels, leucine levels, isoleucine levels and valine levels had higher hazard of squamous cell lung cancer. No such associations were found for BCAAs with other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Xu
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China; The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xuanyang Wang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaoqing Xu
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yuntao Zhang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xuemin Yan
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yingfeng Zhang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Keke Dang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
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8
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Li D, Yan J, Li K, Yang Q, Bian L, Lin B, Liu X, Xi Z. Identification of potential glioma drug resistance target proteins based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry differential proteomics. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16426. [PMID: 38054015 PMCID: PMC10695112 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, to screen for candidate markers of temozolomide (TMZ) resistance in glioblastoma, we artificially established TMZ drug-resistant glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines, U251-TMZ and U87-TMZ. In the U251-TMZ and U87-TMZ cell lines, we screened and analyzed differentially expressed proteins using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) differential proteomics. Compared with the U251 and U87 control cell lines, 95 differential proteins were screened in the U251-TMZ and U87-TMZ cell lines, of which 28 proteins were upregulated and 67 proteins were down-regulated. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of the co-upregulated proteins showed that most of the differentially expressed proteins were located in the cytoplasm and were significantly upregulated in the biological processes related to vesicular transport in the intimal system and inflammatory response mediated by myeloid leukocytes. Seven candidates were identified as potential GBM markers of TMZ resistance. Combined with existing research findings, our study supports that UAP1L1 and BCKDK are promising potential markers of TMZ resistance in GBM. This is important for further understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive the development and enhancement of TMZ resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Li
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Kang Li
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Qingcheng Yang
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Liping Bian
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Bencheng Lin
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaohua Liu
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhuge Xi
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
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9
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Yang K, Xu C, Sun H, Xuan Z, Liu Y, Li J, Bai Y, Zheng Z, Zhao Y, Shi Z, Zheng J, Shao C. Branched-chain keto-acid dehydrogenase kinase regulates vascular permeability and angiogenesis to facilitate tumor metastasis in renal cell carcinoma. Cancer Sci 2023; 114:4270-4285. [PMID: 37715534 PMCID: PMC10637060 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Branched-chain keto-acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) is the rate-limiting enzyme of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism. In the last six years, BCKDK has been used as a kinase to promote tumor proliferation and metastasis. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a highly vascularized tumor. A high degree of vascularization promotes tumor metastasis. Our objective is to explore the relationship between BCKDK and RCC metastasis and its specific mechanism. In our study, BCKDK is highly expressed in renal clear cell carcinoma and promotes the migration of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Exosomes from ccRCC cells can promote vascular permeability and angiogenesis, especially when BCKDK is overexpressed in ccRCC cells. BCKDK can also augment the miR-125a-5p expression in ccRCC cells and derived exosomes, thereby decreasing the downstream target protein VE-cadherin level, weakening adhesion junction expression, increasing vascular permeability, and promoting angiogenesis in HUVECs. The novel BCKDK/Exosome-miR-125a-5p/VE-cadherin axis regulates intercellular communication between ccRCC cells and HUVECs. BCKDK plays a critical role in renal cancer metastasis, may be used as a molecular marker of metastatic ccRCC, and even may become a potential target of clinical anti-vascular therapy for ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunao Yang
- Department of Urology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Chunlan Xu
- Department of Tumor, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Huimin Sun
- Central Laboratory, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Zuodong Xuan
- Department of Urology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Yankuo Liu
- Department of Urology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Jinxin Li
- Department of Urology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Yang Bai
- Department of Urology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Zeyuan Zheng
- Department of Urology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Urology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Zhiyuan Shi
- Department of Urology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Jianzhong Zheng
- Department of Urology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Chen Shao
- Department of Urology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
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10
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Anandakrishnan M, Ross KE, Chen C, Shanker V, Cowart J, Wu CH. KSFinder-a knowledge graph model for link prediction of novel phosphorylated substrates of kinases. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16164. [PMID: 37818330 PMCID: PMC10561642 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Aberrant protein kinase regulation leading to abnormal substrate phosphorylation is associated with several human diseases. Despite the promise of therapies targeting kinases, many human kinases remain understudied. Most existing computational tools predicting phosphorylation cover less than 50% of known human kinases. They utilize local feature selection based on protein sequences, motifs, domains, structures, and/or functions, and do not consider the heterogeneous relationships of the proteins. In this work, we present KSFinder, a tool that predicts kinase-substrate links by capturing the inherent association of proteins in a network comprising 85% of the known human kinases. We also postulate the potential role of two understudied kinases based on their substrate predictions from KSFinder. Methods KSFinder learns the semantic relationships in a phosphoproteome knowledge graph using a knowledge graph embedding algorithm and represents the nodes in low-dimensional vectors. A multilayer perceptron (MLP) classifier is trained to discern kinase-substrate links using the embedded vectors. KSFinder uses a strategic negative generation approach that eliminates biases in entity representation and combines data from experimentally validated non-interacting protein pairs, proteins from different subcellular locations, and random sampling. We assess KSFinder's generalization capability on four different datasets and compare its performance with other state-of-the-art prediction models. We employ KSFinder to predict substrates of 68 "dark" kinases considered understudied by the Illuminating the Druggable Genome program and use our text-mining tool, RLIMS-P along with manual curation, to search for literature evidence for the predictions. In a case study, we performed functional enrichment analysis for two dark kinases - HIPK3 and CAMKK1 using their predicted substrates. Results KSFinder shows improved performance over other kinase-substrate prediction models and generalized prediction ability on different datasets. We identified literature evidence for 17 novel predictions involving an understudied kinase. All of these 17 predictions had a probability score ≥0.7 (nine at >0.9, six at 0.8-0.9, and two at 0.7-0.8). The evaluation of 93,593 negative predictions (probability ≤0.3) identified four false negatives. The top enriched biological processes of HIPK3 substrates relate to the regulation of extracellular matrix and epigenetic gene expression, while CAMKK1 substrates include lipid storage regulation and glucose homeostasis. Conclusions KSFinder outperforms the current kinase-substrate prediction tools with higher kinase coverage. The strategically developed negatives provide a superior generalization ability for KSFinder. We predicted substrates of 432 kinases, 68 of which are understudied, and hypothesized the potential functions of two dark kinases using their predicted substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manju Anandakrishnan
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delware, Newark, DE, United States of America
| | - Karen E. Ross
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Chuming Chen
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delware, Newark, DE, United States of America
| | - Vijay Shanker
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delware, Newark, DE, United States of America
| | - Julie Cowart
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delware, Newark, DE, United States of America
| | - Cathy H. Wu
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delware, Newark, DE, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
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11
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Xu F, Jiang HL, Feng WW, Fu C, Zhou JC. Characteristics of amino acid metabolism in colorectal cancer. World J Clin Cases 2023; 11:6318-6326. [PMID: 37900242 PMCID: PMC10601002 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i27.6318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, metabolomics research has become a hot spot in the screening and treatment of cancer. It is a popular technique for the quantitative characterization of small molecular compounds in biological cells, tissues, organs or organisms. Further study of the tumor revealed that amino acid changes may occur early in the tumor. The rapid growth and metabolism required for survival result in tumors exhibiting an increased demand for amino acids. An abundant supply of amino acids is important for cancer to maintain its proliferative driving force. Changes in amino acid metabolism can be used to screen malignant tumors and improve therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, it is particularly important to study the characteristics of amino acid metabolism in colorectal cancer. This article reviews several specific amino acid metabolism characteristics in colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fen Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University, Dalian 116000, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Hong-Liang Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University, Dalian 116000, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Wei-Wei Feng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University, Dalian 116000, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Chen Fu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University, Dalian 116000, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jiang-Chang Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University, Dalian 116000, Liaoning Province, China
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12
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Xu E, Ji B, Jin K, Chen Y. Branched-chain amino acids catabolism and cancer progression: focus on therapeutic interventions. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1220638. [PMID: 37637065 PMCID: PMC10448767 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1220638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including valine, leucine, and isoleucine, are crucial amino acids with significant implications in tumorigenesis across various human malignancies. Studies have demonstrated that altered BCAA metabolism can influence tumor growth and progression. Increased levels of BCAAs have been associated with tumor growth inhibition, indicating their potential as anti-cancer agents. Conversely, a deficiency in BCAAs can promote tumor metastasis to different organs due to the disruptive effects of high BCAA concentrations on tumor cell migration and invasion. This disruption is associated with tumor cell adhesion, angiogenesis, metastasis, and invasion. Furthermore, BCAAs serve as nitrogen donors, contributing to synthesizing macromolecules such as proteins and nucleotides crucial for cancer cell growth. Consequently, BCAAs exhibit a dual role in cancer, and their effects on tumor growth or inhibition are contingent upon various conditions and concentrations. This review discusses these contrasting findings, providing valuable insights into BCAA-related therapeutic interventions and ultimately contributing to a better understanding of their potential role in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Er Xu
- Department of Hospital Infection Management, Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bangju Ji
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ketao Jin
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yefeng Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
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13
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Xu C, Yang K, Xuan Z, Li J, Liu Y, Zhao Y, Zheng Z, Bai Y, Shi Z, Shao C, Zhang L, Sun H. BCKDK regulates breast cancer cell adhesion and tumor metastasis by inhibiting TRIM21 ubiquitinate talin1. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:445. [PMID: 37460470 PMCID: PMC10352378 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05944-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignant cancer in women worldwide. Cancer metastasis is the major cause of cancer-related deaths. BCKDK is associated with various diseases, including proliferation, migration, and invasion in multiple types of human cancers. However, the relevance of BCKDK to the development and progression of breast cancers and its function is unclear. This study found that BCKDK was overexpressed in breast cancer, associated with poor prognosis, and implicated in tumor metastasis. The downregulation of BCKDK expression inhibited the migration of human breast cancer cells in vitro and diminished lung metastasis in vivo. BCKDK perturbed the cadherin-catenin complex at the adherens junctions (AJs) and assembled focal adhesions (FAs) onto the extracellular matrix, thereby promoting the directed migration of breast cancer cells. We observed that BCKDK acted as a conserved regulator of the ubiquitination of cytoskeletal protein talin1 and the activation of the FAK/MAPK pathway. Further studies revealed that BCKDK inhibited the binding of talin1 to E3 ubiquitin ligase-TRIM21, leading to the decreased ubiquitination/degradation of talin1. In conclusion, identifying BCKDK as a biomarker for breast cancer metastasis facilitated further research on diagnostic biomarkers. Elucidating the mechanism by which BCKDK exerted its biological effect could provide a new theoretical basis for developing new markers for breast cancer metastasis and contribute to developing new therapies for the clinical treatment of breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlan Xu
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Kunao Yang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Zuodong Xuan
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Jinxin Li
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Yankuo Liu
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Zeyuan Zheng
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Yang Bai
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhiyuan Shi
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Chen Shao
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Huimin Sun
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361101, Xiamen, China.
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Bai X, Long X, Song F, Chen B, Sheng C, Tang C, Li L, Zhang J, Zhang R, Zhang J, Li J. High doses of rosuvastatin induce impaired branched-chain amino acid catabolism and lead to insulin resistance. Exp Physiol 2023; 108:961-974. [PMID: 37139700 PMCID: PMC10988443 DOI: 10.1113/ep090305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? Is there a risk of developing diabetes associated with statin treatment? What is the underlying mechanism of the increased incidence rate of new-onset diabetes in patients treated with rosuvastatin? What is the main finding and its importance? Rosuvastatin therapy reduced intraperitoneal glucose tolerance and changed the catabolism of branched-chain amino acid (BCAAs) in white adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. Protein phosphatase 2Cm knockdown completely abolished the effects of insulin and rosuvastatin on glucose absorption. This study provides mechanistic support for recent clinical data on rosuvastatin-related new-onset diabetes and underscores the logic for intervening in BCAA catabolism to prevent the harmful effects of rosuvastatin. ABSTRACT Accumulating evidence indicates that patients treated with rosuvastatin have an increased risk of developing new-onset diabetes. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we administered rosuvastatin (10 mg/kg body weight) to male C57BL/6J mice for 12 weeks and found that oral rosuvastatin dramatically reduced intraperitoneal glucose tolerance. Rosuvastatin-treated mice showed considerably higher serum levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) than control mice. They also showed dramatically altered expression of BCAA catabolism-related enzymes in white adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, including downregulated mRNA expression of BCAT2 and protein phosphatase 2Cm (PP2Cm) and upregulated mRNA expression of branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK). The levels of BCKD in the skeletal muscle were reduced in rosuvastatin-treated mice, which was associated with lower PP2Cm protein levels and increased BCKDK levels. We also investigated the effects of rosuvastatin and insulin administration on glucose metabolism and BCAA catabolism in C2C12 myoblasts. We observed that incubation with insulin enhanced glucose uptake and facilitated BCAA catabolism in C2C12 cells, which was accompanied by elevated Akt and glycogen synthase kinase 3 β (GSK3β) phosphorylation. These effects of insulin were prevented by co-incubation of the cells with 25 μM rosuvastatin. Moreover, the effects of insulin and rosuvastatin administration on glucose uptake and Akt and GSK3β signaling in C2C12 cells were abolished when PP2Cm was knocked down. Although the relevance of these data, obtained with high doses of rosuvastatin in mice, to therapeutic doses in humans remains to be elucidated, this study highlights a potential mechanism for the diabetogenic effects of rosuvastatin, and suggests that BCAA catabolism could be a pharmacological target for preventing the adverse effects of rosuvastatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Bai
- Department of PharmacyGuizhou Provincial People's HospitalGuiyangGuizhouChina
| | - Xingzhen Long
- The First Affiliated HospitalGuizhou University of Traditional Chinese MedicineGuiyangGuizhouChina
| | - Fang Song
- Department of CardiologyGuizhou Provincial People's HospitalGuiyangGuizhouChina
| | - Baolin Chen
- Department of CardiologyGuizhou Provincial People's HospitalGuiyangGuizhouChina
| | - Changcheng Sheng
- Department of PharmacyGuizhou Provincial People's HospitalGuiyangGuizhouChina
| | - Cailin Tang
- Department of PharmacyGuizhou Provincial People's HospitalGuiyangGuizhouChina
| | - Li Li
- Department of PharmacyGuizhou Provincial People's HospitalGuiyangGuizhouChina
| | - Jiaxing Zhang
- Department of PharmacyGuizhou Provincial People's HospitalGuiyangGuizhouChina
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of PharmacyGuizhou Provincial People's HospitalGuiyangGuizhouChina
| | - Jiquan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants & College of PharmacyGuizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&DGuizhou Medical UniversityGuiyangGuizhouChina
| | - Jiali Li
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical SciencesSun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
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15
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Xue M, Xiao J, Jiang W, Wang Y, Zuo D, An H, Ren L. Loss of BCAA catabolism enhances Rab1A-mTORC1 signaling activity and promotes tumor proliferation in NSCLC. Transl Oncol 2023; 34:101696. [PMID: 37216755 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer death. Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) homeostasis is important for normal physiological metabolism. Branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) is a rate-limiting enzyme involved in BCAA degradation. BCAA metabolism has been highlighted in human cancers. The aberrant activation of mTORC1 has been implicated in tumor progression. Rab1A is a small GTPase, an activator of mTORC1, and an oncogene. This study aimed to reveal the specific role of BCKDK-BCAA-Rab1A-mTORC1 signaling in NSCLC. METHODS We analyzed a cohort of 79 patients with NSCLC and 79 healthy controls. Plasma BCAA assays, immunohistochemistry, and network and pathway analyses were performed. The stable cell lines BCKDK-KD, BCKDK-OV A549, and H1299 were constructed. BCKDK, Rab1A, p-S6 and S6 were detected using western blotting to explore their molecular mechanisms of action in NSCLC. The effects of BCAA and BCKDK on the apoptosis and proliferation of H1299 cells were detected by cell function assays. RESULTS We demonstrated that NSCLC was primarily involved in BCAA degradation. Therefore, combining BCAA, CEA, and Cyfra21-1 is clinically useful for treating NSCLC. We observed a significant increase in BCAA levels, downregulation of BCKDHA expression, and upregulation of BCKDK expression in NSCLC cells. BCKDK promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in NSCLC cells, and we observed that BCKDK affected Rab1A and p-S6 in A549 and H1299 cells via BCAA modulation. Leucine affected Rab1A and p-S6 in A549 and H1299 cells and affected the apoptosis rate of H1299 cells. In conclusion, BCKDK enhances Rab1A-mTORC1 signaling and promotes tumor proliferation by suppressing BCAA catabolism in NSCLC, suggesting a new biomarker for the early diagnosis and identification of metabolism-based targeted approaches for patients with NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiting Xue
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Jiawei Xiao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Wenna Jiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Yanhui Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Duo Zuo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Haohua An
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Li Ren
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China.
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16
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Ghodousi-Dehnavi E, Arjmand M, Akbari Z, Aminzadeh M, Haji Hosseini R. Anti-Cancer Effect of Dorema Ammoniacum Gum by Targeting Metabolic Reprogramming by Regulating APC, P53, KRAS Gene Expression in HT-29 Human Colon Cancer Cells. Rep Biochem Mol Biol 2023; 12:127-135. [PMID: 37724146 PMCID: PMC10505474 DOI: 10.52547/rbmb.12.1.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Background Colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous disease that leads to metabolic disorders due to multiple upstream genetic and molecular changes and interactions. The development of new therapies, especially herbal medicines, has received much global attention. Dorema ammoniacum is a medicinal plant. Its gum is used in healing known ailments. Studying metabolome profiles based on nuclear magnetic resonance 1HNMR as a non-invasive and reproducible tool can identify metabolic changes as a reflection of intracellular fluxes, especially in drug responses. This study aimed to investigate the anti-cancer effects of different gum extracts on metabolic changes and their impact on gene expression in HT-29 cell. Methods Extraction of Dorema ammoniacum gum with hexane, chloroform, and dichloromethane organic solvents was performed. Cell inhibition growth percentage and IC50 were assessed. Following treating the cells with dichloromethane extract, p53, APC, and KRAS gene expression were determined. 1HNMR spectroscopy was conducted. Eventually, systems biology software tools interpreted combined metabolites and genes simultaneously. Results The lowest determined IC50 concentration was related to dichloromethane solvent, and the highest was hexane and chloroform. The expression of the KRAS oncogene gene decreased significantly after treatment with dichloromethane extract compared to the control group, and the expression of tumor suppressor gene p53 and APC increased significantly. Most gene-altered convergent metabolic phenotypes. Conclusion This study's results indicate that the dichloromethane solvent of Dorema ammoniacum gum exhibits its antitumor properties by altering the expression of genes involved in HT-29 cells and the consequent change in downstream metabolic reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohammad Arjmand
- Metabolomics Lab. Department of Biochemistry, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Avenue, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ziba Akbari
- Metabolomics Lab. Department of Biochemistry, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Avenue, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mansour Aminzadeh
- Metabolomics Lab. Department of Biochemistry, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Avenue, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Reza Haji Hosseini
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
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Inhibition of branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase augments the sensitivity of ovarian and breast cancer cells to paclitaxel. Br J Cancer 2023; 128:896-906. [PMID: 36526674 PMCID: PMC9977917 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-02095-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT Many cancer patients who initially respond to chemotherapy eventually develop chemoresistance, and to address this, we previously conducted a RNAi screen to identify genes contributing to resistance. One of the hits from the screen was branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK). BCKDK controls the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) through phosphorylation and inactivation of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex (BCKDH), thereby inhibiting catabolism of BCAAs. METHODS We measured the impact on paclitaxel sensitivity of inhibiting BCKDK in ovarian and breast cancer cell lines. RESULTS Inhibition of BCKDK using siRNA or two chemical inhibitors (BCKDKi) was synergistic with paclitaxel in both breast and ovarian cancer cells. BCKDKi reduced levels of BCAA and the addition of exogenous BCAA suppressed this synergy. BCKDKi inactivated the mTORC1-Aurora pathway, allowing cells to overcame M-phase arrest induced by paclitaxel. In some cases, cells almost completed cytokinesis, then reverted to a single cell, resulting in multinucleate cells. CONCLUSION BCKDK is an attractive target to augment the sensitivity of cancer cells to paclitaxel.
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18
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Bellerba F, Chatziioannou AC, Jasbi P, Robinot N, Keski-Rahkonen P, Trolat A, Vozar B, Hartman SJ, Scalbert A, Bonanni B, Johansson H, Sears DD, Gandini S. Metabolomic profiles of metformin in breast cancer survivors: a pooled analysis of plasmas from two randomized placebo-controlled trials. J Transl Med 2022; 20:629. [PMID: 36581893 PMCID: PMC9798585 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03809-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity is a major health concern for breast cancer survivors, being associated with high recurrence and reduced efficacy during cancer treatment. Metformin treatment is associated with reduced breast cancer incidence, recurrence and mortality. To better understand the underlying mechanisms through which metformin may reduce recurrence, we aimed to conduct metabolic profiling of overweight/obese breast cancer survivors before and after metformin treatment. METHODS Fasting plasma samples from 373 overweight or obese breast cancer survivors randomly assigned to metformin (n = 194) or placebo (n = 179) administration were collected at baseline, after 6 months (Reach For Health trial), and after 12 months (MetBreCS trial). Archival samples were concurrently analyzed using three complementary methods: untargeted LC-QTOF-MS metabolomics, targeted LC-MS metabolomics (AbsoluteIDQ p180, Biocrates), and gas chromatography phospholipid fatty acid assay. Multivariable linear regression models and family-wise error correction were used to identify metabolites that significantly changed after metformin treatment. RESULTS Participants (n = 352) with both baseline and study end point samples available were included in the analysis. After adjusting for confounders such as study center, age, body mass index and false discovery rate, we found that metformin treatment was significantly associated with decreased levels of citrulline, arginine, tyrosine, caffeine, paraxanthine, and theophylline, and increased levels of leucine, isoleucine, proline, 3-methyl-2-oxovalerate, 4-methyl-2-oxovalerate, alanine and indoxyl-sulphate. Long-chain unsaturated phosphatidylcholines (PC ae C36:4, PC ae C38:5, PC ae C36:5 and PC ae C38:6) were significantly decreased with the metformin treatment, as were phospholipid-derived long-chain n-6 fatty acids. The metabolomic profiles of metformin treatment suggest change in specific biochemical pathways known to impair cancer cell growth including activation of CYP1A2, alterations in fatty acid desaturase activity, and altered metabolism of specific amino acids, including impaired branched chain amino acid catabolism. CONCLUSIONS Our results in overweight breast cancer survivors identify new metabolic effects of metformin treatment that may mechanistically contribute to reduced risk of recurrence in this population and reduced obesity-related cancer risk reported in observational studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01302379 and EudraCT Protocol #: 2015-001001-14.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Bellerba
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Paniz Jasbi
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Nivonirina Robinot
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, Lyon, France
| | - Pekka Keski-Rahkonen
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, Lyon, France
| | - Amarine Trolat
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, Lyon, France
| | - Béatrice Vozar
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, Lyon, France
| | - Sheri J Hartman
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Augustin Scalbert
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, Lyon, France
| | - Bernardo Bonanni
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Genetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Giuseppe Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Harriet Johansson
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Genetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Giuseppe Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy.
| | - Dorothy D Sears
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sara Gandini
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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19
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The role of branched chain amino acids metabolic disorders in tumorigenesis and progression. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 153:113390. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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20
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Yahsi B, Gunaydin G. Immunometabolism – The Role of Branched-Chain Amino Acids. Front Immunol 2022; 13:886822. [PMID: 35812393 PMCID: PMC9259854 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.886822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunometabolism has been the focus of extensive research over the last years, especially in terms of augmenting anti-tumor immune responses. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subset of CD4+ T cells, which have been known for their immunosuppressive roles in various conditions including anti-tumor immune responses. Even though several studies aimed to target Tregs in the tumor microenvironment (TME), such approaches generally result in the inhibition of the Tregs non-specifically, which may cause immunopathologies such as autoimmunity. Therefore, specifically targeting the Tregs in the TME would be vital in terms of achieving a successful and specific treatment. Recently, an association between Tregs and isoleucine, which represents one type of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), has been demonstrated. The presence of isoleucine seems to affect majorly Tregs, rather than conventional T cells. Considering the fact that Tregs bear several distinct metabolic features in the TME, targeting their immunometabolic pathways may be a rational approach. In this Review, we provide a general overview on the potential distinct metabolic features of T cells, especially focusing on BCAAs in Tregs as well as in their subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berkay Yahsi
- School of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gurcan Gunaydin
- Department of Basic Oncology, Cancer Institute, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
- *Correspondence: Gurcan Gunaydin,
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BCKDK Promotes Ovarian Cancer Proliferation and Migration by Activating the MEK/ERK Signaling Pathway. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:3691635. [PMID: 35498541 PMCID: PMC9054484 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3691635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Background Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most fatal gynecologic cancer. The branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) plays an important role in many serious human diseases, including cancers. Its function in promoting cell proliferation and migration has been reported in various cancers. However, the biological role of BCKDK and its molecular mechanisms underlying OC initiation and progression are unclear. Methods First, the expression level of BCKDK in OC cell lines or tissues was determined using tissue microarray- (TMA-) based immunohistochemistry or western blotting. Then, growth curve analysis, anchorage-independent cell transformation assays, wound healing assays, cell migration assays, and tumor xenografts were used to test whether BCKDK could promote cell transformation or metastasis. Finally, the signaling pathways involved in this process were investigated by western blotting or immunoprecipitation. Results We found that the expression of BCKDK was upregulated in OC tissues and the high expression of BCKDK was correlated with an advanced pathological grade in patients. The ectopic overexpression of BCKDK promoted the proliferation and migration of OC cells, and the knockdown of BCKDK with shRNAs inhibited the proliferation and migration of OC ex vivo and in vivo. Moreover, BCKDK promoted OC proliferation and migration by activating MEK. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that BCKDK promotes OC proliferation and migration by activating the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. Targeting the BCKDK-MEK axis may provide a new therapeutic strategy for treating patients with OC.
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22
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Expression of 3-Methylcrotonyl-CoA Carboxylase in Brain Tumors and Capability to Catabolize Leucine by Human Neural Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030585. [PMID: 35158853 PMCID: PMC8833481 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Leucine is an essential, ketogenic amino acid with proteinogenic, metabolic, and signaling roles. It is readily imported from the bloodstream into the brain parenchyma. Therefore, it could serve as a putative substrate that is complementing glucose for sustaining the metabolic needs of brain tumor cells. Here, we investigated the ability of cultured human cancer cells to metabolize leucine. Indeed, cancer cells dispose of leucine from their environment and enrich their media with the metabolite 2-oxoisocaproate. The enrichment of the culture media with a high level of leucine stimulated the production of 3-hydroxybutyrate. When 13C6-leucine was offered, it led to an increased appearance of the heavier citrate isotope with a molar mass greater by two units in the culture media. The expression of 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (MCC), an enzyme characteristic for the irreversible part of the leucine catabolic pathway, was detected in cultured cancer cells and human tumor samples by immunoprobing methods. Our results demonstrate that these cancer cells can catabolize leucine and furnish its carbon atoms into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Furthermore, the release of 3-hydroxybutyrate and citrate by cancer cells suggests their capability to exchange these metabolites with their milieu and the capability to participate in their metabolism. This indicates that leucine could be an additional substrate for cancer cell metabolism in the brain parenchyma. In this way, leucine could potentially contribute to the synthesis of metabolites such as lipids, which require the withdrawal of citrate from the TCA cycle.
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Jung MK, Okekunle AP, Lee JE, Sung MK, Lim YJ. Role of Branched-chain Amino Acid Metabolism in Tumor Development and Progression. J Cancer Prev 2021; 26:237-243. [PMID: 35047449 PMCID: PMC8749315 DOI: 10.15430/jcp.2021.26.4.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), isoleucine, leucine and valine, are essential amino acids with vital roles in protein synthesis and energy production. We reviewed the fundamentals of BCAA metabolism in advanced cancer patients. BCAAs and various catabolic products act as signalling molecules, which activate mechanisms ranging from protein synthesis to insulin secretion. Recently, BCAA metabolism has been suggested to contribute to cancer progression. Of particular interest is the modulation of the mTOR activity by BCAAs. There are likely multiple pathways involved in BCAA metabolism implicated in carcinogenesis. Understanding the mechanism(s) underlying altered BCAAs metabolism will significantly advance the current understanding of nutrient involvement in carcinogenesis and direct future studies to unravel the significance of BCCA metabolites in tumor development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Kyu Jung
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea
| | - Akinkunmi Paul Okekunle
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung Eun Lee
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Mi Kyung Sung
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yun Jeong Lim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea
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24
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Liu L, Xiao C, Sun Q. MiRNA-375 inhibits retinoblastoma progression through targeting ERBB2 and inhibiting MAPK1/MAPK3 signalling pathway. Cutan Ocul Toxicol 2021; 41:1-10. [PMID: 34711123 DOI: 10.1080/15569527.2021.1994587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence has shown that the dysregulation of miRNAs is involved in the pathogenesis of retinoblastoma (RB). This present study was aimed to investigate the significance of miR-375 in RB progression, and the underlying mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS The miR-375 expression was detected by RT-PCR. CCK-8 assay and transwell assays were used to measure RB cell viability, migration, and invasion. The downstream gene of miR-375 was verified by luciferase reporter assay. Western blot was applied to detect the related proteins of MAPK1/MAPK3 signalling pathway. RESULTS MiR-375 was decreased significantly in RB tissues, and its down-regulation was associated with the poor prognosis of RB patients. Over-expression of miR-375 inhibited RB cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. More importantly, miR-375 modulated ERBB2 expression negatively, and ERBB2 was confirmed as the target of miR-375. Moreover, ERBB2 overturned the inhibitory effect of miR-375 mimic on the progression of RB. MiR-375 mimic suppressed RB progression via inhibiting the activation of MAPK1/MAPK3 signalling pathway. CONCLUSIONS MiR-375 inhibited RB progression through targeting ERBB2 and suppressing MAPK1/MAPK3 signalling pathway, which might be a new target for the clinical treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Liu
- Department of Fundus Disease, Aier Eye Hospital Chongqing Children's, Chongqing City, China
| | - Chunlin Xiao
- Department of Ocular Surface and Cornea, Chongqing Aier Eye Hospital, Chongqing City, China
| | - Qiuyun Sun
- Department of Oculoplasty & Lacrimal System, Chongqing Aier Eye Hospital, Chongqing City, China
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25
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Zang B, Wang W, Wang Y, Li P, Xia T, Liu X, Chen D, Piao HL, Qi H, Ma Y. Metabolomic Characterization Reveals ILF2 and ILF3 Affected Metabolic Adaptions in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:721990. [PMID: 34568427 PMCID: PMC8459612 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.721990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer (EC) is a common malignant disease in eastern countries. However, a study of the metabolomic characteristics associated with other biological factors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is limited. Interleukin enhancer binding factor 2 (ILF2) and ILF3, double-stranded RNA-binding proteins, have been reported to contribute to the occurrence and development of various types of malignancy. Nevertheless, the underlying functions of ILF2 and ILF3 in ESCC metabolic reprogramming have never been reported. This study aimed to contribute to the metabolic characterization of ESCC and to investigate the metabolomic alterations associated with ILF2 and ILF3 in ESCC tissues. Here, we identified 112 differential metabolites, which were mainly enriched in phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism pathways, based on liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry approaches using ESCC tissues and paired para-cancer tissues from twenty-eight ESCC patients. In addition, ILF2 and ILF3 expression were significantly elevated in EC tissues compared to the histologically normal samples, and closely associated with PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways in ESCC. Moreover, in ESCC tissues with a high ILF2 expression, several short-chain acyl-carnitines (C3:0, C4:0, and C5:0) related to the BCAA metabolic pathway and long-chain acyl-carnitines (C14:0, C16:0, C16:0-OH, and C18:0) involved in the oxidation of fatty acids were obviously upregulated. Additionally, a series of intermediate metabolites involved in the glycolysis pathway, including G6P/F6P, F1,6BP, DHAP, G3P, and 2,3BPG, were remarkably downregulated in highly ILF3-expressed ESCC tissues compared with the corresponding para-cancer tissues. Overall, these findings may provide evidence for the roles of ILF2 and ILF3 during the process of ESCC metabolic alterations, and new insights into the development of early diagnosis and treatment for ESCC. Further investigation is needed to clarify the underlying mechanism of ILF2 and ILF3 on acyl-carnitines and the glycolysis pathway, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Zang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Wen Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Yiqian Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Pengfei Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Tian Xia
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Di Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Hai-Long Piao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Huan Qi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Yegang Ma
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China
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Inhibiting BCKDK in triple negative breast cancer suppresses protein translation, impairs mitochondrial function, and potentiates doxorubicin cytotoxicity. Cell Death Discov 2021; 7:241. [PMID: 34526485 PMCID: PMC8443725 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-021-00602-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are characterized by poor survival, prognosis, and gradual resistance to cytotoxic chemotherapeutics, like doxorubicin (DOX). The clinical utility of DOX is limited by its cardiotoxic and chemoresistant effects that manifest over time. To induce chemoresistance, TNBC rewires oncogenic gene expression and cell signaling pathways. Recent studies have demonstrated that reprogramming of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) metabolism facilitates tumor growth and survival. Branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK), a regulatory kinase of the rate-limiting enzyme of the BCAA catabolic pathway, is reported to activate RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling to promote tumor cell proliferation. However, it remains unexplored if BCKDK action remodels TNBC proliferation and survival per se and influences susceptibility to DOX-induced genotoxic stress. TNBC cells treated with DOX exhibited reduced BCKDK expression and intracellular BCKAs. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of BCKDK in TNBC cell lines also showed a similar reduction in intracellular and secreted BCKAs. BCKDK silencing in TNBC cells downregulated mitochondrial metabolism genes, reduced electron complex protein expression, oxygen consumption, and ATP production. Transcriptome analysis of BCKDK silenced cells confirmed dysregulation of mitochondrial metabolic networks and upregulation of the apoptotic signaling pathway. Furthermore, BCKDK inhibition with concurrent DOX treatment exacerbated apoptosis, caspase activity, and loss of TNBC proliferation. Inhibition of BCKDK in TNBC also upregulated sestrin 2 and concurrently decreased mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis. Overall, loss of BCKDK action in TNBC remodels BCAA flux, reduces protein translation triggering cell death, ATP insufficiency, and susceptibility to genotoxic stress. Proposed mechanism. A Doxorubicin (DOX) targets the BCAA catabolic pathway in TNBCs, by downregulating BCKDK and augmenting clearance of intracellular BCKAs. B Genetic or pharmacological (high BT2 concentration) inhibition of BCKDK results in increased cell death, decreased intracellular BCKAs, dysregulated mitochondrial function, ATP insufficiency, SESN2 activation, and inhibition of mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis. C BCKDK inhibition (siRNA mediated or low-BT2 concentration) exacerbates DOX-induced cytotoxicity and caspase activity. ![]()
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Mann G, Mora S, Madu G, Adegoke OAJ. Branched-chain Amino Acids: Catabolism in Skeletal Muscle and Implications for Muscle and Whole-body Metabolism. Front Physiol 2021; 12:702826. [PMID: 34354601 PMCID: PMC8329528 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.702826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are critical for skeletal muscle and whole-body anabolism and energy homeostasis. They also serve as signaling molecules, for example, being able to activate mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). This has implication for macronutrient metabolism. However, elevated circulating levels of BCAAs and of their ketoacids as well as impaired catabolism of these amino acids (AAs) are implicated in the development of insulin resistance and its sequelae, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and of some cancers, although other studies indicate supplements of these AAs may help in the management of some chronic diseases. Here, we first reviewed the catabolism of these AAs especially in skeletal muscle as this tissue contributes the most to whole body disposal of the BCAA. We then reviewed emerging mechanisms of control of enzymes involved in regulating BCAA catabolism. Such mechanisms include regulation of their abundance by microRNA and by post translational modifications such as phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination. We also reviewed implications of impaired metabolism of BCAA for muscle and whole-body metabolism. We comment on outstanding questions in the regulation of catabolism of these AAs, including regulation of the abundance and post-transcriptional/post-translational modification of enzymes that regulate BCAA catabolism, as well the impact of circadian rhythm, age and mTORC1 on these enzymes. Answers to such questions may facilitate emergence of treatment/management options that can help patients suffering from chronic diseases linked to impaired metabolism of the BCAAs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Olasunkanmi A. J. Adegoke
- Muscle Health Research Centre, School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Regulation of cold-induced thermogenesis by the RNA binding protein FAM195A. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2104650118. [PMID: 34088848 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2104650118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeothermic vertebrates produce heat in cold environments through thermogenesis, in which brown adipose tissue (BAT) increases mitochondrial oxidation along with uncoupling of the electron transport chain and activation of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Although the transcription factors regulating the expression of UCP1 and nutrient oxidation genes have been extensively studied, only a few other proteins essential for BAT function have been identified. We describe the discovery of FAM195A, a BAT-enriched RNA binding protein, which is required for cold-dependent thermogenesis in mice. FAM195A knockout (KO) mice display whitening of BAT and an inability to thermoregulate. In BAT of FAM195A KO mice, enzymes involved in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism are down-regulated, impairing their response to cold. Knockdown of FAM195A in brown adipocytes in vitro also impairs expression of leucine oxidation enzymes, revealing FAM195A to be a regulator of BCAA metabolism and a potential target for metabolic disorders.
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Schiliro C, Firestein BL. Mechanisms of Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer Cells Supporting Enhanced Growth and Proliferation. Cells 2021; 10:cells10051056. [PMID: 33946927 PMCID: PMC8146072 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells alter metabolic processes to sustain their characteristic uncontrolled growth and proliferation. These metabolic alterations include (1) a shift from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis to support the increased need for ATP, (2) increased glutaminolysis for NADPH regeneration, (3) altered flux through the pentose phosphate pathway and the tricarboxylic acid cycle for macromolecule generation, (4) increased lipid uptake, lipogenesis, and cholesterol synthesis, (5) upregulation of one-carbon metabolism for the production of ATP, NADH/NADPH, nucleotides, and glutathione, (6) altered amino acid metabolism, (7) metabolism-based regulation of apoptosis, and (8) the utilization of alternative substrates, such as lactate and acetate. Altered metabolic flux in cancer is controlled by tumor-host cell interactions, key oncogenes, tumor suppressors, and other regulatory molecules, including non-coding RNAs. Changes to metabolic pathways in cancer are dynamic, exhibit plasticity, and are often dependent on the type of tumor and the tumor microenvironment, leading in a shift of thought from the Warburg Effect and the “reverse Warburg Effect” to metabolic plasticity. Understanding the complex nature of altered flux through these multiple pathways in cancer cells can support the development of new therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Schiliro
- Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program and Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
| | - Bonnie L. Firestein
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-848-445-8045
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Abstract
This review provides epidemiological and translational evidence for milk and dairy intake as critical risk factors in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Large epidemiological studies in the United States and Europe identified total dairy, milk and butter intake with the exception of yogurt as independent risk factors of HCC. Enhanced activity of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a hallmark of HCC promoted by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). mTORC1 is also activated by milk protein-induced synthesis of hepatic insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), abundant constituents of milk proteins. Over the last decades, annual milk protein-derived BCAA intake increased 3 to 5 times in Western countries. In synergy with HBV- and HCV-induced secretion of hepatocyte-derived exosomes enriched in microRNA-21 (miR-21) and miR-155, exosomes of pasteurized milk as well deliver these oncogenic miRs to the human liver. Thus, milk exosomes operate in a comparable fashion to HBV- or HCV- induced exosomes. Milk-derived miRs synergistically enhance IGF-1-AKT-mTORC1 signaling and promote mTORC1-dependent translation, a meaningful mechanism during the postnatal growth phase, but a long-term adverse effect promoting the development of HCC. Both, dietary BCAA abundance combined with oncogenic milk exosome exposure persistently overstimulate hepatic mTORC1. Chronic alcohol consumption as well as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), two HCC-related conditions, increase BCAA plasma levels. In HCC, mTORC1 is further hyperactivated due to RAB1 mutations as well as impaired hepatic BCAA catabolism, a metabolic hallmark of T2DM. The potential HCC-preventive effect of yogurt may be caused by lactobacilli-mediated degradation of BCAAs, inhibition of branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase via production of intestinal medium-chain fatty acids as well as degradation of milk exosomes including their oncogenic miRs. A restriction of total animal protein intake realized by a vegetable-based diet is recommended for the prevention of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bodo C Melnik
- Department of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine and Health Theory, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
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31
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Peng H, Wang Y, Luo W. Multifaceted role of branched-chain amino acid metabolism in cancer. Oncogene 2020; 39:6747-6756. [PMID: 32978521 PMCID: PMC7606751 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01480-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming fulfils increased nutrient demands and regulates
numerous oncogenic processes in tumors, leading to tumor malignancy.
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs, i.e., valine, leucine, and isoleucine)
function as nitrogen donors to generate macromolecules such as nucleotides and
are indispensable for human cancer cell growth. The cell-autonomous and
non-autonomous roles of altered BCAA metabolism have been implicated in cancer
progression and the key proteins in the BCAA metabolic pathway serve as possible
prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers in human cancers. Here we summarize how
BCAA metabolic reprogramming is regulated in cancer cells and how it influences
cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Peng
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Yingfei Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA. .,Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Weibo Luo
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
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Zhai M, Yang Z, Zhang C, Li J, Jia J, Zhou L, Lu R, Yao Z, Fu Z. APN-mediated phosphorylation of BCKDK promotes hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis and proliferation via the ERK signaling pathway. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:396. [PMID: 32457292 PMCID: PMC7249043 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-2610-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent human malignancies worldwide and has high morbidity and mortality. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC recurrence and metastasis is critical to identify new therapeutic targets. This study aimed to determine the roles of aminopeptidase N (APN, also known as CD13) in HCC proliferation and metastasis and its underlying mechanisms. We detected APN expression in clinical samples and HCC cell lines using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, real-time PCR, and enzyme activity assays. The effects of APN on HCC metastasis and proliferation were verified in both in vitro and in vivo models. RNA-seq, phosphoproteomic, western blot, point mutation, co-immunoprecipitation, and proximity ligation assays were performed to reveal the potential mechanisms. We found that APN was frequently upregulated in HCC tumor tissues and high-metastatic cell lines. Knockout of APN inhibited HCC cell metastasis and proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Functional studies suggested that a loss of APN impedes the ERK signaling pathway in HCC cells. Mechanistically, we found that APN might mediate the phosphorylation at serine 31 of BCKDK (BCKDKS31), promote BCKDK interacting with ERK1/2 and phosphorylating it, thereby activating the ERK signaling pathway in HCC cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that APN mediates the phosphorylation of BCKDKS31 and activates its downstream pathway to promote HCC proliferation and metastasis. Therefore, the APN/BCKDK/ERK axis may serve as a new therapeutic target for HCC therapy, and these findings may be helpful to identify new biomarkers in HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengying Zhai
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease of the Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
| | - Zixia Yang
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease of the Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
| | - Chenrui Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease of the Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinping Li
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease of the Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Kangzhe Pharmaceutical Technology Development Company, Ltd., 300042, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Jia
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease of the Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Kangzhe Pharmaceutical Technology Development Company, Ltd., 300042, Tianjin, China
| | - Lingyi Zhou
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease of the Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
| | - Rong Lu
- Tianjin Kangzhe Pharmaceutical Technology Development Company, Ltd., 300042, Tianjin, China.
| | - Zhi Yao
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease of the Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China.
- 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China.
| | - Zheng Fu
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease of the Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China.
- Tianjin Kangzhe Pharmaceutical Technology Development Company, Ltd., 300042, Tianjin, China.
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Phosphorylation of BCKDK of BCAA catabolism at Y246 by Src promotes metastasis of colorectal cancer. Oncogene 2020; 39:3980-3996. [PMID: 32238881 PMCID: PMC7220852 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1262-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK), the key enzyme of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) metabolism, has been reported to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis by upregulating the MEK-ERK signaling pathway. However, the profile of BCKDK in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains unknown. Here, we report a novel role of BCKDK in mCRC. BCKDK is upregulated in CRC tissues. Increased BCKDK expression was associated with metastasis and poor clinical prognosis in CRC patients. Knockdown of BCKDK decreased CRC cell migration and invasion ex vivo, and lung metastasis in vivo. BCKDK promoted the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) program, by decreasing the expression of E-cadherin, epithelial marker, and increasing the expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin, which are mesenchymal markers. Moreover, BCKDK-knockdown experiments in combination with phosphoproteomics analysis revealed the potent role of BCKDK in modulating multiple signal transduction pathways, including EMT and metastasis. Src phosphorylated BCKDK at the tyrosine 246 (Y246) site in vitro and ex vivo. Knockdown and knockout of Src downregulated the phosphorylation of BCKDK. Importantly, phosphorylation of BCKDK by Src enhanced the activity and stability of BCKDK, thereby promoting the migration, invasion, and EMT of CRC cells. In summary, the identification of BCKDK as a novel prometastatic factor in human CRC will be beneficial for further diagnostic biomarker studies and suggests novel targeting opportunities.
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Lee JH, Cho YR, Kim JH, Kim J, Nam HY, Kim SW, Son J. Branched-chain amino acids sustain pancreatic cancer growth by regulating lipid metabolism. Exp Mol Med 2019; 51:1-11. [PMID: 31784505 PMCID: PMC6884453 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-019-0350-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism and high levels of enzymes in the BCAA metabolic pathway have recently been shown to be associated with cancer growth and survival. However, the precise roles of BCAA metabolism in cancer growth and survival remain largely unclear. Here, we found that BCAA metabolism has an important role in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) growth by regulating lipogenesis. Compared with nontransformed human pancreatic ductal (HPDE) cells, PDAC cells exhibited significantly elevated BCAA uptake through solute carrier transporters, which were highly upregulated in pancreatic tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. Branched-chain amino-acid transaminase 2 (BCAT2) knockdown markedly impaired PDAC cell proliferation, but not HPDE cell proliferation, without significant alterations in glutamate or reactive oxygen species levels. Furthermore, PDAC cell proliferation, but not HPDE cell proliferation, was substantially inhibited upon knockdown of branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase a (BCKDHA). Interestingly, BCKDHA knockdown had no significant effect on mitochondrial metabolism; that is, neither the level of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates nor the oxygen consumption rate was affected. However, BCKDHA knockdown significantly inhibited fatty-acid synthesis, indicating that PDAC cells may utilize BCAAs as a carbon source for fatty-acid biosynthesis. Overall, our findings show that the BCAA metabolic pathway may provide a novel therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer. Essential nutrient molecules called branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) sustain pancreatic cancer by supporting the formation of fatty ‘lipid’ compounds, offering possible new approaches for treatment. Jaekyoung Son and colleagues at the University of Ulsan College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, explored the role of BCAAs in the most common form of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Effective treatments are urgently required as the disease is generally diagnosed too late for surgery, the most effective treatment, to be successful. The researchers found that human cancer cells exploit increased uptake of BCAAs as a source of carbon to build lipids. Disabling the genes for enzymes that convert BCAAs into lipids significantly and selectively reduced cancer cell growth. Drugs that interfere with key points in the over-active uptake of BCAA and conversion to lipids could be developed into new therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hyeon Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asan Medical Center, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Young-Ra Cho
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asan Medical Center, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Ji Hye Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asan Medical Center, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Jongwook Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asan Medical Center, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Hae Yun Nam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Seong Who Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Jaekyoung Son
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asan Medical Center, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
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35
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Biswas D, Duffley L, Pulinilkunnil T. Role of branched‐chain amino acid–catabolizing enzymes in intertissue signaling, metabolic remodeling, and energy homeostasis. FASEB J 2019; 33:8711-8731. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.201802842rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dipsikha Biswas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty of Medicine Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick Dalhousie University Saint John New Brunswick Canada
| | - Luke Duffley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty of Medicine Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick Dalhousie University Saint John New Brunswick Canada
| | - Thomas Pulinilkunnil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty of Medicine Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick Dalhousie University Saint John New Brunswick Canada
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36
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Zhang ZY, Monleon D, Verhamme P, Staessen JA. Branched-Chain Amino Acids as Critical Switches in Health and Disease. Hypertension 2018; 72:1012-1022. [DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.118.10919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Yu Zhang
- From the KU Leuven Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Research Unit Hypertension and Cardiovascular Epidemiology (Z.-Y.Z., J.A.S.), University of Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Cardiovascular Disease, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China (Z.-Y.Z.)
| | - Daniel Monleon
- Metabolomic and Molecular Image Laboratory, Fundación Investigatión Clínico de Valencia, Spain (D.M.)
| | - Peter Verhamme
- KU Leuven Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology (P.V.), University of Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan A. Staessen
- From the KU Leuven Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Research Unit Hypertension and Cardiovascular Epidemiology (Z.-Y.Z., J.A.S.), University of Leuven, Belgium
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Maastricht University, the Netherlands (J.A.S.)
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37
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Obergasteiger J, Frapporti G, Pramstaller PP, Hicks AA, Volta M. A new hypothesis for Parkinson's disease pathogenesis: GTPase-p38 MAPK signaling and autophagy as convergence points of etiology and genomics. Mol Neurodegener 2018; 13:40. [PMID: 30071902 PMCID: PMC6090926 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-018-0273-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The combination of genetics and genomics in Parkinson´s disease has recently begun to unveil molecular mechanisms possibly underlying disease onset and progression. In particular, catabolic processes such as autophagy have been increasingly gaining relevance as post-mortem evidence and experimental models suggested a participation in neurodegeneration and alpha-synuclein Lewy body pathology. In addition, familial Parkinson´s disease linked to LRRK2 and alpha-synuclein provided stronger correlation between etiology and alterations in autophagy. More detailed cellular pathways are proposed and genetic risk factors that associate with idiopathic Parkinson´s disease provide further clues in dissecting contributions of single players. Nevertheless, the fine-tuning of these processes remains elusive, as the initial stages of the pathways are not yet clarified.In this review, we collect literature evidence pointing to autophagy as the common, downstream target of Parkinsonian dysfunctions and augment current knowledge on the factors that direct the subsequent steps. Cell and molecular biology evidence indicate that p38 signaling underlies neurodegeneration and autoptic observations suggest a participation in neuropathology. Moreover, alpha-synuclein and LRRK2 also appear involved in the p38 pathway with additional roles in the regulation of GTPase signaling. Small GTPases are critical modulators of p38 activation and thus, their functional interaction with aSyn and LRRK2 could explain much of the detailed mechanics of autophagy in Parkinson´s disease.We propose a novel hypothesis for a more comprehensive working model where autophagy is controlled by upstream pathways, such as GTPase-p38, that have been so far underexplored in this context. In addition, etiological factors (LRRK2, alpha-synuclein) and risk loci might also combine in this common mechanism, providing a powerful experimental setting to dissect the cause of both familial and idiopathic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Obergasteiger
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research – Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giulia Frapporti
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research – Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Peter P. Pramstaller
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research – Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Neurology, General Central Hospital, Via Böhler 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Andrew A. Hicks
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research – Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Mattia Volta
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research – Affiliated Institute of the University of Lübeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
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