1
|
Green AC, Marttila P, Kiweler N, Chalkiadaki C, Wiita E, Cookson V, Lesur A, Eiden K, Bernardin F, Vallin KSA, Borhade S, Long M, Ghahe EK, Jiménez-Alonso JJ, Jemth AS, Loseva O, Mortusewicz O, Meyers M, Viry E, Johansson AI, Hodek O, Homan E, Bonagas N, Ramos L, Sandberg L, Frödin M, Moussay E, Slipicevic A, Letellier E, Paggetti J, Sørensen CS, Helleday T, Henriksson M, Meiser J. Formate overflow drives toxic folate trapping in MTHFD1 inhibited cancer cells. Nat Metab 2023; 5:642-659. [PMID: 37012496 PMCID: PMC10132981 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-023-00771-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells fuel their increased need for nucleotide supply by upregulating one-carbon (1C) metabolism, including the enzymes methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase-cyclohydrolase 1 and 2 (MTHFD1 and MTHFD2). TH9619 is a potent inhibitor of dehydrogenase and cyclohydrolase activities in both MTHFD1 and MTHFD2, and selectively kills cancer cells. Here, we reveal that, in cells, TH9619 targets nuclear MTHFD2 but does not inhibit mitochondrial MTHFD2. Hence, overflow of formate from mitochondria continues in the presence of TH9619. TH9619 inhibits the activity of MTHFD1 occurring downstream of mitochondrial formate release, leading to the accumulation of 10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate, which we term a 'folate trap'. This results in thymidylate depletion and death of MTHFD2-expressing cancer cells. This previously uncharacterized folate trapping mechanism is exacerbated by physiological hypoxanthine levels that block the de novo purine synthesis pathway, and additionally prevent 10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate consumption for purine synthesis. The folate trapping mechanism described here for TH9619 differs from other MTHFD1/2 inhibitors and antifolates. Thus, our findings uncover an approach to attack cancer and reveal a regulatory mechanism in 1C metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alanna C Green
- Weston Park Cancer Centre and Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Petra Marttila
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Nicole Kiweler
- Cancer Metabolism Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Christina Chalkiadaki
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Elisée Wiita
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Victoria Cookson
- Weston Park Cancer Centre and Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Antoine Lesur
- Cancer Metabolism Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Kim Eiden
- Cancer Metabolism Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - François Bernardin
- Cancer Metabolism Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Karl S A Vallin
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Södertälje, Sweden
| | - Sanjay Borhade
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- RedGlead Discover, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maeve Long
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Elahe Kamali Ghahe
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julio J Jiménez-Alonso
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Ann-Sofie Jemth
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Olga Loseva
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Oliver Mortusewicz
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Marianne Meyers
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, Molecular Disease Mechanisms Group, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Elodie Viry
- Tumor Stroma Interactions, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Annika I Johansson
- Swedish Metabolomics Centre, Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ondřej Hodek
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Evert Homan
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Nadilly Bonagas
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Louise Ramos
- Weston Park Cancer Centre and Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Lars Sandberg
- Drug Discovery and Development Platform, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Morten Frödin
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Etienne Moussay
- Tumor Stroma Interactions, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Ana Slipicevic
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- One-carbon Therapeutics AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Letellier
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, Molecular Disease Mechanisms Group, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Jérôme Paggetti
- Tumor Stroma Interactions, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | | | - Thomas Helleday
- Weston Park Cancer Centre and Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
| | - Martin Henriksson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
| | - Johannes Meiser
- Cancer Metabolism Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
| |
Collapse
|