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Zhen Z, Ren J, Zhu J. The redox requirement and regulation during cell proliferation. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2024; 35:385-399. [PMID: 38262821 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2023.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The intracellular metabolic network comprises a variety of reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions that occur in a temporally and spatially distinct manner. In order to coordinate these redox processes, mammalian cells utilize a collection of electron-carrying molecules common to many redox reactions, including NAD, NADP, coenzyme Q (CoQ), and glutathione (GSH). This review considers the metabolic basis of redox regulation in the context of cell proliferation by analyzing how cells acquire and utilize electron carriers to maintain directional carbon flux, sustain reductive biosynthesis, and support antioxidant defense. Elucidating the redox requirement during cell proliferation can advance the understanding of human diseases such as cancer, and reveal effective therapeutic opportunities in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoran Zhen
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiankun Ren
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiajun Zhu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
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2
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Zhou P, Zhang J, Feng J, Wang G. Construction of an oxidative phosphorylation-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and identifying immune infiltration in osteosarcoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:5311-5335. [PMID: 38506898 PMCID: PMC11006489 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma is a prevalent malignant tumor that originates from mesenchymal tissue. It typically affects children and adolescents. Although it is known that the growth of osteosarcoma relies on oxidative phosphorylation for energy production, limited attention has been paid to exploring the potential of oxidative phosphorylation-related genes in predicting the prognosis of individuals suffering from osteosarcoma. METHODS All the data were retrieved from the UCSC Xena and GEO (GENE EXPRESSION OMNIBUS). Identification of the oxidative phosphorylation genes linked to the prognosis of individuals with osteosarcoma was done by means of univariate COX and LASSO regression analyses. Following that, patients were categorized into a high-risk group and a low-risk group as per the risk score determined by the identified oxidative phosphorylation genes. Furthermore, a comparison was made in terms of the survival and immune infiltration between both groups, and the prognostic model was established. RESULTS Five oxidative phosphorylation genes (ATP6V0D1, LHPP, COX6A2, MTHFD2, NDUFB9) associated with the prognosis of individuals with osteosarcoma were identified and the risk prognostic models were constructed. In the current research, the analysis of the ROC curves indicated a superior predictive accuracy exhibited by the risk model. The prognosis was adversely affected by immune infiltration in the high-risk group in comparison with the low-risk group. The function of the oxidative phosphorylation-related prognostic gene set was verified by GO and KEGG analysis. Furthermore, the link between oxidative phosphorylation-related genes and osteosarcoma immune infiltration was examined by GSEA analysis. CONCLUSIONS In this study, a prognostic model that demonstrated good predictive performance was constructed. Additionally, this study highlighted a correlation between oxidative phosphorylation-related genes and immune infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhou
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinyan Feng
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Guowen Wang
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
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3
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Silva RVN, Berzotti LA, Laia MG, Araújo LS, Silva CA, Ribeiro KB, Brandão M, Michelleti AMR, Machado JR, Lira RCP. Implications of MTHFD2 expression in renal cell carcinoma aggressiveness. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299353. [PMID: 38422037 PMCID: PMC10903874 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of cancer in kidney and is often diagnosed in advanced stages. Until now, there is no reliable biomarker to assess tumor prognosis during histopathological diagnosis. The Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) overexpression has been suggested as prognostic indicator for RCC, however, its protein profile needs to be clarified. This study investigated the MTHFD2 expression in different RCC cohorts, associating it with tumor characteristics and prognostic factors. Gene expression comparisons between non-neoplastic (NN) and tumor samples, as well as patients' survival analysis, were assessed using KM-Plotter tool. MTHFD2 protein pattern was evaluated in 117 RCC by immunohistochemistry and associations with prognosis, clinical and pathological data were investigated. The tumors exhibited higher MTHFD2 transcript levels than NN, being even higher in the metastatic group. Opposite gene expression patterns were found among clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and pappilary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) subtypes, showing higher and lower expressions compared to NN samples respectively. Overexpression was associated with shorter overall survival for ccRCC and pRCC subtypes, and shorter recurrence-free survival for pRCC. The immunolabeling profile varied according to tumor subtypes, with lower intensity and expression scores in ccRCC compared to pRCC and to chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC). MTHFD2 protein expression was associated with larger tumors and higher Fuhrman grades. Although prognostic value of protein immunostaining was not confirmed, patients with higher MTHFD2 tended to have lower survival rates in the pRCC group. The results highlight MTHFD2 different patterns according to RCC histological subtypes, revealing marked variations at both the genetic and protein levels. The mRNA indicated tumor prognosis, and greater expression in the tumor samples. Although MTHFD2 immunolabeling suggests tumor aggressiveness, it needs to be validated in other cohorts as potential prognostic factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela V. N. Silva
- Department of Pathology, Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lucas A. Berzotti
- Department of Pathology, Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcella G. Laia
- Department of Pathology, Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Liliane S. Araújo
- Department of Pathology, Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Crislaine A. Silva
- Department of Pathology, Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Karen B. Ribeiro
- Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Millena Brandão
- Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adilha M. R. Michelleti
- Department of Clinical Surgery, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana R. Machado
- Department of Pathology, Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Régia C. P. Lira
- Department of Pathology, Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Zhang X, Wang Z. Targeting SHMTs and MTHFDs in cancer: attractive opportunity for anti-tumor strategy. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1335785. [PMID: 38444944 PMCID: PMC10912643 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1335785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
One-carbon metabolism is a universal metabolic process that mediates the transfer of one-carbon units for purine and thymidine synthesis. One-carbon metabolism has been found to be dysregulated in various cancer types due to its role in production of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides, epigenetic program, and redox homeostasis. One-carbon metabolism is composed a network of one-carbon metabolic enzymes. Disturbing the expression and enzymatic activity of these one-carbon metabolic enzymes could lead to fluctuations of metabolites in the tumor microenvironment. Serine hydroxymethyltransferases (SHMTs) and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenases (MTHFDs) are gradually recognized as important one-carbon metabolic enzymes for regulating tumor initiation and development, representing potential therapeutic targets for anti-tumor strategies. In the review, we primarily focused on the role of SHMTs and MTHFDs in cancer. Several inhibitors targeting MTHFDs and SHMTs have exert its potential to decrease tumor burden and inhibit tumor proliferation, highlighting the potential of targeting one-carbon metabolic enzymes for anti-cancer strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhang
- The VIP Department, School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhenhua Wang
- Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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5
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Ramos L, Henriksson M, Helleday T, Green AC. Targeting MTHFD2 to Exploit Cancer-Specific Metabolism and the DNA Damage Response. Cancer Res 2024; 84:9-16. [PMID: 37922465 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-1290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023]
Abstract
The one-carbon folate enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase 2 (MTHFD2) is a promising therapeutic target in cancer. MTHFD2 is upregulated across numerous cancer types, promotes growth and metastasis of cancer, and correlates with poorer survival. Recent studies have developed small-molecule inhibitors to the isozymes MTHFD2 and MTHFD1 that show promise as anticancer agents through different mechanisms. This review discusses the current understanding of the function of MTHFD2 in cancer and the status of inhibitors for treating MTHFD2-overexpressing cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Ramos
- Weston Park Cancer Centre and Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, Faculty of Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Vancouver Prostate Centre and Department of Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Martin Henriksson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Thomas Helleday
- Weston Park Cancer Centre and Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, Faculty of Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Alanna C Green
- Weston Park Cancer Centre and Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, Faculty of Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Mellanby Centre for Bone Research, University of Sheffield Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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6
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Pan S, Guan J, Xianyu B, Tan Y, Li T, Xu H. A Nanotherapeutic Strategy to Reverse NK Cell Exhaustion. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2211370. [PMID: 36917826 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202211370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
As a specialized immune effector cell, natural killer (NK) cells play a very important role in immunotherapy, but tumor immunosuppression caused by abnormal expression of cancer cells seriously weakens its therapeutic effect and leads to exhaustion. Here, self-assembled selenium-containing nanoparticles (NPs) composed of cetuximab, C5SeSeC5, and inhibitor LY345899 are developed to reverse NK cell exhaustion. The obtained NPs can target epidermal growth factor receptor on the surface of cancer cells and locate it in mitochondria. The released LY345899 can inhibit the activity of methylene tetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 and produce excessive reactive oxygen species, leading to the formation of seleninic acid, further reducing the expression of human leukocyte antigen E , which is responsible for the NKG2A-related NK cell inhibition. As a result, the enhanced NK-cell-mediated immunotherapy in conjunction with the cetuximab-mediated antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity effect can not only effectively inhibit the growth of xenograft tumors, but also significantly suppress the growth of untreated distant tumors via the abscopal effect. This work, the combination of seleninic acid, LY345899, and cetuximab, provides a new strategy for reversing NK cell exhaustion and has great potential for use in the treatment of metastatic tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuojiong Pan
- Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Jun Guan
- Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Banruo Xianyu
- Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yizheng Tan
- Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Tianyu Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Huaping Xu
- Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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Deng X, Liu X, Hu B, Liu J, Fu B, Zhang W. Upregulation of MTHFD2 is associated with PD‑L1 activation in bladder cancer via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Int J Mol Med 2022; 51:14. [PMID: 36601741 PMCID: PMC9869724 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2022.5217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) has been implicated in the etiology of various human malignant tumors; however, its exact role in bladder cancer (BC) remains to be explored. Through reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry detection of BC tissue, combined with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database analysis, the present study demonstrated that MTHFD2 was upregulated in BC tissues. MTHFD2 expression in patients with BC was frequently associated with worse prognosis, tumor immune cell infiltration and programmed death‑ligand 1 (PD‑L1) expression. Subsequently, using short hairpin RNA, the expression levels of MTHFD2 were knocked down in BC cell lines, and the results revealed that the tumor cell proliferation and colony formation abilities of cells were greatly reduced, as determined by Cell Counting Kit 8 and colony formation assays, as was the expression of PD‑L1, as determined by western blotting. These findings were also confirmed in a xenograft nude mouse model. Simultaneously, it was revealed that abnormal expression of MTHFD2 was closely associated with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in both RNA‑sequencing and TCGA datasets. This observation was verified in vitro by detecting the protein expression levels of PI3K and AKT by western blotting. The activation of PI3K and AKT was enhanced in BC cells (T24) following stimulation with 740Y‑P, a PI3K activator, and cellular activities and PD‑L1 expression levels were restored. Finally, it was demonstrated that the MTHFD2 levels were correlated with chemosensitivity to traditional BC chemotherapeutic agents and various PI3K/AKT‑targeted drugs, as determined by analyzing the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer database. Overall, the present findings revealed that upregulation of MTHFD2 was associated with PD‑L1 activation in BC via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, suggesting that it could be a promising marker of chemotherapy and immunotherapy for BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxi Deng
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Institute of Urology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China,Department of Urology, Jiujiang No. 1 People's Hospital (Affiliated Jiujiang Hospital of Nanchang University), Jiujiang, Jiangxi 332000, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoqiang Liu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Institute of Urology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Bing Hu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Institute of Urology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Jianyun Liu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Lab of System Biomedicine, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, Jiangxi 332000, P.R. China
| | - Bin Fu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Institute of Urology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China,Correspondence to: Dr Bin Fu, Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Institute of Urology, 17 Yong Wai Zheng Street, Donghu, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China, E-mail:
| | - Wensheng Zhang
- Department of Urology, Jiujiang No. 1 People's Hospital (Affiliated Jiujiang Hospital of Nanchang University), Jiujiang, Jiangxi 332000, P.R. China,Dr Wensheng Zhang, Department of Urology, Jiujiang No. 1 People's Hospital (Affiliated Jiujiang Hospital of Nanchang University), 48 Taling South Road, Xunyang, Jiujiang, Jiangxi 332000, P.R. China, E-mail:
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8
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Achreja A, Yu T, Mittal A, Choppara S, Animasahun O, Nenwani M, Wuchu F, Meurs N, Mohan A, Jeon JH, Sarangi I, Jayaraman A, Owen S, Kulkarni R, Cusato M, Weinberg F, Kweon HK, Subramanian C, Wicha MS, Merajver SD, Nagrath S, Cho KR, DiFeo A, Lu X, Nagrath D. Metabolic collateral lethal target identification reveals MTHFD2 paralogue dependency in ovarian cancer. Nat Metab 2022; 4:1119-1137. [PMID: 36131208 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-022-00636-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Recurrent loss-of-function deletions cause frequent inactivation of tumour suppressor genes but often also involve the collateral deletion of essential genes in chromosomal proximity, engendering dependence on paralogues that maintain similar function. Although these paralogues are attractive anticancer targets, no methodology exists to uncover such collateral lethal genes. Here we report a framework for collateral lethal gene identification via metabolic fluxes, CLIM, and use it to reveal MTHFD2 as a collateral lethal gene in UQCR11-deleted ovarian tumours. We show that MTHFD2 has a non-canonical oxidative function to provide mitochondrial NAD+, and demonstrate the regulation of systemic metabolic activity by the paralogue metabolic pathway maintaining metabolic flux compensation. This UQCR11-MTHFD2 collateral lethality is confirmed in vivo, with MTHFD2 inhibition leading to complete remission of UQCR11-deleted ovarian tumours. Using CLIM's machine learning and genome-scale metabolic flux analysis, we elucidate the broad efficacy of targeting MTHFD2 despite distinct cancer genetic profiles co-occurring with UQCR11 deletion and irrespective of stromal compositions of tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinav Achreja
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tao Yu
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Anjali Mittal
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Srinadh Choppara
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Olamide Animasahun
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Minal Nenwani
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Fulei Wuchu
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Noah Meurs
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Aradhana Mohan
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jin Heon Jeon
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Itisam Sarangi
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Anusha Jayaraman
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sarah Owen
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Reva Kulkarni
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michele Cusato
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Frank Weinberg
- Hematology and Oncology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hye Kyong Kweon
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Chitra Subramanian
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Max S Wicha
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sofia D Merajver
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sunitha Nagrath
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kathleen R Cho
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Analisa DiFeo
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Xiongbin Lu
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
- Melvin & Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Deepak Nagrath
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Human Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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ATF4/MYC Regulates MTHFD2 to Promote NSCLC Progression by Mediating Redox Homeostasis. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:7527996. [PMID: 36051358 PMCID: PMC9425107 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7527996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose. Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) has been reported to be overexpressed in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to correlate with malignant proliferation. However, the mechanism of high MTHFD2 expression in NSCLC has not been clarified. Methods. qPCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence experiments were used to measure the expression of related mRNAs and proteins. Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry and TUNEL assays. The CCK-8 assay was used to determine cell viability. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle. ROS, H2O2, MDA, SOD, and NADPH/NADP+ were evaluated by relevant assay kits. Transfection of siRNA or vectors was used to downregulate or upregulate gene expression. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assays were used to evaluate the regulated relationship between MTHFD2 and ATF4 or MYC. Results. MTHFD2 was highly expressed in NSCLC cells. Knockdown of MTHFD2 inhibited proliferation and increased apoptosis. Furthermore, oxidative factors significantly increased, while antioxidant factors significantly decreased in NSCLC cells with MTHFD2 knockdown, indicating that MTHFD2 was involved in NSCLC progression through the redox pathway. Although MTHFD2 was downregulated with ATF4 silencing, the dual-luciferase reporter assay suggested that ATF4 did not directly mediate MTHFD2 transcription. Further studies revealed that MYC had a transcriptional effect on MTHFD2 and was also regulated by ATF4. PCR, and western blotting experiments with ATF4 knockdown and MYC overexpression as well as ATF4 overexpression and MYC knockdown proved that ATF4 stimulated MTHFD2 through MYC mediation. Conclusions. ATF4 promoted high expression of MTHFD2 in NSCLC dependent on MYC.
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The Emerging Role of MTHFD Family Genes in Regulating the Tumor Immunity of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:4867730. [PMID: 35693982 PMCID: PMC9187492 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4867730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Objective To investigate the function and regulatory mechanisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD) family genes in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), especially focus on their regulating role in tumor immunity. Methods The publicly available data from the TCGA database were used to investigate the expression pattern and regulatory role of MTHFD family genes in OSCC. More importantly, the involvement of MTHFD family genes in tumor immunity was investigated in terms of immune and stromal cell infiltration in tumor microenvironment, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, and immunomodulatory genes (e.g., immunoinhibitory genes and immunostimulatory genes). Statistical analysis was performed using R software packages and public web servers. Results MTHFD family genes were considerably upregulated in OSCC as compared with normal oral tissue. Patients with high MTHFD2 expression presented worse survival outcomes than those with low MTHFD2 expression. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the top 100 positively and negatively correlated genes of the MTHFD family genes were significantly enriched in several KEGG pathways, including cell cycle, spliceosome, DNA replication, and Th17 cell differentiation. As a result of tumor immunity analysis, MTHFD2L expression was found to be negatively related to the Estimate-Stromal-Immune score in OSCC; however, there was no statistical significance between the Estimate-Stromal-Immune score and MTHFD1, MTHFD1L, or MTHFD2 in OSCC. Additionally, MTHFD family genes were found to be significantly positively correlated with tumor-infiltrating immune cells, including Treg and Th17 cells. Moreover, MTHFD family genes were significantly correlated with several immune inhibitory genes such as CD274 and CTLA4 and several immune-stimulatory genes such as CXCL12, CXCR4, and TMIGD2. Conclusion Given the expression pattern, prognostic value, biological functions, and involvement in tumor immunity, MTHFD family genes could serve as potential therapeutic biomarkers in targeting tumor immunity in oral cancer.
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Zhu L, Liu X, Zhang W, Hu H, Wang Q, Xu K. MTHFD2 is a potential oncogene for its strong association with poor prognosis and high level of immune infiltrates in urothelial carcinomas of bladder. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:556. [PMID: 35581573 PMCID: PMC9112551 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09606-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The bifunctional methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (NADP+ dependent) 2, methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase (MTHFD2) has been reported to play an oncogenic role in various types of cancers. However, the function of MTHFD2 in urothelial carcinomas of bladder (UCB) and its association with tumor immune infiltration remains unknown. We aim to examine the suitability of MTHFD2 to be a novel biomarker of bladder cancer and whether MTHFD2 is linked to immune infiltration. METHODS RNA sequencing data and clinical information (bladder cancer samples: normal samples = 414: 19) were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas official website. Western blot analysis was performed to detect MTHFD2 expression in human bladder cancer (BLCA) cells and normal urothelial cell line SV-HUC-1. Associations between MTHFD2 expression and clinicopathological features were analyzed using Mann Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis H test. The "survival" and "survminer" packages were utilized to plot Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Moreover, the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted using a clusterProfiler package. The correlation of MTHFD2 expression with immune infiltration level was estimated using the single sample GSEA (ssGSEA) algorithm. Furthermore, associations between MTHFD2 and immune checkpoint genes were evaluated using the correlation analysis. RESULTS Transcriptome analysis manifested that MTHFD2 was highly expressed in UCB tissues than normal bladder tissues, which was further confirmed by western blot analysis in human BLCA cells and SV-HUC-1 cells. Moreover, MTHFD2 high expression was significantly associated with the advanced disease progression. Also, the high expression of MTHFD2 was correlated with poor prognosis, and MTHFD2 was considered as an independent prognostic factor for disease specific survival. Furthermore, a number of cancer-related pathways were enriched in MTHFD2 high group, including NF-κB activation, JAK/STAT, and cancer immunotherapy by PD1 blockade. Several immune checkpoint molecules were also strongly associated with MTHFD2 expression, including PDCD1, CD274, CTLA4, CD276, LAG3, HAVCR2, and TIGIT. CONCLUSIONS MTHFD2 expression was remarkably elevated in UCB, suggesting that MTHFD2 could be a promising biomarker for BLCA as well as novel target for anti-cancer immunotherapy since its close association with immune infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhu
- Department of Urology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Xianhui Liu
- Department of Urology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Weiyu Zhang
- Department of Urology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100044, China.,Peking University Applied Lithotripsy Institute, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100034, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Department of Urology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Urology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Kexin Xu
- Department of Urology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100044, China.
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12
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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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13
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Shi LF, Zhang Q, Shou XY, Niu HJ. Expression and Prognostic Value Identification of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) in Brain Low-Grade Glioma. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:4517-4527. [PMID: 34421310 PMCID: PMC8373260 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s323858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to reveal the potential function of methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) and emphasized its importance in brain low-grade glioma (LGG). Methods We firstly explored the differential expression of MTHFD2 mRNA in LGG and normal tissues, followed by correlation analysis of MTHFD2 mRNA expression with patient’s clinical characteristics. MTHFD2 protein expression in LGG and subcellular location were also evaluated. Then, survival analysis was performed to reveal the influence of MTHFD2 expression on the overall survival of patients, and Cox regression analysis was applied to predict the prognostic factor for overall survival of LGG. Finally, we performed functional analysis to reveal potential MTHFD2-associated pathways involved in LGG. Results We found that MTHFD2 was highly expressed in LGG patients (P<0.05), and MTHFD2 expression was related to patient’s age and IDH mutation status (all P<0.05). MTHFD2 protein was mainly localized to the mitochondria. Survival analysis showed that high expression of MTHFD2 desirably improved the prognosis of LGG patients (P<0.001), especially for those patients with age ≥45 years (P<0.05). But independent prognostic role of MTHFD2 in LGG was not observed. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that MTHFD2 high expression significantly and positively participated in the pathway of one carbon pool by folate (all P<0.05). Conclusion High expression of MTHFD2 was observed in LGG, which was favorable for the overall survival of LGG patients. Our results assumed that MTHFD2 high expression might play a pivotal role in LGG through positively regulating pathway of one carbon pool by folate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Feng Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Ying Shou
- Department of Nursing, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Huan-Jiang Niu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
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Miao YD, Mu LJ, Mi DH. Metabolism-associated genes in occurrence and development of gastrointestinal cancer: Latest progress and future prospect. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2021; 13:758-771. [PMID: 34457185 PMCID: PMC8371517 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i8.758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. The occurrence and progression of GI cancer involve multiple events. Metabolic reprogramming is one of the hallmarks of cancer and is intricately related to tumorigenesis. Many metabolic genes are involved in the occurrence and development of GI cancer. Research approaches combining tumor genomics and metabolomics are more likely to provide deeper insights into this field. In this paper, we review the roles of metabolism-associated genes, especially those involved in the regulation pathways, in the occurrence and progression of GI cancer. We provide the latest progress and future prospect into the different molecular mechanisms of metabolism-associated genes involved in the occurrence and development of GI cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Dong Miao
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Lin-Jie Mu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650000, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Deng-Hai Mi
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
- Dean’s Office, Gansu Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
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15
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Li Q, Yang F, Shi X, Bian S, Shen F, Wu Y, Zhu C, Fu F, Wang J, Zhou J, Chen Y. MTHFD2 promotes ovarian cancer growth and metastasis via activation of the STAT3 signaling pathway. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:2845-2857. [PMID: 34231329 PMCID: PMC8487042 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) is a bifunctional enzyme located in the mitochondria. MTHFD2 has been reported to be overexpressed in several malignant tumors and is implicated in cancer development. This study aimed to investigate the effect of MTHFD2 on ovarian cancer progression. The expression of MTHFD2 was detected by bioinformatic analysis, immunohistochemistry, RT‐qPCR (real‐time quantitative PCR analysis), and western blot analysis. The effects of MTHFD2 depletion on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were determined through in vitro experiments. Cell cycle progression and apoptosis were accessed by flow cytometry. The related signaling pathway protein expression was determined by western blot analysis. We found that MTHFD2 is highly expressed in both ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines. MTHFD2 deletion suppressed cell proliferation and metastasis. Knockdown of MTHFD2 induces cell apoptosis and G2/M arrest, whereas the number of cells in S phase increased with MTHFD2 overexpression. Mechanically, our results indicate that an inhibitory effect of MTHFD2 knockdown may be mediated by the downregulation of cyclin B1/Cdc2 complex and the inhibitory effect on its activity. Additionally, MTHFD2 could regulate cell growth and aggressiveness via activation of STAT3 and the STAT3‐induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition signaling pathway. These findings indicate that MTHFD2 is overexpressed in ovarian cancer and regulates cell proliferation and metastasis, presenting an attractive therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiutong Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiu Shi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shimin Bian
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangrong Shen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuhong Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenjie Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengqing Fu
- Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinhua Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Youguo Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Research Center of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
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Huang J, Qin Y, Lin C, Huang X, Zhang F. MTHFD2 facilitates breast cancer cell proliferation via the AKT signaling pathway. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:703. [PMID: 34007312 PMCID: PMC8120508 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
MTHFD2 is a folate-coupled mitochondrial metabolic enzyme which has been extensively studied in breast cancer; however, its molecular functions in this cancer remain unclear. The current study aimed to reveal the underlying mechanism of breast cancer. MTHFD2 expression status and prognostic value were determined using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database. To determine the function of MTHFD2 in breast cancer, MCF-7 cells with stable overexpression of Flag-MTHFD2 or depletion of MTHFD2 were generated. Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays were used to examine the effect of MTHFD2 overexpression or knockout on MCF-7 cell proliferation and clonogenicity, respectively. Luciferase reporter and an AKT inhibitor (GSK6906) analysis were carried out to investigate the effect of MTHFD2 on the AKT signaling pathway. The results demonstrated that MTHFD2 expression level was higher in breast cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, patients with high MTHFD2 expression had significantly poorer overall survival compared with patients with low MTHFD2 expression. In addition, ectopic expression of MTHFD2 promoted the tumorigenic properties of MCF-7 cells, including proliferation and clonogenicity. Conversely, depletion of MTHFD2 had the opposite effect on the malignant properties of MCF-7 cells. Luciferase reporter demonstrated that MTHFD2 can significantly increase the ATK luciferase density. Furthermore, the Akt inhibitor GSK690693 significantly decreased the increased clonogenicity caused by MTHFD2 overexpression in MCF-7 cells. Taken together, the findings from the present study suggested that MTHFD2 may serve a protumor role in the malignancy of breast cancer by activating the AKT signaling pathway. These results provide an alternative theoretical foundation that could help the development of MTHFD2-targeted breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Huang
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Jinping, Shantou, Guangzhou 515000, P.R. China
| | - Yinyin Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Jinping, Shantou, Guangzhou 515000, P.R. China
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (PCCM), Shunde Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Jinping, Shantou, Guangzhou 515000, P.R. China
| | - Canfeng Lin
- Department of Oncology, Shantou Central Hospital, Jinping, Shantou, Guangzhou 515000, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoguang Huang
- Department of Oncology, Shantou Central Hospital, Jinping, Shantou, Guangzhou 515000, P.R. China
| | - Feiran Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Jinping, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, P.R. China
- Correspondence to: Professor Feiran Zhang, Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, 57 Changping Road, Jinping, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, P.R. China
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Li H, Li Y, Tian D, Zhang J, Duan S. miR-940 is a new biomarker with tumor diagnostic and prognostic value. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 25:53-66. [PMID: 34168918 PMCID: PMC8192490 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
miR-940 is a microRNA located on chromosome 16p13.3, which has varying degrees of expression imbalance in many diseases. It binds to the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) and affects the transcription or post-transcriptional regulation of target protein-coding genes. For a diversity of cellular processes, including cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell cycle, and osteogenic differentiation, miR-940 can affect them not only by regulating protein-coding genes but also long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in pathways. Intriguingly, miR-940 participates in four pathways that affect cancer development, including the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, PD-1 pathway, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway. Importantly, the expression of miR-940 is intimately correlated with the diagnosis and prognosis of tumor patients, as well as to the efficacy of tumor chemotherapy drugs. In conclusion, our main purpose is to outline the expression of miR-940 in various diseases and the molecular biological and cytological functions of target genes in order to reveal its potential diagnostic and prognostic value as well as its predictive value of drug efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxiang Li
- Medical Genetics Center, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yin Li
- Medical Genetics Center, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dongmei Tian
- Medical Genetics Center, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiaqian Zhang
- Medical Genetics Center, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shiwei Duan
- Medical Genetics Center, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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18
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The folate cycle enzyme MTHFD2 induces cancer immune evasion through PD-L1 up-regulation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1940. [PMID: 33782411 PMCID: PMC8007798 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22173-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic enzymes and metabolites display non-metabolic functions in immune cell signalling that modulate immune attack ability. However, whether and how a tumour’s metabolic remodelling contributes to its immune resistance remain to be clarified. Here we perform a functional screen of metabolic genes that rescue tumour cells from effector T cell cytotoxicity, and identify the embryo- and tumour-specific folate cycle enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2). Mechanistically, MTHFD2 promotes basal and IFN-γ-stimulated PD-L1 expression, which is necessary for tumourigenesis in vivo. Moreover, IFN-γ stimulates MTHFD2 through the AKT–mTORC1 pathway. Meanwhile, MTHFD2 drives the folate cycle to sustain sufficient uridine-related metabolites including UDP-GlcNAc, which promotes the global O-GlcNAcylation of proteins including cMYC, resulting in increased cMYC stability and PD-L1 transcription. Consistently, the O-GlcNAcylation level positively correlates with MTHFD2 and PD-L1 in pancreatic cancer patients. These findings uncover a non-metabolic role for MTHFD2 in cell signalling and cancer biology. Metabolites have been reported not only to support the highly-demanding energetic needs of cancer cells but also as signalling regulators. Here, the authors show that the activity of the folate cycle enzyme MTHFD2 stimulates PD-L1 expression impairing T cell-mediated cytotoxicity and promoting tumourigenesis.
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Cheng WC, Chang CY, Lo CC, Hsieh CY, Kuo TT, Tseng GC, Wong SC, Chiang SF, Huang KCY, Lai LC, Lu TP, Chao KC, Sher YP. Identification of theranostic factors for patients developing metastasis after surgery for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:3661-3675. [PMID: 33664854 PMCID: PMC7914355 DOI: 10.7150/thno.53176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is an aggressive disease with high propensity of metastasis. Among patients with early-stage disease, more than 30% of them may relapse or develop metastasis. There is an unmet medical need to stratify patients with early-stage LUAD according to their risk of relapse/metastasis to guide preventive or therapeutic approaches. In this study, we identified 4 genes that can serve both therapeutic and diagnostic (theranostic) purposes. Methods: Three independent datasets (GEO, TCGA, and KMPlotter) were used to evaluate gene expression profile of patients with LUAD by unbiased screening approach. Upon significant genes uncovered, functional enrichment analysis was carried out. The predictive power of their expression on patient prognosis were evaluated. Once confirmed their theranostic roles by integrated bioinformatics, we further conducted in vitro and in vivo validation. Results: We found that four genes (ADAM9, MTHFD2, RRM2, and SLC2A1) were associated with poor patient outcomes with an increased hazard ratio in LUAD. Knockdown of them, both separately and simultaneously, suppressed lung cancer cell proliferation and migration ability in vitro and prolonged survival time in metastatic tumor mouse models. Moreover, these four biomarkers were found to be overexpressed in tumor tissues from LUAD patients, and the total immunohistochemical staining scores correlated with poor prognosis. Conclusions: These results suggest that these four identified genes could be theranostic biomarkers for stratifying high-risk patients who develop relapse/metastasis in early-stage LUAD. Developing therapeutic approaches for the four biomarkers may benefit early-stage LUAD patients after surgery.
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Shukla K, Singh N, Lewis JE, Tsang AW, Boothman DA, Kemp ML, Furdui CM. MTHFD2 Blockade Enhances the Efficacy of β-Lapachone Chemotherapy With Ionizing Radiation in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 10:536377. [PMID: 33262939 PMCID: PMC7685994 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.536377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer (HNSCC) presents with multiple treatment challenges limiting overall survival rates and affecting patients' quality of life. Amongst these, resistance to radiation therapy constitutes a major clinical problem in HNSCC patients compounded by origin, location, and tumor grade that limit tumor control. While cisplatin is considered the standard radiosensitizing agent for definitive or adjuvant radiotherapy, in recurrent tumors or for palliative care other chemotherapeutics such as the antifolates methotrexate or pemetrexed are also being utilized as radiosensitizers. These drugs inhibit the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, which is essential for DNA synthesis and connects the 1-C/folate metabolism to NAD(P)H and NAD(P)+ balance in cells. In previous studies, we identified MTHFD2, a mitochondrial enzyme involved in folate metabolism, as a key contributor to NAD(P)H levels in the radiation-resistant cells and HNSCC tumors. In the study presented here, we investigated the role of MTHFD2 in the response to radiation alone and in combination with β-lapachone, a NQO1 bioactivatable drug, which generates reactive oxygen species concomitant with NAD(P)H oxidation to NAD(P)+. These studies are performed in a matched HNSCC cell model of response to radiation: the radiation resistant rSCC-61 and radiation sensitive SCC-61 cells reported earlier by our group. Radiation resistant rSCC-61 cells had increased sensitivity to β-lapachone compared to SCC-61 and knockdown of MTHFD2 in rSCC-61 cells further potentiated the cytotoxicity of β-lapachone with radiation in a dose and time-dependent manner. rSCC-61 MTHFD2 knockdown cells irradiated and treated with β-lapachone showed increased PARP1 activation, inhibition of mitochondrial respiration, decreased respiration-linked ATP production, and increased mitochondrial superoxide and protein oxidation as compared to control rSCC-61 scrambled shRNA. Thus, these studies point to MTHFD2 as a potential target for development of radiosensitizing chemotherapeutics and potentiator of β-lapachone cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirtikar Shukla
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Naveen Singh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Joshua E. Lewis
- The Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States,The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Allen W. Tsang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - David A. Boothman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Melissa L. Kemp
- The Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States,The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Cristina M. Furdui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Cristina M. Furdui
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NADPH homeostasis in cancer: functions, mechanisms and therapeutic implications. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2020; 5:231. [PMID: 33028807 PMCID: PMC7542157 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00326-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) is an essential electron donor in all organisms, and provides the reducing power for anabolic reactions and redox balance. NADPH homeostasis is regulated by varied signaling pathways and several metabolic enzymes that undergo adaptive alteration in cancer cells. The metabolic reprogramming of NADPH renders cancer cells both highly dependent on this metabolic network for antioxidant capacity and more susceptible to oxidative stress. Modulating the unique NADPH homeostasis of cancer cells might be an effective strategy to eliminate these cells. In this review, we summarize the current existing literatures on NADPH homeostasis, including its biological functions, regulatory mechanisms and the corresponding therapeutic interventions in human cancers, providing insights into therapeutic implications of targeting NADPH metabolism and the associated mechanism for cancer therapy.
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22
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Wang J, Luo J, Sun Z, Sun F, Kong Z, Yu J. Identification of MTHFD2 as a novel prognosis biomarker in esophageal carcinoma patients based on transcriptomic data and methylation profiling. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e22194. [PMID: 32925794 PMCID: PMC7489726 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000022194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic regulatory mechanism in esophageal carcinoma (EC) and is associated with genomic instability and carcinogenesis. In the present study, we aimed to identify tumor biomarkers for predicting prognosis of EC patients.We downloaded mRNA expression profiles and DNA methylation profiles associated with EC from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed and differentially methylated genes between tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissue samples were identified. Functional enrichment analyses were performed, followed by the construction of protein-protein interaction networks. Data were validated based on methylation profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Candidate genes were further verified according to survival analysis and Cox regression analysis.We uncovered multiple genes with differential expression or methylation in tumor samples compared with normal samples. After taking the intersection of 3 differential gene sets, we obtained a total of 232 overlapping genes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes are related to pathways such as "glutathione metabolism," "p53 signaling pathway," and "focal adhesion." Furthermore, 8 hub genes with inversed expression and methylation correlation were identified as candidate genes. The abnormal expression levels of MSN, PELI1, and MTHFD2 were correlated with overall survival times in EC patients (P < .05). Only MTHFD2 was significantly associated with a pathologic stage according to univariate analysis (P = .037) and multivariate analysis (P = .043).Our study identified several novel EC biomarkers with prognostic value by integrated analysis of transcriptomic data and methylation profiles. MTHFD2 could serve as an independent biomarker for predicting prognosis and pathological stages of EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlin Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
- Center for Medical Physics, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Judong Luo
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
| | - Zhiqiang Sun
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
| | - Fei Sun
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
| | - Ze Kong
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
| | - Jingping Yu
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
- Center for Medical Physics, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
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Zhu Z, Leung GKK. More Than a Metabolic Enzyme: MTHFD2 as a Novel Target for Anticancer Therapy? Front Oncol 2020; 10:658. [PMID: 32411609 PMCID: PMC7199629 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The bifunctional methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase (MTHFD2) is a mitochondrial one-carbon folate metabolic enzyme whose role in cancer was not known until recently. MTHFD2 is highly expressed in embryos and a wide range of tumors but has low or absent expression in most adult differentiated tissues. Elevated MTHFD2 expression is associated with poor prognosis in both hematological and solid malignancy. Its depletion leads to suppression of multiple malignant phenotypes including proliferation, invasion, migration, and induction of cancer cell death. The non-metabolic functions of this enzyme, especially in cancers, have thus generated considerable research interests. This review summarizes current knowledge on both the metabolic functions and non-enzymatic roles of MTHFD2. Its expression, potential functions, and regulatory mechanism in cancers are highlighted. The development of MTHFD2 inhibitors and their implications in pre-clinical models are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Zhu
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Gilberto Ka Kit Leung
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
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