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van der Krift F, Zijlmans DW, Shukla R, Javed A, Koukos PI, Schwarz LLE, Timmermans-Sprang EP, Maas PE, Gahtory D, van den Nieuwboer M, Mol JA, Strous GJ, Bonvin AM, van der Stelt M, Veldhuizen EJ, Weingarth M, Vermeulen M, Klumperman J, Maurice MM. A novel antifolate suppresses growth of FPGS-deficient cells and overcomes methotrexate resistance. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302058. [PMID: 37591722 PMCID: PMC10435995 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells make extensive use of the folate cycle to sustain increased anabolic metabolism. Multiple chemotherapeutic drugs interfere with the folate cycle, including methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil that are commonly applied for the treatment of leukemia and colorectal cancer (CRC), respectively. Despite high success rates, therapy-induced resistance causes relapse at later disease stages. Depletion of folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS), which normally promotes intracellular accumulation and activity of natural folates and methotrexate, is linked to methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil resistance and its association with relapse illustrates the need for improved intervention strategies. Here, we describe a novel antifolate (C1) that, like methotrexate, potently inhibits dihydrofolate reductase and downstream one-carbon metabolism. Contrary to methotrexate, C1 displays optimal efficacy in FPGS-deficient contexts, due to decreased competition with intracellular folates for interaction with dihydrofolate reductase. We show that FPGS-deficient patient-derived CRC organoids display enhanced sensitivity to C1, whereas FPGS-high CRC organoids are more sensitive to methotrexate. Our results argue that polyglutamylation-independent antifolates can be applied to exert selective pressure on FPGS-deficient cells during chemotherapy, using a vulnerability created by polyglutamylation deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix van der Krift
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Oncode Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dick W Zijlmans
- Department of Molecular Biology and Oncode Institute, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rhythm Shukla
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ali Javed
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Panagiotis I Koukos
- Computational Structural Biology, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Laura LE Schwarz
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Oncode Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Peter Em Maas
- Specs Compound Handling B.V., Zoetermeer, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Jan A Mol
- Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ger J Strous
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Cell Biology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexandre Mjj Bonvin
- Computational Structural Biology, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mario van der Stelt
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Oncode Institute, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin Ja Veldhuizen
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Markus Weingarth
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel Vermeulen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Oncode Institute, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judith Klumperman
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Cell Biology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Madelon M Maurice
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Oncode Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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