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Jha V, Eriksson LA. Binding Modes of Xanthine-Derived Selective Allosteric Site Inhibitors of MTHFD2. ChemistryOpen 2023; 12:e202300052. [PMID: 37129313 PMCID: PMC10152887 DOI: 10.1002/open.202300052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD2) is a mitochondrial enzyme involved in 1 C metabolism that is upregulated in various cancer cells, but absent in normal proliferating cells. Xanthine derivatives are the first selective inhibitors of MTHFD2 which bind to its allosteric site. Xanthine derivatives (including the co-crystallized inhibitors) were herein interrogated by molecular/induced-fit docking, MM-GBSA binding free energy calculations and molecular dynamics simulations in both MTHFD2 and MTHFD1 (a close homolog expressed in healthy cells). The gained insights from our in silico protocol allowed us to study binding mode, key protein-ligand interactions and dynamic movement of the allosteric inhibitors, correlating with their experimental binding affinities, biological activities and selectivity for MTHFD2. The reported conformational changes with MTHFD2 upon binding of xanthine derivatives were furthermore evaluated and confirmed by RMSF analyses of the MD simulation trajectories. The results reported herein are expected to benefit in the rational design of selective MTHFD2 allosteric inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibhu Jha
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 9c, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Leif A Eriksson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 9c, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
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2
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Jha V, Holmelin FL, Eriksson LA. Binding Analysis and Structure-Based Design of Tricyclic Coumarin-Derived MTHFD2 Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents: Insights from Computational Modeling. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:14440-14458. [PMID: 37125100 PMCID: PMC10134251 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c08025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Unfolded protein response (UPR)-dependent metabolic reprogramming diverts metabolites from glycolysis to mitochondrial 1C metabolism, highlighting pharmacological resistance to folate drugs and overexpression of certain enzymes. Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD2) is a mitochondrial enzyme that plays a key role in 1C metabolism in purine and thymidine synthesis and is exclusively overexpressed in cancer cells but absent in most healthy adult human tissues. To the best of our knowledge, tricyclic coumarin-based compounds (substrate site binders) and xanthine derivatives (allosteric site binders) are the only selective inhibitors of MTHFD2 reported until the present date. The current study aims at the investigation of the available structural data of MTHFD2 in complex with potent and selective inhibitors that occupy the substrate binding site, further providing insights into binding mode, key protein-ligand interactions, and conformational dynamics, that correspond to the experimental binding affinities and biological activities. In addition, we carried out structure-based drug design on the substrate binding site of MTHFD2, by exploiting the cocrystal structure of MTHFD2 with the tricyclic coumarin-based inhibitor. The structure-based drug design campaign involves R-group enumeration, bioisostere replacement, molecular docking, ADME prediction, MM-GBSA binding free energy calculations, and molecular dynamics simulations, that led to a small library of new and potential compounds, capable of selectively inhibiting MTHFD2. The results reported herein are expected to benefit medicinal chemists working on the development of selective MTHFD2 inhibitors for cancer treatment, although experimental validation by biochemical and/or pharmacokinetic assays is required to substantiate the outcomes of the study.
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3
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Scaletti ER, Gustafsson Westergren R, Andersson Y, Wiita E, Henriksson M, Homan EJ, Jemth A, Helleday T, Stenmark P. The First Structure of Human MTHFD2L and Its Implications for the Development of Isoform-Selective Inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202200274. [PMID: 35712863 PMCID: PMC9796130 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) is a mitochondrial 1-carbon metabolism enzyme, which is an attractive anticancer drug target as it is highly upregulated in cancer but is not expressed in healthy adult cells. Selective MTHFD2 inhibitors could therefore offer reduced side-effects during treatment, which are common with antifolate drugs that target other 1C-metabolism enzymes. This task is challenging however, as MTHFD2 shares high sequence identity with the constitutively expressed isozymes cytosolic MTHFD1 and mitochondrial MTHFD2L. In fact, one of the most potent MTHFD2 inhibitors reported to date, TH7299, is actually more active against MTHFD1 and MTHFD2L. While structures of MTHFD2 and MTHFD1 exist, no MTHFD2L structures are available. We determined the first structure of MTHFD2L and its complex with TH7299, which reveals the structural basis for its highly potent MTHFD2L inhibition. Detailed analysis of the MTHFD2L structure presented here clearly highlights the challenges associated with developing truly isoform-selective MTHFD2 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma R. Scaletti
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsStockholm UniversitySvante Arrhenius väg 16 CStockholm106 91Sweden
| | | | - Yasmin Andersson
- Drug Discovery and Development Platform, Science for Life Laboratory School of BiotechnologyRoyal Institute of TechnologyTomtebodavägen 23aStockholm17165Sweden
| | - Elisee Wiita
- Science for Life LaboratoryDepartment of Oncology-PathologyKarolinska InstituteTomtebodavägen 23aStockholm171 65Sweden
| | - Martin Henriksson
- Science for Life LaboratoryDepartment of Oncology-PathologyKarolinska InstituteTomtebodavägen 23aStockholm171 65Sweden
| | - Evert J. Homan
- Science for Life LaboratoryDepartment of Oncology-PathologyKarolinska InstituteTomtebodavägen 23aStockholm171 65Sweden
| | - Ann‐Sofie Jemth
- Science for Life LaboratoryDepartment of Oncology-PathologyKarolinska InstituteTomtebodavägen 23aStockholm171 65Sweden
| | - Thomas Helleday
- Science for Life LaboratoryDepartment of Oncology-PathologyKarolinska InstituteTomtebodavägen 23aStockholm171 65Sweden
- Department of Oncology and MetabolismThe University of SheffieldBeech Hill RoadSheffieldS10 2RXUK
| | - Pål Stenmark
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsStockholm UniversitySvante Arrhenius väg 16 CStockholm106 91Sweden
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4
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The catalytic mechanism of the mitochondrial methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase (MTHFD2). PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010140. [PMID: 35613161 PMCID: PMC9173628 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase (MTHFD2) is a new drug target that is expressed in cancer cells but not in normal adult cells, which provides an Achilles heel to selectively kill cancer cells. Despite the availability of crystal structures of MTHFD2 in the inhibitor- and cofactor-bound forms, key information is missing due to technical limitations, including (a) the location of absolutely required Mg2+ ion, and (b) the substrate-bound form of MTHFD2. Using computational modeling and simulations, we propose that two magnesium ions are present at the active site whereby (i) Arg233, Asp225, and two water molecules coordinate MgA2+, while MgA2+ together with Arg233 stabilize the inorganic phosphate (Pi); (ii) Asp168 and three water molecules coordinate MgB2+, and MgB2+ further stabilizes Pi by forming a hydrogen bond with two oxygens of Pi; (iii) Arg201 directly coordinates the Pi; and (iv) through three water-mediated interactions, Asp168 contributes to the positioning and stabilization of MgA2+, MgB2+ and Pi. Our computational study at the empirical valence bond level allowed us also to elucidate the detailed reaction mechanisms. We found that the dehydrogenase activity features a proton-coupled electron transfer with charge redistribution connected to the reorganization of the surrounding water molecules which further facilitates the subsequent cyclohydrolase activity. The cyclohydrolase activity then drives the hydration of the imidazoline ring and the ring opening in a concerted way. Furthermore, we have uncovered that two key residues, Ser197/Arg233, are important factors in determining the cofactor (NADP+/NAD+) preference of the dehydrogenase activity. Our work sheds new light on the structural and kinetic framework of MTHFD2, which will be helpful to design small molecule inhibitors that can be used for cancer treatment.
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5
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Quevedo-Ocampo J, Escobedo-Calvario A, Souza-Arroyo V, Miranda-Labra RU, Bucio-Ortiz L, Gutiérrez-Ruiz MC, Chávez-Rodríguez L, Gomez-Quiroz LE. Folate Metabolism in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. What Do We Know So Far? Technol Cancer Res Treat 2022; 21:15330338221144446. [PMID: 36503290 DOI: 10.1177/15330338221144446] [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: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells are characterized by accelerated proliferation and an outstanding adaptation of their metabolic pathways to meet energy demands. The folate cycle, also known as folate metabolism or one-carbon metabolism, through enzymatic interconversions, provides metabolites necessary for nucleotide synthesis, methylation, and reduction power, helping to maintain the high rate of proliferation; therefore, the study of this metabolic pathway is of great importance in the study of cancer. Moreover, multiple enzymes involved in this cycle have been implicated in different types of cancer, corroborating the cell's adaptations under this pathology. During the last decade, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has emerged as the leading etiology related to the rise in the incidence and deaths of hepatocellular carcinoma. Specifically, cholesterol accumulation has been a determinant promoter of tumor formation, with solid evidence that an enriched-cholesterol diet plays a crucial role in accelerating the development of an aggressive subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma compared to other models. In this review, we will discuss the most recent findings to understand the contribution of folate metabolism to cancer cells and tumor microenvironment while creating a link between the dynamics given by cholesterol and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1-like, a key enzyme of the cycle located in the mitochondrial compartment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaqueline Quevedo-Ocampo
- Área de Medicina Experimental y Traslacional, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, 27786Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico.,Posgrado en Biología Experimental, DCBS, Universidad Autónoma Metrolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Escobedo-Calvario
- Área de Medicina Experimental y Traslacional, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, 27786Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico.,Posgrado en Biología Experimental, DCBS, Universidad Autónoma Metrolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Verónica Souza-Arroyo
- Área de Medicina Experimental y Traslacional, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, 27786Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico.,Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental, Unidad de Medicina Traslacional IIB/UNAM, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Roxana U Miranda-Labra
- Área de Medicina Experimental y Traslacional, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, 27786Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico.,Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental, Unidad de Medicina Traslacional IIB/UNAM, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Leticia Bucio-Ortiz
- Área de Medicina Experimental y Traslacional, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, 27786Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico.,Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental, Unidad de Medicina Traslacional IIB/UNAM, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - María C Gutiérrez-Ruiz
- Área de Medicina Experimental y Traslacional, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, 27786Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico.,Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental, Unidad de Medicina Traslacional IIB/UNAM, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Lisette Chávez-Rodríguez
- Área de Medicina Experimental y Traslacional, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, 27786Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico.,Posgrado en Biología Experimental, DCBS, Universidad Autónoma Metrolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis E Gomez-Quiroz
- Área de Medicina Experimental y Traslacional, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, 27786Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico.,Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental, Unidad de Medicina Traslacional IIB/UNAM, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
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6
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Hahn T, Wang J, Preus LM, Karaesmen E, Rizvi A, Clay-Gilmour AI, Zhu Q, Wang Y, Yan L, Liu S, Stram DO, Pooler L, Sheng X, Haiman CA, Berg DVD, Webb A, Brock G, Spellman SR, Onel K, McCarthy PL, Pasquini MC, Sucheston-Campbell LE. Novel genetic variants associated with mortality after unrelated donor allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. EClinicalMedicine 2021; 40:101093. [PMID: 34746714 PMCID: PMC8548922 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identification of non-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genetic risk factors could improve survival after allogeneic blood or marrow transplant (BMT) through matching at additional loci or individualizing risk prediction. We hypothesized that non-HLA loci contributed significantly to 1-year overall survival (OS), disease related mortality (DRM) or transplant related mortality (TRM) after unrelated donor (URD)BMT. METHODS We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 2,887 acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients and their ≥8/8 HLA-matched URDs comprising two independent cohorts treated from 2000-2011. FINDINGS Using meta-analyses of both cohorts, genome-wide significant associations (p < 5 × 10-8) were identified in: recipient genomes with OS at MBNL1 (rs9990017, HR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.24-1.56, p = 3.3 × 10-8) and donor-recipient genotype mismatch with OS at LINC02774 (rs10927108, HR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.21-1.48, p = 2.0 × 10-8); donor genomes with DRM at PCNX4 (rs79076914, HR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.41-2.05, p = 3.15 × 10-8), LINC01194 (rs79498125, HR = 1.86, 95% CI 1.49-2.31, p = 2.84 × 10-8), ARID5B (rs2167710, HR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.31-1.73, p = 6.9 × 10-9) and CT49 (rs32250, HR = 1.44, 95% CI1.26-1.64, p = 2.6 × 10-8); recipient genomes at PILRB with TRM (rs141591562, HR = 2.33, 95% CI 1.74-3.12, p = 1.26 × 10-8) and donor-recipient genotype mismatch between EPGN and MTHF2DL with TRM (rs75868097, HR = 2.66, 95% CI 1.92-3.58, p = 4.6 × 10-9). Results publicly available at https://fuma.ctglab.nl/browse. INTERPRETATION These data provide the first evidence that non-HLA common genetic variation at novel loci with biochemical function significantly impacts 1-year URD-BMT survival. Our findings have implications for donor selection, could guide treatment strategies and provide individualized risk prediction after future validation and functional studies. FUNDING This project was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Hahn
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Junke Wang
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Leah M. Preus
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Ezgi Karaesmen
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Abbas Rizvi
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alyssa I. Clay-Gilmour
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Qianqian Zhu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Yiwen Wang
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Li Yan
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Daniel O. Stram
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Loreall Pooler
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xin Sheng
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher A. Haiman
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David Van Den Berg
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amy Webb
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Guy Brock
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Stephen R. Spellman
- Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kenan Onel
- Department of Genetic and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Philip L. McCarthy
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Marcelo C. Pasquini
- Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Lara E. Sucheston-Campbell
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Corresponding author.
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7
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Zhao LN, Björklund M, Caldez MJ, Zheng J, Kaldis P. Therapeutic targeting of the mitochondrial one-carbon pathway: perspectives, pitfalls, and potential. Oncogene 2021; 40:2339-2354. [PMID: 33664451 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01695-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Most of the drugs currently prescribed for cancer treatment are riddled with substantial side effects. In order to develop more effective and specific strategies to treat cancer, it is of importance to understand the biology of drug targets, particularly the newly emerging ones. A comprehensive evaluation of these targets will benefit drug development with increased likelihood for success in clinical trials. The folate-mediated one-carbon (1C) metabolism pathway has drawn renewed attention as it is often hyperactivated in cancer and inhibition of this pathway displays promise in developing anticancer treatment with fewer side effects. Here, we systematically review individual enzymes in the 1C pathway and their compartmentalization to mitochondria and cytosol. Based on these insight, we conclude that (1) except the known 1C targets (DHFR, GART, and TYMS), MTHFD2 emerges as good drug target, especially for treating hematopoietic cancers such as CLL, AML, and T-cell lymphoma; (2) SHMT2 and MTHFD1L are potential drug targets; and (3) MTHFD2L and ALDH1L2 should not be considered as drug targets. We highlight MTHFD2 as an excellent therapeutic target and SHMT2 as a complementary target based on structural/biochemical considerations and up-to-date inhibitor development, which underscores the perspectives of their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Na Zhao
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
| | - Mikael Björklund
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh (ZJU-UoE) Institute, Haining, Zhejiang, PR China.,2nd Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.,Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Matias J Caldez
- Laboratory of Host Defense, The World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Jie Zheng
- School of Information Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Philipp Kaldis
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
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8
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Cuthbertson CR, Arabzada Z, Bankhead A, Kyani A, Neamati N. A Review of Small-Molecule Inhibitors of One-Carbon Enzymes: SHMT2 and MTHFD2 in the Spotlight. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:624-646. [PMID: 33860190 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming is a key hallmark of cancer and shifts cellular metabolism to meet the demands of biomass production necessary for abnormal cell reproduction. One-carbon metabolism (1CM) contributes to many biosynthetic pathways that fuel growth and is comprised of a complex network of enzymes. Methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil were pioneering drugs in this field and are still widely used today as anticancer agents as well as for other diseases such as arthritis. Besides dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase, two other enzymes of the folate cycle arm of 1CM have not been targeted clinically: serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD). An increasing body of literature suggests that the mitochondrial isoforms of these enzymes (SHMT2 and MTHFD2) are clinically relevant in the context of cancer. In this review, we focused on the 1CM pathway as a target for cancer therapy and, in particular, SHMT2 and MTHFD2. The function, regulation, and clinical relevance of SHMT2 and MTHFD2 are all discussed. We expand on previous clinical studies and evaluate the prognostic significance of these critical enzymes by performing a pan-cancer analysis of patient data from the The Cancer Genome Atlas and a transcriptional coexpression network enrichment analysis. We also provide an overview of preclinical and clinical inhibitors targeting the folate pathway, the methionine cycle, and folate-dependent purine biosynthesis enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine R Cuthbertson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and the Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 1600 Huron Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Zahra Arabzada
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and the Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 1600 Huron Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Armand Bankhead
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Armita Kyani
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and the Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 1600 Huron Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Nouri Neamati
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and the Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 1600 Huron Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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9
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Pan S, Fan M, Liu Z, Li X, Wang H. Serine, glycine and one‑carbon metabolism in cancer (Review). Int J Oncol 2021; 58:158-170. [PMID: 33491748 PMCID: PMC7864012 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.5158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Serine/glycine biosynthesis and one‑carbon metabolism are crucial in sustaining cancer cell survival and rapid proliferation, and of high clinical relevance. Excessive activation of serine/glycine biosynthesis drives tumorigenesis and provides a single carbon unit for one‑carbon metabolism. One‑carbon metabolism, which is a complex cyclic metabolic network based on the chemical reaction of folate compounds, provides the necessary proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and other biological macromolecules to support tumor growth. Moreover, one‑carbon metabolism also maintains the redox homeostasis of the tumor microenvironment and provides substrates for the methylation reaction. The present study reviews the role of key enzymes with tumor‑promoting functions and important intermediates that are physiologically relevant to tumorigenesis in serine/glycine/one‑carbon metabolism pathways. The related regulatory mechanisms of action of the key enzymes and important intermediates in tumors are also discussed. It is hoped that investigations into these pathways will provide new translational opportunities for human cancer drug development, dietary interventions, and biomarker identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijing Pan
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology of Henan Province, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Ming Fan
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology of Henan Province, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Zhangnan Liu
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology of Henan Province, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Xia Li
- Correspondence to: Dr Huijuan Wang or Dr Xia Li, Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology of Henan Province, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China, E-mail: , E-mail:
| | - Huijuan Wang
- Correspondence to: Dr Huijuan Wang or Dr Xia Li, Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology of Henan Province, Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China, E-mail: , E-mail:
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10
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Tan YL, Sou NL, Tang FY, Ko HA, Yeh WT, Peng JH, Chiang EPI. Tracing Metabolic Fate of Mitochondrial Glycine Cleavage System Derived Formate In Vitro and In Vivo. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228808. [PMID: 33233834 PMCID: PMC7699879 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Folate-mediated one-carbon (1C) metabolism is a major target of many therapies in human diseases. Studies have focused on the metabolism of serine 3-carbon as it serves as a major source for 1C units. The serine 3-carbon enters the mitochondria transferred by folate cofactors and eventually converted to formate and serves as a major building block for cytosolic 1C metabolism. Abnormal glycine metabolism has been reported in many human pathological conditions. The mitochondrial glycine cleavage system (GCS) catalyzes glycine degradation to CO2 and ammonium, while tetrahydrofolate (THF) is converted into 5,10-methylene-THF. GCS accounts for a substantial proportion of whole-body glycine flux in humans, yet the particular metabolic route of glycine 2-carbon recycled from GCS during mitochondria glycine decarboxylation in hepatic or bone marrow 1C metabolism is not fully investigated, due to the limited accessibility of human tissues. Labeled glycine at 2-carbon was given to humans and primary cells in previous studies for investigating its incorporations into purines, its interconversion with serine, or the CO2 production in the mitochondria. Less is known on the metabolic fate of the glycine 2-carbon recycled from the GCS; hence, a model system tracing its metabolic fate would help in this regard. We took the direct approach of isotopic labeling to further explore the in vitro and in vivo metabolic fate of the 2-carbon from [2-13C]glycine and [2-13C]serine. As the 2-carbon of glycine and serine is decarboxylated and catabolized via the GCS, the original 13C-labeled 2-carbon is transferred to THF and yield methyleneTHF in the mitochondria. In human hepatoma cell-lines, 2-carbon from glycine was found to be incorporated into deoxythymidine (dTMP, dT + 1), M + 3 species of purines (deoxyadenine, dA and deoxyguanine, dG), and methionine (Met + 1). In healthy mice, incorporation of GCS-derived formate from glycine 2-carbon was found in serine (Ser + 2 via cytosolic serine hydroxy methyl transferase), methionine, dTMP, and methylcytosine (mC + 1) in bone marrow DNA. In these experiments, labeled glycine 2-carbon directly incorporates into Ser + 1, A + 2, and G + 2 (at C2 and C8 of purine) in the cytosol. It is noteworthy that since the serine 3-carbon is unlabeled in these experiments, the isotopic enrichments in dT + 1, Ser + 2, dA + 3, dG + 3, and Met + 1 solely come from the 2-carbon of glycine/serine recycled from GCS, re-enters the cytosolic 1C metabolism as formate, and then being used for cytosolic syntheses of serine, dTMP, purine (M + 3) and methionine. Taken together, we established model systems and successfully traced the metabolic fate of mitochondrial GCS-derived formate from glycine 2-carbon in vitro and in vivo. Nutritional supply significantly alters formate generation from GCS. More GCS-derived formate was used in hepatic serine and methionine syntheses, whereas more GCS-derived formate was used in dTMP synthesis in the bone marrow, indicating that the utilization and partitioning of GCS-derived 1C unit are tissue-specific. These approaches enable better understanding concerning the utilization of 1C moiety generated from mitochondrial GCS that can help to further elucidate the role of GCS in human disease development and progression in future applications. More studies on GCS using these approaches are underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee-Ling Tan
- Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung 402, Taiwan; (Y.-L.T.); (N.-L.S.); (H.-A.K.); (W.-T.Y.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Nga-Lai Sou
- Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung 402, Taiwan; (Y.-L.T.); (N.-L.S.); (H.-A.K.); (W.-T.Y.); (J.-H.P.)
- Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture (IDCSA), National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Yao Tang
- Department of Nutrition, China Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan;
| | - Hsin-An Ko
- Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung 402, Taiwan; (Y.-L.T.); (N.-L.S.); (H.-A.K.); (W.-T.Y.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Wei-Ting Yeh
- Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung 402, Taiwan; (Y.-L.T.); (N.-L.S.); (H.-A.K.); (W.-T.Y.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Jian-Hau Peng
- Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung 402, Taiwan; (Y.-L.T.); (N.-L.S.); (H.-A.K.); (W.-T.Y.); (J.-H.P.)
- Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture (IDCSA), National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Microbial Genomics Ph.D. Graduate Program, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - En-Pei Isabel Chiang
- Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung 402, Taiwan; (Y.-L.T.); (N.-L.S.); (H.-A.K.); (W.-T.Y.); (J.-H.P.)
- Department of Nutrition, China Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan;
- Microbial Genomics Ph.D. Graduate Program, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-4-22853049; Fax: +886-4-22876211
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11
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Detection and characterisation of novel alternative splicing variants of the mitochondrial folate enzyme MTHFD2. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:7089-7096. [PMID: 32880830 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05775-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Through the process of alternative splicing, proteins with distinct biological functions and localisations are generated from a single gene. The mitochondrial folate metabolism enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) has been receiving attention in recent years as one of the most frequently upregulated metabolic enzymes across multiple tumour types. We hypothesized that alternative splicing of MTHFD2 could be a mechanism that generates novel isoforms of this enzyme, with potentially distinct and important biological functions. Multiple alternatively spliced MTHFD2 transcripts were first characterized in the UCSC and Ensemble genome browser. Subsequently, investigating the transcriptomic data for the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTeX) project it was found that beyond the canonical MTHFD2 transcript, alternative transcripts lacking the second exon of MTHFD2 are also common. The presence of MTHFD2 transcripts lacking the second exon was confirmed by RT-PCR in normal and cancer cells. Translation of MTHFD2 transcripts lacking this second exon are predicted to generate a truncated protein lacking the first 102 N-terminal amino acids of the full-length protein, including the mitochondrial transport sequence. Hence, the truncated MTHFD2 protein could be an isoform with distinct localisation and functions. However, we were not able to confirm the generation of a stable truncated MTHFD2 protein in eukaryotic cells. This study characterizes for the first time alternative spliced transcripts of the enzyme MTHFD2, although further work is required to investigate their biological significance.
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12
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Nilsson R, Nicolaidou V, Koufaris C. Mitochondrial MTHFD isozymes display distinct expression, regulation, and association with cancer. Gene 2019; 716:144032. [PMID: 31377316 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.144032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial folate metabolism is central to the generation of nucleotides, fuelling methylation reactions, and redox homeostasis. Uniquely among the reactions of the mitochondrial folate pathway, the key step of the oxidation of 5,10-methylene-tetrahydrofolate (CH2-THF) can be catalysed by two isozymes, MTHFD2 and MTHFD2L. The MTHFD2 enzyme has recently received considerable attention as an oncogenic enzyme upregulated in several tumour types, which is additionally required by cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. However, much less is currently known about MTHFD2L and its expression in cancer. In this study, we examine and compare the expression and regulation of the two mitochondrial MTHFD isozymes in normal human and cancer cells. We found that normal and cancer cells express both enzymes, although MTHFD2 has a much higher baseline expression. Unlike MTHFD2, the MTHFD2L isozyme does not show an association with proliferation and growth factor stimulation. In addition, we did not find evidence of a compensatory increase of MTHFD2L following suppression of its isozyme. This study supports that MTHFD2L is unlikely to have an important function in increased proliferation or cancer. Furthermore, therapeutic strategies aiming to block the mitochondrial folate pathway in cancer should focus on MTHFD2, with MTHFD2L being unlikely to be involved in the development of chemoresistance to targeting of its mitochondrial isozyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Nilsson
- Cardiovascular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - V Nicolaidou
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - C Koufaris
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus.
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13
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Froese DS, Fowler B, Baumgartner MR. Vitamin B 12 , folate, and the methionine remethylation cycle-biochemistry, pathways, and regulation. J Inherit Metab Dis 2019; 42:673-685. [PMID: 30693532 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin, Cbl) is a nutrient essential to human health. Due to its complex structure and dual cofactor forms, Cbl undergoes a complicated series of absorptive and processing steps before serving as cofactor for the enzymes methylmalonyl-CoA mutase and methionine synthase. Methylmalonyl-CoA mutase is required for the catabolism of certain (branched-chain) amino acids into an anaplerotic substrate in the mitochondrion, and dysfunction of the enzyme itself or in production of its cofactor adenosyl-Cbl result in an inability to successfully undergo protein catabolism with concomitant mitochondrial energy disruption. Methionine synthase catalyzes the methyl-Cbl dependent (re)methylation of homocysteine to methionine within the methionine cycle; a reaction required to produce this essential amino acid and generate S-adenosylmethionine, the most important cellular methyl-donor. Disruption of methionine synthase has wide-ranging implications for all methylation-dependent reactions, including epigenetic modification, but also for the intracellular folate pathway, since methionine synthase uses 5-methyltetrahydrofolate as a one-carbon donor. Folate-bound one-carbon units are also required for deoxythymidine monophosphate and de novo purine synthesis; therefore, the flow of single carbon units to each of these pathways must be regulated based on cellular needs. This review provides an overview on Cbl metabolism with a brief description of absorption and intracellular metabolic pathways. It also provides a description of folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism and its intersection with Cbl at the methionine cycle. Finally, a summary of recent advances in understanding of how both pathways are regulated is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Sean Froese
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brian Fowler
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias R Baumgartner
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
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14
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Abstract
Despite unequivocal evidence that folate deficiency increases risk for human pathologies, and that folic acid intake among women of childbearing age markedly decreases risk for birth defects, definitive evidence for a causal biochemical pathway linking folate to disease and birth defect etiology remains elusive. The de novo and salvage pathways for thymidylate synthesis translocate to the nucleus of mammalian cells during S- and G2/M-phases of the cell cycle and associate with the DNA replication and repair machinery, which limits uracil misincorporation into DNA and genome instability. There is increasing evidence that impairments in nuclear de novo thymidylate synthesis occur in many pathologies resulting from impairments in one-carbon metabolism. Understanding the roles and regulation of nuclear de novo thymidylate synthesis and its relationship to genome stability will increase our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying folate- and vitamin B12-associated pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha S Field
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA;
| | - Elena Kamynina
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA;
| | - James Chon
- Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cell Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Patrick J Stover
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2142, USA;
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15
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Haque MR, Higashiura A, Nakagawa A, Hirowatari A, Furuya S, Yamamoto K. Molecular structure of a 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase from the silkworm Bombyx mori. FEBS Open Bio 2019; 9:618-628. [PMID: 30984537 PMCID: PMC6443876 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The enzyme 5,10‐methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD) is essential for the production of certain amino acids (glycine, serine, and methionine) and nucleic acids (thymidylate and purine). Here, we identified a cDNA encoding this enzyme from the silkworm Bombyx mori. The recombinant B. mori MTHFD (bmMTHFD) expressed in Escherichia coli recognized 5,10‐methylenetetrahydrofolate and 5,10‐methenyltetrahydrofolate as substrate in the presence of NADP+ as well as NAD+. The bmMTHFD structure was determined at a resolution of 1.75 Å by X‐ray crystallography. Site‐directed mutagenesis indicated that the amino acid residue Tyr49 contributed to its catalytic activity. Our findings provide insight into the mechanism underlying the activity of MTHFD from B. mori and potentially other insects and may therefore facilitate the development of inhibitors specific to MTHFD as insecticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad R Haque
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology Kyushu University Graduate School Fukuoka Japan
| | - Akifumi Higashiura
- Institute for Protein Research Osaka University Suita Japan.,Present address: Department of Virology Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences Hiroshima University Hiroshima Japan
| | | | - Aiko Hirowatari
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology Kyushu University Graduate School Fukuoka Japan
| | - Shigeki Furuya
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology Kyushu University Graduate School Fukuoka Japan
| | - Kohji Yamamoto
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology Kyushu University Graduate School Fukuoka Japan
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16
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Zheng Y, Cantley LC. Toward a better understanding of folate metabolism in health and disease. J Exp Med 2019; 216:253-266. [PMID: 30587505 PMCID: PMC6363433 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20181965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Folate metabolism is crucial for many biochemical processes, including purine and thymidine monophosphate (dTMP) biosynthesis, mitochondrial protein translation, and methionine regeneration. These biochemical processes in turn support critical cellular functions such as cell proliferation, mitochondrial respiration, and epigenetic regulation. Not surprisingly, abnormal folate metabolism has been causally linked with a myriad of diseases. In this review, we provide a historical perspective, delve into folate chemistry that is often overlooked, and point out various missing links and underdeveloped areas in folate metabolism for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiang Zheng
- Department of Medicine, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Lewis C Cantley
- Department of Medicine, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
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17
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Koufaris C, Nilsson R. Protein interaction and functional data indicate MTHFD2 involvement in RNA processing and translation. Cancer Metab 2018; 6:12. [PMID: 30275950 PMCID: PMC6158883 DOI: 10.1186/s40170-018-0185-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The folate-coupled metabolic enzyme MTHFD2 is overexpressed in many tumor types and required for cancer cell proliferation, and is therefore of interest as a potential cancer therapeutic target. However, recent evidence suggests that MTHFD2 has a non-enzymatic function which may underlie the dependence of cancer cells on this protein. Understanding this non-enzymatic function is important for optimal targeting of MTHFD2 in cancer. Methods To identify potential non-enzymatic functions of MTHFD2, we defined its interacting proteins using co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry and integrated this information with large-scale co-expression analysis, protein dynamics, and gene expression response to MTHFD2 knockdown. Results We found that MTHFD2 physically interacts with a set of nuclear proteins involved in RNA metabolism and translation, including components of the small ribosomal subunit and multiple members of the RNA-processing hnRNP family. Interacting proteins were also in general co-expressed with MTHFD2 in experiments that stimulate or repress proliferation, suggesting a close functional relationship. Also, unlike other folate one-carbon enzymes, the MTHFD2 protein has a short half-life and responds rapidly to serum. Finally, shRNA against MTHFD2 depletes several of its interactors and yields an overall transcriptional response similar to targeted inhibition of certain ribosomal subunits. Conclusions Taken together, our findings suggest a novel function of MTHFD2 in RNA metabolism and translation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40170-018-0185-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costas Koufaris
- 1Cardiovascular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.,2Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.,3Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roland Nilsson
- 1Cardiovascular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.,2Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.,3Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
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18
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Metabolic Alterations in Cancer Cells and the Emerging Role of Oncometabolites as Drivers of Neoplastic Change. Antioxidants (Basel) 2018; 7:antiox7010016. [PMID: 29342092 PMCID: PMC5789326 DOI: 10.3390/antiox7010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrion is an important organelle and provides energy for a plethora of intracellular reactions. Metabolic dysregulation has dire consequences for the cell, and alteration in metabolism has been identified in multiple disease states—cancer being one. Otto Warburg demonstrated that cancer cells, in the presence of oxygen, undergo glycolysis by reprogramming their metabolism—termed “aerobic glycolysis”. Alterations in metabolism enable cancer cells to gain a growth advantage by obtaining precursors for macromolecule biosynthesis, such as nucleic acids and lipids. To date, several molecules, termed “oncometabolites”, have been identified to be elevated in cancer cells and arise from mutations in nuclear encoded mitochondrial enzymes. Furthermore, there is evidence that oncometabolites can affect mitochondrial dynamics. It is believed that oncometabolites can assist in reprogramming enzymatic pathways and providing cancer cells with selective advantages. In this review, we will touch upon the effects of normal and aberrant mitochondrial metabolism in normal and cancer cells, the advantages of metabolic reprogramming, effects of oncometabolites on metabolism and mitochondrial dynamics and therapies aimed at targeting oncometabolites and metabolic aberrations.
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19
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Shin M, Momb J, Appling DR. Human mitochondrial MTHFD2 is a dual redox cofactor-specific methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase. Cancer Metab 2017; 5:11. [PMID: 29225823 PMCID: PMC5718140 DOI: 10.1186/s40170-017-0173-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism provides one-carbon units for several biological processes. This pathway is highly compartmentalized in eukaryotes, with the mitochondrial pathway producing formate for use in cytoplasmic processes. The mitochondrial enzyme MTHFD2 has been reported to use NAD+ as a cofactor while the isozyme MTHFD2L utilizes NAD+ or NADP+ at physiologically relevant conditions. Because MTHFD2 is highly expressed in many cancer types, we sought to determine the cofactor preference of this enzyme. Results Kinetic analysis shows that purified human MTHFD2 exhibits dual redox cofactor specificity, utilizing either NADP+ or NAD+ with the more physiologically relevant pentaglutamate folate substrate. Conclusion These results show that the mitochondrial folate pathway isozymes MTHFD2 and MTHFD2L both exhibit dual redox cofactor specificity. Our kinetic analysis clearly supports a role for MTHFD2 in mitochondrial NADPH production, indicating that this enzyme is likely responsible for mitochondrial production of both NADH and NADPH in rapidly proliferating cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhye Shin
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-0165 USA
| | - Jessica Momb
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-0165 USA
| | - Dean R Appling
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-0165 USA
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20
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Newman AC, Maddocks ODK. One-carbon metabolism in cancer. Br J Cancer 2017; 116:1499-1504. [PMID: 28472819 PMCID: PMC5518849 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 300] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells require one-carbon units for nucleotide synthesis, methylation and reductive metabolism, and these pathways support the high proliferative rate of cancer cells. As such, anti-folates, drugs that target one-carbon metabolism, have long been used in the treatment of cancer. Amino acids, such as serine are a major one-carbon source, and cancer cells are particularly susceptible to deprivation of one-carbon units by serine restriction or inhibition of de novo serine synthesis. Recent work has also begun to decipher the specific pathways and sub-cellular compartments that are important for one-carbon metabolism in cancer cells. In this review we summarise the historical understanding of one-carbon metabolism in cancer, describe the recent findings regarding the generation and usage of one-carbon units and explore possible future therapeutics that could exploit the dependency of cancer cells on one-carbon metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice C Newman
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Oliver D K Maddocks
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
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21
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Yokouchi Y, Imaoka M, Niino N, Kiyosawa N, Kai K. Comprehensive Evaluation of (+)-Usnic Acid–induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats by Sequential Cross-omics Analysis. Toxicol Pathol 2017; 45:481-492. [DOI: 10.1177/0192623317707074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Two-week administration of (+)-usnic acid (UA) induces mitochondrial swelling of cardiomyocytes, and toxicogenomic analysis of the heart revealed upregulation of oxidative stress, amino acid limitation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress–related genes in rats. To analyze the pathogenesis, UA was orally administrated to rats for 1, 4, 7, and 14 days, and sequential histopathological, genomic, and metabolomic analyses were performed on the heart, liver, and plasma. As a result, mitochondrial swelling of cardiomyocytes was observed on day 15 preceded by genomic upregulation on days 5 and 8. Of the focused gene groups, amino acid limitation–related genes represented by Mthfd2 showed numerically higher values or upregulation from day 5, which was sustained through the experimental period. On the contrary, oxidative stress–related genes were upregulated temporally on day 5. In metabolomic analysis, amino acids such as taurocholate and their metabolites fluctuated in concert with the upregulation of amino acid limitation–related genes in the heart, liver, and plasma. Moreover, accumulations of bile acids were manifested in all the tested tissues, while no histopathological change was seen in the liver. Increased bile acids might have an indirect effect on the myocardium; however, more detailed analysis is required. In conclusion, amino acid limitation was suggested as the pivotal toxic trigger of UA-induced cardiotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. Yokouchi
- Translational Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology Department, R&D Division, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - M. Imaoka
- Medicinal Safety Research Laboratories, R&D Division, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - N. Niino
- Medicinal Safety Research Laboratories, R&D Division, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - N. Kiyosawa
- Translational Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology Department, R&D Division, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - K. Kai
- Medicinal Safety Research Laboratories, R&D Division, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
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22
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Mohd-Zin SW, Marwan AI, Abou Chaar MK, Ahmad-Annuar A, Abdul-Aziz NM. Spina Bifida: Pathogenesis, Mechanisms, and Genes in Mice and Humans. SCIENTIFICA 2017; 2017:5364827. [PMID: 28286691 PMCID: PMC5327787 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5364827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Spina bifida is among the phenotypes of the larger condition known as neural tube defects (NTDs). It is the most common central nervous system malformation compatible with life and the second leading cause of birth defects after congenital heart defects. In this review paper, we define spina bifida and discuss the phenotypes seen in humans as described by both surgeons and embryologists in order to compare and ultimately contrast it to the leading animal model, the mouse. Our understanding of spina bifida is currently limited to the observations we make in mouse models, which reflect complete or targeted knockouts of genes, which perturb the whole gene(s) without taking into account the issue of haploinsufficiency, which is most prominent in the human spina bifida condition. We thus conclude that the need to study spina bifida in all its forms, both aperta and occulta, is more indicative of the spina bifida in surviving humans and that the measure of deterioration arising from caudal neural tube defects, more commonly known as spina bifida, must be determined by the level of the lesion both in mouse and in man.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siti W. Mohd-Zin
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Ahmed I. Marwan
- Laboratory for Fetal and Regenerative Biology, Colorado Fetal Care Center, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | | | - Azlina Ahmad-Annuar
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Noraishah M. Abdul-Aziz
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Ducker GS, Rabinowitz JD. One-Carbon Metabolism in Health and Disease. Cell Metab 2017; 25:27-42. [PMID: 27641100 PMCID: PMC5353360 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1198] [Impact Index Per Article: 171.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
One-carbon (1C) metabolism, mediated by the folate cofactor, supports multiple physiological processes. These include biosynthesis (purines and thymidine), amino acid homeostasis (glycine, serine, and methionine), epigenetic maintenance, and redox defense. Both within eukaryotic cells and across organs, 1C metabolic reactions are compartmentalized. Here we review the fundamentals of mammalian 1C metabolism, including the pathways active in different compartments, cell types, and biological states. Emphasis is given to recent discoveries enabled by modern genetics, analytical chemistry, and isotope tracing. An emerging theme is the biological importance of mitochondrial 1C reactions, both for producing 1C units that are exported to the cytosol and for making additional products, including glycine and NADPH. Increased clarity regarding differential folate pathway usage in cancer, stem cells, development, and adult physiology is reviewed and highlights new opportunities for selective therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory S Ducker
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Joshua D Rabinowitz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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24
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Gustafsson R, Jemth AS, Gustafsson NMS, Färnegårdh K, Loseva O, Wiita E, Bonagas N, Dahllund L, Llona-Minguez S, Häggblad M, Henriksson M, Andersson Y, Homan E, Helleday T, Stenmark P. Crystal Structure of the Emerging Cancer Target MTHFD2 in Complex with a Substrate-Based Inhibitor. Cancer Res 2016; 77:937-948. [PMID: 27899380 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-1476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To sustain their proliferation, cancer cells become dependent on one-carbon metabolism to support purine and thymidylate synthesis. Indeed, one of the most highly upregulated enzymes during neoplastic transformation is MTHFD2, a mitochondrial methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase and cyclohydrolase involved in one-carbon metabolism. Because MTHFD2 is expressed normally only during embryonic development, it offers a disease-selective therapeutic target for eradicating cancer cells while sparing healthy cells. Here we report the synthesis and preclinical characterization of the first inhibitor of human MTHFD2. We also disclose the first crystal structure of MTHFD2 in complex with a substrate-based inhibitor and the enzyme cofactors NAD+ and inorganic phosphate. Our work provides a rationale for continued development of a structural framework for the generation of potent and selective MTHFD2 inhibitors for cancer treatment. Cancer Res; 77(4); 937-48. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Gustafsson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ann-Sofie Jemth
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nina M S Gustafsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katarina Färnegårdh
- Drug Discovery and Development Platform, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Olga Loseva
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elisée Wiita
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nadilly Bonagas
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Leif Dahllund
- Drug Discovery and Development Platform, Science for Life Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Sabin Llona-Minguez
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Häggblad
- Biochemical and Cellular Screening, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Henriksson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yasmin Andersson
- Drug Discovery and Development Platform, Science for Life Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Evert Homan
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Helleday
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Pål Stenmark
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
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25
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Abstract
The non-essential amino acid serine supports several metabolic processes that are crucial for the growth and survival of proliferating cells, including protein, amino acid and glutathione synthesis. As an important one-carbon donor to the folate cycle, serine contributes to nucleotide synthesis, methylation reactions and the generation of NADPH for antioxidant defence. Many cancer cells are highly dependent on serine, a trait that provides several novel therapeutic opportunities, either through the inhibition of de novo serine synthesis or by limiting the availability or uptake of exogenous serine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yang
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Karen H Vousden
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
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26
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Meiser J, Vazquez A. Give it or take it: the flux of one-carbon in cancer cells. FEBS J 2016; 283:3695-3704. [PMID: 27042806 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The sequence of the human genome together with sequence similarity analyses has advanced the discovery of missing steps in the mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism pathway. That together with the revived interest in cancer metabolism has brought the research on one-carbon metabolism back under the spotlight. Here, we present a brief review of recent advances in the field of one-carbon metabolism, with a bias towards its relevance to cell growth and proliferation in human cancers. We will address the requirements of one-carbon metabolism for biosynthesis and the major sources to satisfy that demand. We will also discuss some recent discoveries indicating a role of one-carbon metabolism beyond biosynthesis. We conclude with a concise enumeration of some fundamental questions that remain unanswered.
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27
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Abstract
A defining hallmark of cancer is uncontrolled cell proliferation. This is initiated once cells have accumulated alterations in signaling pathways that control metabolism and proliferation, wherein the metabolic alterations provide the energetic and anabolic demands of enhanced cell proliferation. How these metabolic requirements are satisfied depends, in part, on the tumor microenvironment, which determines the availability of nutrients and oxygen. In this Cell Science at a Glance paper and the accompanying poster, we summarize our current understanding of cancer metabolism, emphasizing pathways of nutrient utilization and metabolism that either appear or have been proven essential for cancer cells. We also review how this knowledge has contributed to the development of anticancer therapies that target cancer metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexei Vazquez
- Cancer Metabolism Research Unit, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Jurre J Kamphorst
- Cancer Metabolism Research Unit, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Elke K Markert
- Cancer Metabolism Research Unit, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Zachary T Schug
- Cancer Metabolism Research Unit, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Saverio Tardito
- Cancer Metabolism Research Unit, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Eyal Gottlieb
- Cancer Metabolism Research Unit, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
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28
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Jiang H, Qin XJ, Li WP, Ma R, Wang T, Li ZQ. LncRNAs expression in adjuvant-induced arthritis rats reveals the potential role of LncRNAs contributing to rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis. Gene 2016; 593:131-142. [PMID: 27511374 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are an important class of widespread molecules involved in diverse biological functions, which are exceptionally expressed in numerous types of diseases. Currently, limited study on LncRNA in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is available. In this study, we aimed to identify the specifically expressed LncRNA that are relevant to adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) in rats, and to explore the possible molecular mechanisms of RA pathogenesis. METHODS To identify LncRNAs specifically expressed in rheumatoid arthritis, the expression of LncRNAs in synoviums of rats from the model group (n=3) was compared with that in the control group (n=3) using Arraystar Rat LncRNA/mRNA microarray and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS Up to 260 LncRNAs were found to be differentially expressed (≥1.5-fold-change) in the synoviums between AA model and the normal rats (170 up-regulated and 90 down-regulated LncRNAs in AA rats compared with normal rats). Coding-non-coding gene co-expression networks (CNC network) were drawn based on the correlation analysis between the differentially expressed LncRNAs and mRNAs. Six LncRNAs, XR_008357, U75927, MRAK046251, XR_006457, DQ266363 and MRAK003448, were selected to analyze the relationship between LncRNAs and RA via the CNC network and GO analysis. Real-time PCR result confirmed that the six LncRNAs were specifically expressed in the AA rats. CONCLUSIONS These results revealed that clusters of LncRNAs were uniquely expressed in AA rats compared with controls, which manifests that these differentially expressed LncRNAs in AA rats might play a vital role in RA development. Up-regulation or down-regulation of the six LncRNAs might contribute to the molecular mechanism underlying RA. To sum up, our study provides potential targets for treatment of RA and novel profound understanding of the pathogenesis of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Jiang
- College of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, China; Department of Pharmacy, The first affiliated hospital of Anhui university of Chinese medicine, 117 Meishan Road, Hefei, China.
| | - Xiu-Juan Qin
- Department of Pharmacy, The first affiliated hospital of Anhui university of Chinese medicine, 117 Meishan Road, Hefei, China.
| | - Wei-Ping Li
- College of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, China.
| | - Rong Ma
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of North Texas Health Sciences Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA.
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The first affiliated hospital of Anhui university of Chinese medicine, 117 Meishan Road, Hefei, China.
| | - Zhu-Qing Li
- College of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, China.
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29
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Koufaris C, Gallage S, Yang T, Lau CH, Valbuena GN, Keun HC. Suppression of MTHFD2 in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells Increases Glycolysis, Dependency on Exogenous Glycine, and Sensitivity to Folate Depletion. J Proteome Res 2016; 15:2618-25. [PMID: 27315223 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (NAD(P)+ dependent) 2, methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase (MTHFD2) is a mitochondrial enzyme involved in folate metabolism. A number of recent studies have highlighted this enzyme as being highly expressed in many solid tumors, including breast cancer, and to be correlated with poor survival. However, the metabolic functions of MTHFD2 in cancer cells have not been well-defined. To investigate the function of MTHFD2 in breast cancer cells, we generated and characterized MCF-7 cells with stable suppression of MTHFD2 expression using a combination of cellular assays and metabolic profiling. Loss of MTHFD2 caused MCF7 cells to become glycine auxotrophs, that is, reliant on exogenous glycine, and more sensitive to exogenous folate depletion. Another prominent metabolic alteration observed as a consequence of MTHFD2 suppression was a more glycolytic phenotype, consistent with widespread modifications of cellular metabolism. Collectively, these data suggest that targeting MTHFD2 activity is likely to influence multiple metabolic pathways in breast cancer and could be combined with a range of antimetabolite therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costas Koufaris
- Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London , Hammersmith Hospital, London, U.K.,Department of Cytogenetics and Genomics, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics , Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Suchira Gallage
- Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London , Hammersmith Hospital, London, U.K
| | - Tianlai Yang
- Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London , Hammersmith Hospital, London, U.K
| | - Chung-Ho Lau
- Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London , Hammersmith Hospital, London, U.K
| | - Gabriel N Valbuena
- Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London , Hammersmith Hospital, London, U.K
| | - Hector C Keun
- Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London , Hammersmith Hospital, London, U.K
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30
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Ducker GS, Chen L, Morscher RJ, Ghergurovich JM, Esposito M, Teng X, Kang Y, Rabinowitz JD. Reversal of Cytosolic One-Carbon Flux Compensates for Loss of the Mitochondrial Folate Pathway. Cell Metab 2016; 23:1140-1153. [PMID: 27211901 PMCID: PMC4909566 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2016.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 248] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
One-carbon (1C) units for purine and thymidine synthesis can be generated from serine by cytosolic or mitochondrial folate metabolism. The mitochondrial 1C pathway is consistently overexpressed in cancer. Here, we show that most but not all proliferating mammalian cell lines use the mitochondrial pathway as the default for making 1C units. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-mediated mitochondrial pathway knockout activates cytosolic 1C-unit production. This reversal in cytosolic flux is triggered by depletion of a single metabolite, 10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate (10-formyl-THF), and enables rapid cell growth in nutrient-replete conditions. Loss of the mitochondrial pathway, however, renders cells dependent on extracellular serine to make 1C units and on extracellular glycine to make glutathione. HCT-116 colon cancer xenografts lacking mitochondrial 1C pathway activity generate the 1C units required for growth by cytosolic serine catabolism. Loss of both pathways precludes xenograft formation. Thus, either mitochondrial or cytosolic 1C metabolism can support tumorigenesis, with the mitochondrial pathway required in nutrient-poor conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory S Ducker
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Li Chen
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Raphael J Morscher
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Research Program in Receptor Biochemistry and Tumor Metabolism, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Division of Medical Genetics, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jonathan M Ghergurovich
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Mark Esposito
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Xin Teng
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Yibin Kang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Joshua D Rabinowitz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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31
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Matone A, Scott-Boyer MP, Carayol J, Fazelzadeh P, Lefebvre G, Valsesia A, Charon C, Vervoort J, Astrup A, Saris WHM, Morine M, Hager J. Network Analysis of Metabolite GWAS Hits: Implication of CPS1 and the Urea Cycle in Weight Maintenance. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150495. [PMID: 26938218 PMCID: PMC4777532 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Scope Weight loss success is dependent on the ability to refrain from regaining the lost weight in time. This feature was shown to be largely variable among individuals, and these differences, with their underlying molecular processes, are diverse and not completely elucidated. Altered plasma metabolites concentration could partly explain weight loss maintenance mechanisms. In the present work, a systems biology approach has been applied to investigate the potential mechanisms involved in weight loss maintenance within the Diogenes weight-loss intervention study. Methods and Results A genome wide association study identified SNPs associated with plasma glycine levels within the CPS1 (Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase 1) gene (rs10206976, p-value = 4.709e-11 and rs12613336, p-value = 1.368e-08). Furthermore, gene expression in the adipose tissue showed that CPS1 expression levels were associated with successful weight maintenance and with several SNPs within CPS1 (cis-eQTL). In order to contextualize these results, a gene-metabolite interaction network of CPS1 and glycine has been built and analyzed, showing functional enrichment in genes involved in lipid metabolism and one carbon pool by folate pathways. Conclusions CPS1 is the rate-limiting enzyme for the urea cycle, catalyzing carbamoyl phosphate from ammonia and bicarbonate in the mitochondria. Glycine and CPS1 are connected through the one-carbon pool by the folate pathway and the urea cycle. Furthermore, glycine could be linked to metabolic health and insulin sensitivity through the betaine osmolyte. These considerations, and the results from the present study, highlight a possible role of CPS1 and related pathways in weight loss maintenance, suggesting that it might be partly genetically determined in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Matone
- The Microsoft Research—University of Trento Centre for Computational Systems Biology (COSBI), Rovereto, Italy
| | - Marie-Pier Scott-Boyer
- The Microsoft Research—University of Trento Centre for Computational Systems Biology (COSBI), Rovereto, Italy
| | - Jerome Carayol
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Parastoo Fazelzadeh
- Nutrition, Metabolism & Genomics group, University of Wageningen, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Armand Valsesia
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Celine Charon
- CEA-Genomics Institute- National Genotyping Center, Evry, France
| | - Jacques Vervoort
- Nutrition, Metabolism & Genomics group, University of Wageningen, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Arne Astrup
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wim H. M. Saris
- Dept of Human Biology Medical and Health Science Faculty, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Melissa Morine
- The Microsoft Research—University of Trento Centre for Computational Systems Biology (COSBI), Rovereto, Italy
| | - Jörg Hager
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Lausanne, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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32
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Gustafsson Sheppard N, Jarl L, Mahadessian D, Strittmatter L, Schmidt A, Madhusudan N, Tegnér J, Lundberg EK, Asplund A, Jain M, Nilsson R. The folate-coupled enzyme MTHFD2 is a nuclear protein and promotes cell proliferation. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15029. [PMID: 26461067 PMCID: PMC4602236 DOI: 10.1038/srep15029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Folate metabolism is central to cell proliferation and a target of commonly used cancer chemotherapeutics. In particular, the mitochondrial folate-coupled metabolism is thought to be important for proliferating cancer cells. The enzyme MTHFD2 in this pathway is highly expressed in human tumors and broadly required for survival of cancer cells. Although the enzymatic activity of the MTHFD2 protein is well understood, little is known about its larger role in cancer cell biology. We here report that MTHFD2 is co-expressed with two distinct gene sets, representing amino acid metabolism and cell proliferation, respectively. Consistent with a role for MTHFD2 in cell proliferation, MTHFD2 expression was repressed in cells rendered quiescent by deprivation of growth signals (serum) and rapidly re-induced by serum stimulation. Overexpression of MTHFD2 alone was sufficient to promote cell proliferation independent of its dehydrogenase activity, even during growth restriction. In addition to its known mitochondrial localization, we found MTHFD2 to have a nuclear localization and co-localize with DNA replication sites. These findings suggest a previously unknown role for MTHFD2 in cancer cell proliferation, adding to its known function in mitochondrial folate metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Gustafsson Sheppard
- Unit of Computational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lisa Jarl
- Unit of Computational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Diana Mahadessian
- Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Laura Strittmatter
- Department of Molecular Biology and the Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Angelika Schmidt
- Unit of Computational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nikhil Madhusudan
- Department of Molecular Biology and the Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Jesper Tegnér
- Unit of Computational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emma K Lundberg
- Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Anna Asplund
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mohit Jain
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Metabolomics Medicine, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Roland Nilsson
- Unit of Computational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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33
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Tedeschi PM, Vazquez A, Kerrigan JE, Bertino JR. Mitochondrial Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase (MTHFD2) Overexpression Is Associated with Tumor Cell Proliferation and Is a Novel Target for Drug Development. Mol Cancer Res 2015; 13:1361-6. [PMID: 26101208 PMCID: PMC4618031 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-15-0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Rapidly proliferating tumors attempt to meet the demands for nucleotide biosynthesis by upregulating folate pathways that provide the building blocks for pyrimidine and purine biosynthesis. In particular, the key role of mitochondrial folate enzymes in providing formate for de novo purine synthesis and for providing the one-carbon moiety for thymidylate synthesis has been recognized in recent studies. We have shown a significant correlation between the upregulation of the mitochondrial folate enzymes, high proliferation rates, and sensitivity to the folate antagonist methotrexate (MTX). Burkitt lymphoma and diffuse large-cell lymphoma tumor specimens have the highest levels of mitochondrial folate enzyme expression and are known to be sensitive to treatment with MTX. A key enzyme upregulated in rapidly proliferating tumors but not in normal adult cells is the mitochondrial enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD2). This perspective outlines the rationale for specific targeting of MTHFD2 and compares known and generated crystal structures of MTHFD2 and closely related enzymes as a molecular basis for developing therapeutic agents against MTHFD2. Importantly, the development of selective inhibitors of mitochondrial methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase is expected to have substantial activity, and this perspective supports the investigation and development of MTHFD2 inhibitors for anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip M Tedeschi
- Department of Pharmacology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Alexei Vazquez
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - John E Kerrigan
- Department of Bioinformatics, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Joseph R Bertino
- Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
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34
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Bailey LB, Stover PJ, McNulty H, Fenech MF, Gregory JF, Mills JL, Pfeiffer CM, Fazili Z, Zhang M, Ueland PM, Molloy AM, Caudill MA, Shane B, Berry RJ, Bailey RL, Hausman DB, Raghavan R, Raiten DJ. Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development-Folate Review. J Nutr 2015; 145:1636S-1680S. [PMID: 26451605 PMCID: PMC4478945 DOI: 10.3945/jn.114.206599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 325] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND) project is designed to provide evidence-based advice to anyone with an interest in the role of nutrition in health. Specifically, the BOND program provides state-of-the-art information and service with regard to selection, use, and interpretation of biomarkers of nutrient exposure, status, function, and effect. To accomplish this objective, expert panels are recruited to evaluate the literature and to draft comprehensive reports on the current state of the art with regard to specific nutrient biology and available biomarkers for assessing nutrients in body tissues at the individual and population level. Phase I of the BOND project includes the evaluation of biomarkers for 6 nutrients: iodine, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin B-12. This review represents the second in the series of reviews and covers all relevant aspects of folate biology and biomarkers. The article is organized to provide the reader with a full appreciation of folate's history as a public health issue, its biology, and an overview of available biomarkers (serum folate, RBC folate, and plasma homocysteine concentrations) and their interpretation across a range of clinical and population-based uses. The article also includes a list of priority research needs for advancing the area of folate biomarkers related to nutritional health status and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Bailey
- Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens, GA;
| | - Patrick J Stover
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Helene McNulty
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, University of Ulster, Londonderry, United Kingdom
| | - Michael F Fenech
- Genome Health Nutrigenomics Laboratory, Food, Nutrition, and Bioproducts Flagship, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Jesse F Gregory
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - James L Mills
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Zia Fazili
- National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, Atlanta, GA
| | - Mindy Zhang
- National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, Atlanta, GA
| | - Per M Ueland
- Department of Clinical Science, Univeristy of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Anne M Molloy
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marie A Caudill
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Barry Shane
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Robert J Berry
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC, Atlanta, GA; and
| | | | - Dorothy B Hausman
- Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Ramkripa Raghavan
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Daniel J Raiten
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD;
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Zhang B, Denomme MM, White CR, Leung KY, Lee MB, Greene NDE, Mann MRW, Trasler JM, Baltz JM. Both the folate cycle and betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase contribute methyl groups for DNA methylation in mouse blastocysts. FASEB J 2014; 29:1069-79. [PMID: 25466894 DOI: 10.1096/fj.14-261131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The embryonic pattern of global DNA methylation is first established in the inner cell mass (ICM) of the mouse blastocyst. The methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is produced in most cells through the folate cycle, but only a few cell types generate SAM from betaine (N,N,N-trimethylglycine) via betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT), which is expressed in the mouse ICM. Here, mean ICM cell numbers decreased from 18-19 in controls to 11-13 when the folate cycle was inhibited by the antifolate methotrexate and to 12-14 when BHMT expression was knocked down by antisense morpholinos. Inhibiting both pathways, however, much more severely affected ICM development (7-8 cells). Total SAM levels in mouse blastocysts decreased significantly only when both pathways were inhibited (from 3.1 to 1.6 pmol/100 blastocysts). DNA methylation, detected as 5-methylcytosine (5-MeC) immunofluorescence in isolated ICMs, was minimally affected by inhibition of either pathway alone but decreased by at least 45-55% when both BHMT and the folate cycle were inhibited simultaneously. Effects on cell numbers and 5-MeC levels in the ICM were completely rescued by methionine (immediate SAM precursor) or SAM. Both the folate cycle and betaine/BHMT appear to contribute to a methyl pool required for normal ICM development and establishing initial embryonic DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baohua Zhang
- *Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Developmental Biology and Cancer Program, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal Children's Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; and Departments of Human Genetics, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michelle M Denomme
- *Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Developmental Biology and Cancer Program, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal Children's Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; and Departments of Human Genetics, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Carlee R White
- *Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Developmental Biology and Cancer Program, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal Children's Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; and Departments of Human Genetics, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kit-Yi Leung
- *Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Developmental Biology and Cancer Program, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal Children's Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; and Departments of Human Genetics, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Martin B Lee
- *Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Developmental Biology and Cancer Program, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal Children's Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; and Departments of Human Genetics, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nicholas D E Greene
- *Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Developmental Biology and Cancer Program, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal Children's Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; and Departments of Human Genetics, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mellissa R W Mann
- *Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Developmental Biology and Cancer Program, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal Children's Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; and Departments of Human Genetics, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jacquetta M Trasler
- *Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Developmental Biology and Cancer Program, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal Children's Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; and Departments of Human Genetics, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jay M Baltz
- *Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Developmental Biology and Cancer Program, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal Children's Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; and Departments of Human Genetics, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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Ye J, Fan J, Venneti S, Wan YW, Pawel BR, Zhang J, Finley LWS, Lu C, Lindsten T, Cross JR, Qing G, Liu Z, Simon MC, Rabinowitz JD, Thompson CB. Serine catabolism regulates mitochondrial redox control during hypoxia. Cancer Discov 2014; 4:1406-17. [PMID: 25186948 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-14-0250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 324] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The de novo synthesis of the nonessential amino acid serine is often upregulated in cancer. In this study, we demonstrate that the serine catabolic enzyme, mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT2), is induced when MYC-transformed cells are subjected to hypoxia. In mitochondria, SHMT2 can initiate the degradation of serine to CO2 and NH4+, resulting in net production of NADPH from NADP+. Knockdown of SHMT2 in MYC-dependent cells reduced cellular NADPH:NADP+ ratio, increased cellular reactive oxygen species, and triggered hypoxia-induced cell death. In vivo, SHMT2 suppression led to impaired tumor growth. In MYC-amplified neuroblastoma patient samples, there was a significant correlation between SHMT2 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF1α), and SHMT2 expression correlated with unfavorable patient prognosis. Together, these data demonstrate that mitochondrial serine catabolism supports tumor growth by maintaining mitochondrial redox balance and cell survival. SIGNIFICANCE In this study, we demonstrate that the mitochondrial enzyme SHMT2 is induced upon hypoxic stress and is critical for maintaining NADPH production and redox balance to support tumor cell survival and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangbin Ye
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Jing Fan
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics and Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Sriram Venneti
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Ying-Wooi Wan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Bruce R Pawel
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ji Zhang
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Lydia W S Finley
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Chao Lu
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Tullia Lindsten
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Justin R Cross
- Donald B. and Catherine C. Marron Cancer Metabolism Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Guoliang Qing
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhandong Liu
- Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - M Celeste Simon
- The Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Joshua D Rabinowitz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics and Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Craig B Thompson
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
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Momb J, Appling DR. Mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism and neural tube defects. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 100:576-83. [PMID: 24985542 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.23268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Revised: 05/02/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neural tube defects (NTDs) are one of the most common birth defects in humans. Maternal intake of folic acid was linked to prevention of NTDs in the 1970s. This realization led to the establishment of mandatory and/or voluntary food folic acid fortification programs in many countries that have reduced the incidence of NTDs by up to 70% in humans. Despite 40 years of intensive research, the biochemical mechanisms underlying the protective effects of folic acid remain unknown. RESULTS Recent research reveals a role for mitochondrial folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism in neural tube closure. CONCLUSION In this article, we review the evidence linking NTDs to aberrant mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism in humans and mouse models. The potential of formate, a product of mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism, to prevent NTDs is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Momb
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
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38
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Shin M, Bryant JD, Momb J, Appling DR. Mitochondrial MTHFD2L is a dual redox cofactor-specific methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase expressed in both adult and embryonic tissues. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:15507-17. [PMID: 24733394 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.555573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian mitochondria are able to produce formate from one-carbon donors such as serine, glycine, and sarcosine. This pathway relies on the mitochondrial pool of tetrahydrofolate (THF) and several folate-interconverting enzymes in the mitochondrial matrix. We recently identified MTHFD2L as the enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH2-THF) in adult mammalian mitochondria. We show here that the MTHFD2L enzyme is bifunctional, possessing both CH2-THF dehydrogenase and 5,10-methenyl-THF cyclohydrolase activities. The dehydrogenase activity can use either NAD(+) or NADP(+) but requires both phosphate and Mg(2+) when using NAD(+). The NADP(+)-dependent dehydrogenase activity is inhibited by inorganic phosphate. MTHFD2L uses the mono- and polyglutamylated forms of CH2-THF with similar catalytic efficiencies. Expression of the MTHFD2L transcript is low in early mouse embryos but begins to increase at embryonic day 10.5 and remains elevated through birth. In adults, MTHFD2L is expressed in all tissues examined, with the highest levels observed in brain and lung.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhye Shin
- From the Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Joshua D Bryant
- From the Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Jessica Momb
- From the Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Dean R Appling
- From the Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
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39
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Tedeschi PM, Markert EK, Gounder M, Lin H, Dvorzhinski D, Dolfi SC, Chan LLY, Qiu J, DiPaola RS, Hirshfield KM, Boros LG, Bertino JR, Oltvai ZN, Vazquez A. Contribution of serine, folate and glycine metabolism to the ATP, NADPH and purine requirements of cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2013; 4:e877. [PMID: 24157871 PMCID: PMC3920946 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2013.393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent observations on cancer cell metabolism indicate increased serine synthesis from glucose as a marker of poor prognosis. We have predicted that a fraction of the synthesized serine is routed to a pathway for ATP production. The pathway is composed by reactions from serine synthesis, one-carbon (folate) metabolism and the glycine cleavage system (SOG pathway). Here we show that the SOG pathway is upregulated at the level of gene expression in a subset of human tumors and that its level of expression correlates with gene signatures of cell proliferation and Myc target activation. We have also estimated the SOG pathway metabolic flux in the NCI60 tumor-derived cell lines, using previously reported exchange fluxes and a personalized model of cell metabolism. We find that the estimated rates of reactions in the SOG pathway are highly correlated with the proliferation rates of these cell lines. We also observe that the SOG pathway contributes significantly to the energy requirements of biosynthesis, to the NADPH requirement for fatty acid synthesis and to the synthesis of purines. Finally, when the PC-3 prostate cancer cell line is treated with the antifolate methotrexate, we observe a decrease in the ATP levels, AMP kinase activation and a decrease in ribonucleotides and fatty acids synthesized from [1,2-13C2]-D-glucose as the single tracer. Taken together our results indicate that the SOG pathway activity increases with the rate of cell proliferation and it contributes to the biosynthetic requirements of purines, ATP and NADPH of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Tedeschi
- 1] Department of Medicine, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA [2] Department of Pharmacology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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40
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Kooistra M, Trasler JM, Baltz JM. Folate transport in mouse cumulus-oocyte complexes and preimplantation embryos. Biol Reprod 2013; 89:63. [PMID: 23904512 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.113.111146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous folate stores are required in preimplantation embryos of several species, but how folates are accumulated and whether they can be replenished has not been determined. Folates are generally taken up into cells by specific transporters, mainly the reduced folate carrier RFC1 (SLC19A1 protein) and the high-affinity folate receptors FOLR1 and FOLR2. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that Slc19a1 mRNA was expressed in mouse cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) and oocytes, whereas Folr1 showed expression only in preimplantation embryos, increasing from the 2-cell stage onward. The mRNAs encoding Folr2 and the intestinal folate transporter Slc46a1 were not detected. Methotrexate (MTX), an antifolate often used as a model substrate for folate transport, exhibited saturable transport in COCs and in preimplantation embryos starting at the 2-cell stage. However, folate transport characteristics differed between COCs and embryos. In COCs, transport of MTX and the reduced folate leucovorin was inhibited by the anion transport inhibitor SITS that blocks RFC1 but was insensitive to dynasore, a specific dynamin inhibitor that instead inhibits folate receptor-receptor mediated endocytosis, whereas the opposite was found in 2-cell embryos and blastocysts. The inhibitor profile and transport properties of MTX and leucovorin in COCs correspond to established transport characteristics of RFC1 (SLC19A1), whereas those in 2-cell embryos and blastocysts correspond with those of FOLR1, consistent with the mRNA expression patterns. Considerable folate was accumulated in COCs via RFC1, but the presence of cumulus cells did not enhance folate accumulation in the enclosed oocyte, indicating a lack of transfer from cumulus to oocyte.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Kooistra
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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41
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Scotti M, Stella L, Shearer EJ, Stover PJ. Modeling cellular compartmentation in one-carbon metabolism. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2013; 5:343-65. [PMID: 23408533 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism (FOCM) is associated with risk for numerous pathological states including birth defects, cancers, and chronic diseases. Although the enzymes that constitute the biological pathways have been well described and their interdependency through the shared use of folate cofactors appreciated, the biological mechanisms underlying disease etiologies remain elusive. The FOCM network is highly sensitive to nutritional status of several B-vitamins and numerous penetrant gene variants that alter network outputs, but current computational approaches do not fully capture the dynamics and stochastic noise of the system. Combining the stochastic approach with a rule-based representation will help model the intrinsic noise displayed by FOCM, address the limited flexibility of standard simulation methods for coarse-graining the FOCM-associated biochemical processes, and manage the combinatorial complexity emerging from reactions within FOCM that would otherwise be intractable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Scotti
- The Microsoft Research-University of Trento Centre for Computational and Systems Biology (COSBI), Rovereto, Italy
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42
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Deletion of Mthfd1l causes embryonic lethality and neural tube and craniofacial defects in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 110:549-54. [PMID: 23267094 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211199110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal supplementation with folic acid is known to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs) by as much as 70%. Despite the strong clinical link between folate and NTDs, the biochemical mechanisms through which folic acid acts during neural tube development remain undefined. The Mthfd1l gene encodes a mitochondrial monofunctional 10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate synthetase, termed MTHFD1L. This gene is expressed in adults and at all stages of mammalian embryogenesis with localized regions of higher expression along the neural tube, developing brain, craniofacial structures, limb buds, and tail bud. In both embryos and adults, MTHFD1L catalyzes the last step in the flow of one-carbon units from mitochondria to cytoplasm, producing formate from 10-formyl-THF. To investigate the role of mitochondrial formate production during embryonic development, we have analyzed Mthfd1l knockout mice. All embryos lacking Mthfd1l exhibit aberrant neural tube closure including craniorachischisis and exencephaly and/or a wavy neural tube. This fully penetrant folate-pathway mouse model does not require feeding a folate-deficient diet to cause this phenotype. Maternal supplementation with sodium formate decreases the incidence of NTDs and partially rescues the growth defect in embryos lacking Mthfd1l. These results reveal the critical role of mitochondrially derived formate in mammalian development, providing a mechanistic link between folic acid and NTDs. In light of previous studies linking a common splice variant in the human MTHFD1L gene with increased risk for NTDs, this mouse model provides a powerful system to help elucidate the specific metabolic mechanisms that underlie folate-associated birth defects, including NTDs.
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Kennedy RB, Ovsyannikova IG, Pankratz VS, Haralambieva IH, Vierkant RA, Poland GA. Genome-wide analysis of polymorphisms associated with cytokine responses in smallpox vaccine recipients. Hum Genet 2012; 131:1403-21. [PMID: 22610502 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-012-1174-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2011] [Accepted: 04/23/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The role that genetics play in response to infection or disease is becoming increasingly clear as we learn more about immunogenetics and host-pathogen interactions. Here we report a genome-wide analysis of the effects of host genetic variation on cytokine responses to vaccinia virus stimulation in smallpox vaccine recipients. Our data show that vaccinia stimulation of immune individuals results in secretion of inflammatory and Th1 cytokines. We identified multiple SNPs significantly associated with variations in cytokine secretion. These SNPs are found in genes with known immune function, as well as in genes encoding for proteins involved in signal transduction, cytoskeleton, membrane channels and ion transport, as well as others with no previously identified connection to immune responses. The large number of significant SNP associations implies that cytokine secretion in response to vaccinia virus is a complex process controlled by multiple genes and gene families. Follow-up studies to replicate these findings and then pursue mechanistic studies will provide a greater understanding of how genetic variation influences vaccine responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B Kennedy
- Mayo Vaccine Research Group, Mayo Clinic, Guggenheim 611C, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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Lee MS, Bonner JR, Bernard DJ, Sanchez EL, Sause ET, Prentice RR, Burgess SM, Brody LC. Disruption of the folate pathway in zebrafish causes developmental defects. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2012; 12:12. [PMID: 22480165 PMCID: PMC3410756 DOI: 10.1186/1471-213x-12-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Accepted: 04/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Background Folic acid supplementation reduces the risk of neural tube defects and congenital heart defects. The biological mechanisms through which folate prevents birth defects are not well understood. We explore the use of zebrafish as a model system to investigate the role of folate metabolism during development. Results We first identified zebrafish orthologs of 12 human folate metabolic genes. RT-PCR and in situ analysis indicated maternal transcripts supply the embryo with mRNA so that the embryo has an intact folate pathway. To perturb folate metabolism we exposed zebrafish embryos to methotrexate (MTX), a potent inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase (Dhfr) an essential enzyme in the folate metabolic pathway. Embryos exposed to high doses of MTX exhibited developmental arrest prior to early segmentation. Lower doses of MTX resulted in embryos with a shortened anterior-posterior axis and cardiac defects: linear heart tubes or incomplete cardiac looping. Inhibition of dhfr mRNA with antisense morpholino oligonucleotides resulted in embryonic lethality. One function of the folate pathway is to provide essential one-carbon units for dTMP synthesis, a rate-limiting step of DNA synthesis. After 24 hours of exposure to high levels of MTX, mutant embryos continue to incorporate the thymidine analog BrdU. However, additional experiments indicate that these embryos have fewer mitotic cells, as assayed with phospho-histone H3 antibodies, and that treated embryos have perturbed cell cycles. Conclusions Our studies demonstrate that human and zebrafish utilize similar one-carbon pathways. Our data indicate that folate metabolism is essential for early zebrafish development. Zebrafish studies of the folate pathway and its deficiencies could provide insight into the underlying etiology of human birth defects and the natural role of folate in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina S Lee
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Johnson CB, Tikunov AP, Lee H, Wolak JE, Pediaditakis P, Romney DA, Holmuhamedov E, Gamcsik MP, Macdonald JM. ¹³C magnetic resonance spectroscopy detection of changes in serine isotopomers reflects changes in mitochondrial redox status. Magn Reson Med 2011; 68:671-9. [PMID: 22190282 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.23296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2011] [Revised: 10/14/2011] [Accepted: 10/24/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The glycine cleavage system (GCS), the major pathway of glycine catabolism in liver, is found only in the mitochondria matrix and is regulated by the oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+) )/reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) ratio. In conjunction with serine hydroxymethyltransferase, glycine forms the 1 and 2 positions of serine, while the 3 position is formed exclusively by GCS. Therefore, we sought to exploit this pathway to show that quantitative measurements of serine isotopomers in liver can be used to monitor the NAD(+) /NADH ratio using (13) C NMR spectroscopy. Rat hepatocytes were treated with modulators of GCS activity followed by addition of 2-(13) C-glycine, and the changes in the proportions of newly synthesized serine isotopomers were compared to controls. Cysteamine, a competitive inhibitor of GCS, prevented formation of mitochondrial 3-(13) C-serine and 2,3-(13) C-serine isotopomers while reducing 2-(13) C-serine by 55%, demonstrating that ca. 20% of glycine-derived serine is produced in the cytosol. Glucagon, which activates GCS activity, and the mitochondrial uncoupler carbonyl cyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone both increased serine isotopomers, whereas rotenone, an inhibitor of complex I, had the opposite effect. These results demonstrate that (13) C magnetic resonance spectroscopy monitoring of the formation of serine isotopomers in isolated rat hepatocytes given 2-(13) C-glycine reflects the changes of mitochondrial redox status.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bryce Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Identification of a de novo thymidylate biosynthesis pathway in mammalian mitochondria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:15163-8. [PMID: 21876188 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1103623108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The de novo and salvage dTTP pathways are essential for maintaining cellular dTTP pools to ensure the faithful replication of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. Disregulation of dTTP pools results in mitochondrial dysfunction and nuclear genome instability due to an increase in uracil misincorporation. In this study, we identified a de novo dTMP synthesis pathway in mammalian mitochondria. Mitochondria purified from wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and HepG2 cells converted dUMP to dTMP in the presence of NADPH and serine, through the activities of mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT2), thymidylate synthase (TYMS), and a novel human mitochondrial dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) previously thought to be a pseudogene known as dihydrofolate reductase-like protein 1 (DHFRL1). Human DHFRL1, SHMT2, and TYMS were localized to mitochondrial matrix and inner membrane, confirming the presence of this pathway in mitochondria. Knockdown of DHFRL1 using siRNA eliminated DHFR activity in mitochondria. DHFRL1 expression in CHO glyC, a previously uncharacterized mutant glycine auxotrophic cell line, rescued the glycine auxotrophy. De novo thymidylate synthesis activity was diminished in mitochondria isolated from glyA CHO cells that lack SHMT2 activity, as well as mitochondria isolated from wild-type CHO cells treated with methotrexate, a DHFR inhibitor. De novo thymidylate synthesis in mitochondria prevents uracil accumulation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), as uracil levels in mtDNA isolated from glyA CHO cells was 40% higher than observed in mtDNA isolated from wild-type CHO cells. These data indicate that unlike other nucleotides, de novo dTMP synthesis occurs within mitochondria and is essential for mtDNA integrity.
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Stone N, Pangilinan F, Molloy AM, Shane B, Scott JM, Ueland PM, Mills JL, Kirke PN, Sethupathy P, Brody LC. Bioinformatic and genetic association analysis of microRNA target sites in one-carbon metabolism genes. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21851. [PMID: 21765920 PMCID: PMC3134459 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2011] [Accepted: 06/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
One-carbon metabolism (OCM) is linked to DNA synthesis and methylation, amino acid metabolism and cell proliferation. OCM dysfunction has been associated with increased risk for various diseases, including cancer and neural tube defects. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ∼22 nt RNA regulators that have been implicated in a wide array of basic cellular processes, such as differentiation and metabolism. Accordingly, mis-regulation of miRNA expression and/or activity can underlie complex disease etiology. We examined the possibility of OCM regulation by miRNAs. Using computational miRNA target prediction methods and Monte-Carlo based statistical analyses, we identified two candidate miRNA “master regulators” (miR-22 and miR-125) and one candidate pair of “master co-regulators” (miR-344-5p/484 and miR-488) that may influence the expression of a significant number of genes involved in OCM. Interestingly, miR-22 and miR-125 are significantly up-regulated in cells grown under low-folate conditions. In a complementary analysis, we identified 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are located within predicted miRNA target sites in OCM genes. We genotyped these 15 SNPs in a population of healthy individuals (age 18–28, n = 2,506) that was previously phenotyped for various serum metabolites related to OCM. Prior to correction for multiple testing, we detected significant associations between TCblR rs9426 and methylmalonic acid (p = 0.045), total homocysteine levels (tHcy) (p = 0.033), serum B12 (p < 0.0001), holo transcobalamin (p < 0.0001) and total transcobalamin (p < 0.0001); and between MTHFR rs1537514 and red blood cell folate (p < 0.0001). However, upon further genetic analysis, we determined that in each case, a linked missense SNP is the more likely causative variant. Nonetheless, our Monte-Carlo based in silico simulations suggest that miRNAs could play an important role in the regulation of OCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Stone
- Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Faith Pangilinan
- Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Anne M. Molloy
- School of Immunology and Biochemistry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Barry Shane
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - John M. Scott
- School of Immunology and Biochemistry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Per Magne Ueland
- Section of Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - James L. Mills
- Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Peader N. Kirke
- Child Health Epidemiology Unit, Health Research Board of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Praveen Sethupathy
- Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PS); (LCB)
| | - Lawrence C. Brody
- Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PS); (LCB)
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Abstract
The role of metabolic compartmentation in spatially organizing metabolic enzymes into pathways, regulating flux through metabolic pathways, and controlling the partitioning of metabolic intermediates among pathways is appreciated, but our understanding of the mechanisms that establish metabolic architecture and mediate communication and regulation among interconnected metabolic pathways and networks is still incomplete. This review discusses recent advancements in our understanding of metabolic compartmentation within the pathways that constitute the folate-mediated one-carbon metabolic network and emerging evidence for a need to regulate the trafficking of folates among compartmentalized metabolic pathways.
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