bims-pideca Biomed News
on Class IA PI3K signalling in development and cancer
Issue of 2020‒02‒16
twenty-two papers selected by
Ralitsa Radostinova Madsen
University College London Cancer Institute
  1. Exposure of Pancreatic β-Cells to Excess Glucose Results in Bimodal Activation of mTORC1 and mTOR-Dependent Metabolic Acceleration.
  2. Mechanical regulation of glycolysis via cytoskeleton architecture.
  3. Proteogenomic Characterization of Endometrial Carcinoma.
  4. Simultaneous Knockdown of Sprouty2 and PTEN Promotes Axon Elongation of Adult Sensory Neurons.
  5. TLR9 and beclin 1 crosstalk regulates muscle AMPK activation in exercise.
  6. Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation Regulates the Fate Decision between Pathogenic Th17 and Regulatory T Cells.
  7. A case report of multiple primary prostate tumors with differential drug sensitivity.
  8. Embryonic Barcoding of Equipotent Mammary Progenitors Functionally Identifies Breast Cancer Drivers.
  9. In vivo glucoregulation and tissue-specific glucose uptake in female Akt substrate 160 kDa knockout rats.
  10. Single-Cell Transcriptome Atlas of Murine Endothelial Cells.
  11. Allosteric Activation of PI3Kα Results in Dynamic Access to Catalytically Competent Conformations.
  12. c-Jun, Foxo3a, and c-Myc Transcription Factors are Key Regulators of ATP-Mediated Angiogenic Responses in Pulmonary Artery Vasa Vasorum Endothelial Cells.
  13. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of differentiating iPS cells reveals dynamic genetic effects on gene expression.
  14. HIF1α Regulates Early Metabolic Changes due to Activation of Innate Immunity in Nuclear Reprogramming.
  15. Dynamic 13C Flux Analysis Captures the Reorganization of Adipocyte Glucose Metabolism in Response to Insulin.
  16. Dynamic Imaging of LDH Inhibition in Tumors Reveals Rapid In Vivo Metabolic Rewiring and Vulnerability to Combination Therapy.
  17. Statin-induced GGPP depletion blocks macropinocytosis and starves cells with oncogenic defects.
  18. Rab5a activates IRS1 to coordinate IGF-AKT-mTOR signaling and myoblast differentiation during muscle regeneration.
  19. Preclinical evaluation of a novel triple-acting PIM/PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, IBL-302, in breast cancer.
  20. TORC1 regulates vacuole membrane composition through ubiquitin- and ESCRT-dependent microautophagy.
  21. Emerging Roles for Branched-Chain Amino Acid Metabolism in Cancer.
  22. The Rheb-TORC1 signaling axis functions as a developmental checkpoint.
  1. iScience. 2020 Jan 22. pii: S2589-0042(20)30041-9. [Epub ahead of print]23(2): 100858
    Exposure of Pancreatic β-Cells to Excess Glucose Results in Bimodal Activation of mTORC1 and mTOR-Dependent Metabolic Acceleration.
    Courtney Zasha Rumala, Juan Liu, Jason Wei Locasale, Barbara Ellen Corkey, Jude Thaddeus Deeney, Lucia Egydio Rameh.
      Chronic exposure of pancreatic β-cells to excess glucose can lead to metabolic acceleration and loss of stimulus-secretion coupling. Here, we examined how exposure to excess glucose (defined here as concentrations above 5 mM) affects mTORC1 signaling and the metabolism of β-cells. Acute exposure to excess glucose stimulated glycolysis-dependent mTORC1 signaling, without changes in the PI3K or AMPK pathways. Prolonged exposure to excess glucose led to hyperactivation of mTORC1 and metabolic acceleration, characterized by higher basal respiration and maximal respiratory capacity, increased energy demand, and enhanced flux through mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism. Inhibition of pyruvate transport to the mitochondria decelerated the metabolism of β-cells chronically exposed to excess glucose and re-established glucose-dependent mTORC1 signaling, disrupting a positive feedback loop for mTORC1 hyperactivation. mTOR inhibition had positive and negative impacts on various metabolic pathways and insulin secretion, demonstrating a role for mTOR signaling in the long-term metabolic adaptation of β-cells to excess glucose.
    Keywords:  Diabetology; Endocrinology; Molecular Mechanism of Behavior; Specialized Functions of Cells
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2020.100858
  2. Nature. 2020 Feb 12.
    Mechanical regulation of glycolysis via cytoskeleton architecture.
    Jin Suk Park, Christoph J Burckhardt, Rossana Lazcano, Luisa M Solis, Tadamoto Isogai, Linqing Li, Christopher S Chen, Boning Gao, John D Minna, Robert Bachoo, Ralph J DeBerardinis, Gaudenz Danuser.
      The mechanics of the cellular microenvironment continuously modulates cell functions such as growth, survival, apoptosis, differentiation and morphogenesis via cytoskeletal remodelling and actomyosin contractility1-3. Although all of these processes consume energy4,5, it is unknown whether and how cells adapt their metabolic activity to variable mechanical cues. Here we report that the transfer of human bronchial epithelial cells from stiff to soft substrates causes a downregulation of glycolysis via proteasomal degradation of the rate-limiting metabolic enzyme phosphofructokinase (PFK). PFK degradation is triggered by the disassembly of stress fibres, which releases the PFK-targeting E3 ubiquitin ligase tripartite motif (TRIM)-containing protein 21 (TRIM21). Transformed non-small-cell lung cancer cells, which maintain high glycolytic rates regardless of changing environmental mechanics, retain PFK expression by downregulating TRIM21, and by sequestering residual TRIM21 on a stress-fibre subset that is insensitive to substrate stiffness. Our data reveal a mechanism by which glycolysis responds to architectural features of the actomyosin cytoskeleton, thus coupling cell metabolism to the mechanical properties of the surrounding tissue. These processes enable normal cells to tune energy production in variable microenvironments, whereas the resistance of the cytoskeleton in response to mechanical cues enables the persistence of high glycolytic rates in cancer cells despite constant alterations of the tumour tissue.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-1998-1
  3. Cell. 2020 Feb 11. pii: S0092-8674(20)30107-0. [Epub ahead of print]
    Proteogenomic Characterization of Endometrial Carcinoma.
    Yongchao Dou, Emily A Kawaler, Daniel Cui Zhou, Marina A Gritsenko, Chen Huang, Lili Blumenberg, Alla Karpova, Vladislav A Petyuk, Sara R Savage, Shankha Satpathy, Wenke Liu, Yige Wu, Chia-Feng Tsai, Bo Wen, Zhi Li, Song Cao, Jamie Moon, Zhiao Shi, MacIntosh Cornwell, Matthew A Wyczalkowski, Rosalie K Chu, Suhas Vasaikar, Hua Zhou, Qingsong Gao, Ronald J Moore, Kai Li, Sunantha Sethuraman, Matthew E Monroe, Rui Zhao, David Heiman, Karsten Krug, Karl Clauser, Ramani Kothadia, Yosef Maruvka, Alexander R Pico, Amanda E Oliphant, Emily L Hoskins, Samuel L Pugh, Sean J I Beecroft, David W Adams, Jonathan C Jarman, Andy Kong, Hui-Yin Chang, Boris Reva, Yuxing Liao, Dmitry Rykunov, Antonio Colaprico, Xi Steven Chen, Andrzej Czekański, Marcin Jędryka, Rafał Matkowski, Maciej Wiznerowicz, Tara Hiltke, Emily Boja, Christopher R Kinsinger, Mehdi Mesri, Ana I Robles, Henry Rodriguez, David Mutch, Katherine Fuh, Matthew J Ellis, Deborah DeLair, Mathangi Thiagarajan, D R Mani, Gad Getz, Michael Noble, Alexey I Nesvizhskii, Pei Wang, Matthew L Anderson, Douglas A Levine, Richard D Smith, Samuel H Payne, Kelly V Ruggles, Karin D Rodland, Li Ding, Bing Zhang, Tao Liu, David Fenyö, .
      We undertook a comprehensive proteogenomic characterization of 95 prospectively collected endometrial carcinomas, comprising 83 endometrioid and 12 serous tumors. This analysis revealed possible new consequences of perturbations to the p53 and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, identified a potential role for circRNAs in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and provided new information about proteomic markers of clinical and genomic tumor subgroups, including relationships to known druggable pathways. An extensive genome-wide acetylation survey yielded insights into regulatory mechanisms linking Wnt signaling and histone acetylation. We also characterized aspects of the tumor immune landscape, including immunogenic alterations, neoantigens, common cancer/testis antigens, and the immune microenvironment, all of which can inform immunotherapy decisions. Collectively, our multi-omic analyses provide a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians, identify new molecular associations of potential mechanistic significance in the development of endometrial cancers, and suggest novel approaches for identifying potential therapeutic targets.
    Keywords:  CTNNB1; TP53; acetylation; circular RNA; endometrial cancer; endometrioid endometrial cancer; immune evasion; proteogenomics; proteomics; serous endometrial cancer
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.01.026
  4. Front Cell Neurosci. 2019 ;13 583
    Simultaneous Knockdown of Sprouty2 and PTEN Promotes Axon Elongation of Adult Sensory Neurons.
    Sataporn Jamsuwan, Lars Klimaschewski, Barbara Hausott.
      Sprouty2 (Spry2) and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) are both well-established regulators of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling, and knockdown of Spry2 or PTEN enhances axon regeneration of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. The major role of Spry2 is the inhibition of the rat sarcoma RAS/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, whereas PTEN acts mainly as an inhibitor of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. In non-neuronal cells, Spry2 increases the expression and activity of PTEN, and PTEN enhances the amount of Spry2 by the inhibition of the microRNA-21 (miR-21) that downregulates Spry2. Applying dissociated DRG neuron cultures from wild-type (WT) or Spry2 deficient mice, we demonstrate that PTEN protein was reduced after 72 h during rapid axonal outgrowth on the laminin substrate. Furthermore, PTEN protein was decreased in DRG cultures obtained from homozygous Spry2-/- knockout mice. Vice versa, Spry2 protein was reduced by PTEN siRNA in WT and heterozygous Spry2+/- neurons. Knockdown of PTEN in DRG cultures obtained from homozygous Spry2-/- knockout mice promoted axon elongation without increasing axonal branching. Activation of Akt, but not ERK, was stronger in response to PTEN knockdown in homozygous Spry2-/- DRG neurons than in WT neurons. Together, our study confirms the important role of the signaling modulators Spry2 and PTEN in axon growth of adult DRG neurons. Both function as endogenous inhibitors of neuronal growth factor signaling and their simultaneous knockdown promotes axon elongation more efficiently than the single knockdown of each inhibitor. Furthermore, Spry2 and PTEN are reciprocally downregulated in adult DRG neuron cultures. Axon growth is influenced by multiple factors and our results demonstrate that the endogenous inhibitors of axon growth, Spry2 and PTEN, are co-regulated in adult DRG neuron cultures. Together, our data demonstrate that combined approaches may be more useful to improve nerve regeneration than targeting one single inhibitor of axon growth.
    Keywords:  DRG neurons; PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10); Sprouty2 (Spry2); axon regeneration; pAkt (phosphorylated Akt)
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2019.00583
  5. Nature. 2020 Feb 12.
    TLR9 and beclin 1 crosstalk regulates muscle AMPK activation in exercise.
    Yang Liu, Phong T Nguyen, Xun Wang, Yuting Zhao, Corbin E Meacham, Zhongju Zou, Bogdan Bordieanu, Manuel Johanns, Didier Vertommen, Tobias Wijshake, Herman May, Guanghua Xiao, Sanae Shoji-Kawata, Mark H Rider, Sean J Morrison, Prashant Mishra, Beth Levine.
      The activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in skeletal muscle coordinates systemic metabolic responses to exercise1. Autophagy-a lysosomal degradation pathway that maintains cellular homeostasis2-is upregulated during exercise, and a core autophagy protein, beclin 1, is required for AMPK activation in skeletal muscle3. Here we describe a role for the innate immune-sensing molecule Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9)4, and its interaction with beclin 1, in exercise-induced activation of AMPK in skeletal muscle. Mice that lack TLR9 are deficient in both exercise-induced activation of AMPK and plasma membrane localization of the GLUT4 glucose transporter in skeletal muscle, but are not deficient in autophagy. TLR9 binds beclin 1, and this interaction is increased by energy stress (glucose starvation and endurance exercise) and decreased by a BCL2 mutation3,5 that blocks the disruption of BCL2-beclin 1 binding. TLR9 regulates the assembly of the endolysosomal phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex (PI3KC3-C2)-which contains beclin 1 and UVRAG-in skeletal muscle during exercise, and knockout of beclin 1 or UVRAG inhibits the cellular AMPK activation induced by glucose starvation. Moreover, TLR9 functions in a muscle-autonomous fashion in ex vivo contraction-induced AMPK activation, glucose uptake and beclin 1-UVRAG complex assembly. These findings reveal a heretofore undescribed role for a Toll-like receptor in skeletal-muscle AMPK activation and glucose metabolism during exercise, as well as unexpected crosstalk between this innate immune sensor and autophagy proteins.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-1992-7
  6. Cell Rep. 2020 Feb 11. pii: S2211-1247(20)30031-0. [Epub ahead of print]30(6): 1898-1909.e4
    Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation Regulates the Fate Decision between Pathogenic Th17 and Regulatory T Cells.
    Boyoung Shin, Gloria A Benavides, Jianlin Geng, Sergei B Koralov, Hui Hu, Victor M Darley-Usmar, Laurie E Harrington.
      Understanding metabolic pathways that regulate Th17 development is important to broaden therapeutic options for Th17-mediated autoimmunity. Here, we report a pivotal role of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for lineage specification toward pathogenic Th17 differentiation. Th17 cells rapidly increase mitochondrial respiration during development, and this is necessary for metabolic reprogramming following T cell activation. Surprisingly, specific inhibition of mitochondrial ATP synthase ablates Th17 pathogenicity in a mouse model of autoimmunity by preventing Th17 pathogenic signature gene expression. Notably, cells activated under OXPHOS-inhibited Th17 conditions preferentially express Foxp3, rather than Th17 genes, and become suppressive Treg cells. Mechanistically, OXPHOS promotes the Th17 pioneer transcription factor, BATF, and facilitates T cell receptor (TCR) and mTOR signaling. Correspondingly, overexpression of BATF rescues Th17 development when ATP synthase activity is restricted. Together, our data reveal a regulatory role of mitochondrial OXPHOS in dictating the fate decision between Th17 and Treg cells by supporting early molecular events necessary for Th17 commitment.
    Keywords:  BATF; CD4 T cells; T cell receptor; Th17; Treg; autoimmunity; mTOR; metabolism; mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.01.022
  7. Nat Commun. 2020 Feb 13. 11(1): 837
    A case report of multiple primary prostate tumors with differential drug sensitivity.
    Scott Wilkinson, Stephanie A Harmon, Nicholas T Terrigino, Fatima Karzai, Peter A Pinto, Ravi A Madan, David J VanderWeele, Ross Lake, Rayann Atway, John R Bright, Nicole V Carrabba, Shana Y Trostel, Rosina T Lis, Guinevere Chun, James L Gulley, Maria J Merino, Peter L Choyke, Huihui Ye, William L Dahut, Baris Turkbey, Adam G Sowalsky.
      Localized prostate cancers are genetically variable and frequently multifocal, comprising spatially distinct regions with multiple independently-evolving clones. To date there is no understanding of whether this variability can influence management decisions for patients with prostate tumors. Here, we present a single case from a clinical trial of neoadjuvant intense androgen deprivation therapy. A patient was diagnosed with a large semi-contiguous tumor by imaging, histologically composed of a large Gleason score 9 tumor with an adjacent Gleason score 7 nodule. DNA sequencing demonstrates these are two independent tumors, as only the Gleason 9 tumor harbors single-copy losses of PTEN and TP53. The PTEN/TP53-deficient tumor demonstrates treatment resistance, selecting for subclones with mutations to the remaining copies of PTEN and TP53, while the Gleason 7 PTEN-intact tumor is almost entirely ablated. These findings indicate that spatiogenetic variability is a major confounder for personalized treatment of patients with prostate cancer.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14657-7
  8. Cell Stem Cell. 2020 Feb 03. pii: S1934-5909(20)30009-6. [Epub ahead of print]
    Embryonic Barcoding of Equipotent Mammary Progenitors Functionally Identifies Breast Cancer Drivers.
    Zhe Ying, Slobodan Beronja.
      Identification of clinically relevant drivers of breast cancers in intact mammary epithelium is critical for understanding tumorigenesis yet has proven challenging. Here, we show that intra-amniotic lentiviral injection can efficiently transduce progenitor cells of the adult mammary gland and use that as a platform to functionally screen over 500 genetic lesions for functional roles in tumor formation. Targeted progenitors establish long-term clones of both luminal and myoepithelial lineages in adult animals, and via lineage tracing with stable barcodes, we found that each mouse mammary gland is generated from a defined number of ∼120 early progenitor cells that expand uniformly with equal growth potential. We then designed an in vivo screen to test genetic interactions in breast cancer and identified candidates that drove not only tumor formation but also molecular subtypes. Thus, this methodology enables rapid and high-throughput cancer driver discovery in mammary epithelium.
    Keywords:  barcoded lentivirus; breast cancer driver; ectodermal mammary progenitor; in vivo screen; in-utero injection; patient derived lesion; quantitative lineage tracing
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2020.01.009
  9. PLoS One. 2020 ;15(2): e0223340
    In vivo glucoregulation and tissue-specific glucose uptake in female Akt substrate 160 kDa knockout rats.
    Xiaohua Zheng, Edward B Arias, Nathan R Qi, Thomas L Saunders, Gregory D Cartee.
      The Rab GTPase activating protein known as Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160 or TBC1D4) regulates insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, the heart, and white adipose tissue (WAT). A novel rat AS160-knockout (AS160-KO) was created with CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Because female AS160-KO versus wild type (WT) rats had not been previously evaluated, the primary objective of this study was to compare female AS160-KO rats with WT controls for multiple, important metabolism-related endpoints. Body mass and composition, physical activity, and energy expenditure were not different between genotypes. AS160-KO versus WT rats were glucose intolerant based on an oral glucose tolerance test (P<0.001) and insulin resistant based on a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (HEC; P<0.001). Tissue glucose uptake during the HEC of female AS160-KO versus WT rats was: 1) significantly lower in epitrochlearis (P<0.05) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL; P<0.01) muscles of AS160-KO compared to WT rats; 2) not different in soleus, gastrocnemius or WAT; and 3) ~3-fold greater in the heart (P<0.05). GLUT4 protein content was reduced in AS160-KO versus WT rats in the epitrochlearis (P<0.05), EDL (P<0.05), gastrocnemius (P<0.05), soleus (P<0.05), WAT (P<0.05), and the heart (P<0.005). Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by isolated epitrochlearis and soleus muscles was lower (P<0.001) in AS160-KO versus WT rats. Akt phosphorylation of insulin-stimulated tissues was not different between the genotypes. A secondary objective was to probe processes that might account for the genotype-related increase in myocardial glucose uptake, including glucose transporter protein abundance (GLUT1, GLUT4, GLUT8, SGLT1), hexokinase II protein abundance, and stimulation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway. None of these parameters differed between genotypes. Metabolic phenotyping in the current study revealed AS160 deficiency produced a profound glucoregulatory phenotype in female AS160-KO rats that was strikingly similar to the results previously reported in male AS160-KO rats.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223340
  10. Cell. 2020 Feb 10. pii: S0092-8674(20)30062-3. [Epub ahead of print]
    Single-Cell Transcriptome Atlas of Murine Endothelial Cells.
    Joanna Kalucka, Laura P M H de Rooij, Jermaine Goveia, Katerina Rohlenova, Sébastien J Dumas, Elda Meta, Nadine V Conchinha, Federico Taverna, Laure-Anne Teuwen, Koen Veys, Melissa García-Caballero, Shawez Khan, Vincent Geldhof, Liliana Sokol, Rongyuan Chen, Lucas Treps, Mila Borri, Pauline de Zeeuw, Charlotte Dubois, Tobias K Karakach, Kim D Falkenberg, Magdalena Parys, Xiangke Yin, Stefan Vinckier, Yuxiang Du, Robert A Fenton, Luc Schoonjans, Mieke Dewerchin, Guy Eelen, Bernard Thienpont, Lin Lin, Lars Bolund, Xuri Li, Yonglun Luo, Peter Carmeliet.
      The heterogeneity of endothelial cells (ECs) across tissues remains incompletely inventoried. We constructed an atlas of >32,000 single-EC transcriptomes from 11 mouse tissues and identified 78 EC subclusters, including Aqp7+ intestinal capillaries and angiogenic ECs in healthy tissues. ECs from brain/testis, liver/spleen, small intestine/colon, and skeletal muscle/heart pairwise expressed partially overlapping marker genes. Arterial, venous, and lymphatic ECs shared more markers in more tissues than did heterogeneous capillary ECs. ECs from different vascular beds (arteries, capillaries, veins, lymphatics) exhibited transcriptome similarity across tissues, but the tissue (rather than the vessel) type contributed to the EC heterogeneity. Metabolic transcriptome analysis revealed a similar tissue-grouping phenomenon of ECs and heterogeneous metabolic gene signatures in ECs between tissues and between vascular beds within a single tissue in a tissue-type-dependent pattern. The EC atlas taxonomy enabled identification of EC subclusters in public scRNA-seq datasets and provides a powerful discovery tool and resource value.
    Keywords:  endothelial metabolism; endothelial-cell heterogeneity; mouse endothelial atlas; single-cell RNA-seq
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.01.015
  11. Structure. 2020 Feb 04. pii: S0969-2126(20)30010-1. [Epub ahead of print]
    Allosteric Activation of PI3Kα Results in Dynamic Access to Catalytically Competent Conformations.
    Mayukh Chakrabarti, Sandra B Gabelli, L Mario Amzel.
      Class I phosphoinositide-3-kinases (PI3Ks) phosphorylate PIP2 at its 3' inositol position to generate PIP3, a second messenger that influences signaling cascades regulating cellular growth, survival, and proliferation. Previous studies have suggested that PI3Kα activation involves dislodging the p85α nSH2 domain from the p110α catalytic subunit by binding activated receptor tyrosine kinases. We carried out molecular dynamics simulations to determine, mechanistically and structurally, how PI3Kα conformations are influenced by physiological effectors and the nSH2 domain. We demonstrate that changes in protein dynamics mediated by allosteric regulation significantly increase the population of catalytically competent states without changing the enzyme ground-state structure. Furthermore, we demonstrate that modulation of active-site residue interactions with enzyme substrates can reciprocally influence nSH2 domain dynamics. Together, these results suggest that dynamic allostery plays a role in populating the catalytically competent conformation of PI3Kα, and provide a key platform for the design of novel chemotherapeutic PI3Kα inhibitors.
    Keywords:  catalytic mechanism; dynamic allostery; enzyme activation; molecular dynamics; phosphoinositide (3,4,5)-trisphosphate; phosphoinositide (4,5)-bisphosphate; phosphoinositide kinase; population increase; signaling pathway
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.str.2020.01.010
  12. Cells. 2020 Feb 11. pii: E416. [Epub ahead of print]9(2):
    c-Jun, Foxo3a, and c-Myc Transcription Factors are Key Regulators of ATP-Mediated Angiogenic Responses in Pulmonary Artery Vasa Vasorum Endothelial Cells.
    Derek Strassheim, Vijaya Karoor, Hala Nijmeh, Philip Weston, Martin Lapel, Jerome Schaack, Timothy Sullivan, Edward C Dempsey, Kurt R Stenmark, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya.
      Angiogenic vasa vasorum (VV) expansion plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH), a cardiovascular disease. We previously showed that extracellular ATP released under hypoxic conditions is an autocrine/paracrine, the angiogenic factor for pulmonary artery (PA) VV endothelial cells (VVECs), acting via P2Y purinergic receptors (P2YR) and the Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt-Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. To further elucidate the molecular mechanisms of ATP-mediated VV angiogenesis, we determined the profile of ATP-inducible transcription factors (TFs) in VVECs using a TranSignal protein/DNA array. C-Jun, c-Myc, and Foxo3 were found to be upregulated in most VVEC populations and formed nodes connecting several signaling networks. siRNA-mediated knockdown (KD) of these TFs revealed their critical role in ATP-induced VVEC angiogenic responses and the regulation of downstream targets involved in tissue remodeling, cell cycle control, expression of endothelial markers, cell adhesion, and junction proteins. Our results showed that c-Jun was required for the expression of ATP-stimulated angiogenic genes, c-Myc was repressive to anti-angiogenic genes, and Foxo3a predominantly controlled the expression of anti-apoptotic and junctional proteins. The findings from our study suggest that pharmacological targeting of the components of P2YR-PI3K-Akt-mTOR axis and specific TFs reduced ATP-mediated VVEC angiogenic response and may have a potential translational significance in attenuating pathological vascular remodeling.
    Keywords:  Akt; Foxo3a; angiogenesis; c-Jun; c-Myc; endothelial cells; extracellular ATP; mTOR transcription factors; vasa vasorum
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9020416
  13. Nat Commun. 2020 Feb 10. 11(1): 810
    Single-cell RNA-sequencing of differentiating iPS cells reveals dynamic genetic effects on gene expression.
    Anna S E Cuomo, Daniel D Seaton, Davis J McCarthy, Iker Martinez, Marc Jan Bonder, Jose Garcia-Bernardo, Shradha Amatya, Pedro Madrigal, Abigail Isaacson, Florian Buettner, Andrew Knights, Kedar Nath Natarajan, , Ludovic Vallier, John C Marioni, Mariya Chhatriwala, Oliver Stegle.
      Recent developments in stem cell biology have enabled the study of cell fate decisions in early human development that are impossible to study in vivo. However, understanding how development varies across individuals and, in particular, the influence of common genetic variants during this process has not been characterised. Here, we exploit human iPS cell lines from 125 donors, a pooled experimental design, and single-cell RNA-sequencing to study population variation of endoderm differentiation. We identify molecular markers that are predictive of differentiation efficiency of individual lines, and utilise heterogeneity in the genetic background across individuals to map hundreds of expression quantitative trait loci that influence expression dynamically during differentiation and across cellular contexts.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14457-z
  14. Stem Cell Reports. 2020 Feb 11. pii: S2213-6711(20)30027-8. [Epub ahead of print]14(2): 192-200
    HIF1α Regulates Early Metabolic Changes due to Activation of Innate Immunity in Nuclear Reprogramming.
    Chun Liu, Hongyue Ruan, Farhan Himmati, Ming-Tao Zhao, Christopher C Chen, Merna Makar, Ian Y Chen, Karim Sallam, Edward S Mocarski, Danish Sayed, Nazish Sayed.
      Innate immune signaling has recently been shown to play an important role in nuclear reprogramming, by altering the epigenetic landscape and thereby facilitating transcription. However, the mechanisms that link innate immune activation and metabolic regulation in pluripotent stem cells remain poorly defined, particularly with regard to key molecular components. In this study, we show that hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α), a central regulator of adaptation to limiting oxygen tension, is an unexpected but crucial regulator of innate immune-mediated nuclear reprogramming. HIF1α is dramatically upregulated as a consequence of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) signaling and is necessary for efficient induction of pluripotency and transdifferentiation. Bioenergetics studies reveal that HIF1α regulates the reconfiguration of innate immune-mediated reprogramming through its well-established role in throwing a glycolytic switch. We believe that results from these studies can help us better understand the influence of immune signaling in tissue regeneration and lead to new therapeutic strategies.
    Keywords:  chromatin; endothelial cells; glycolysis; hypoxia-inducible factor 1; iPSCs; innate immunity; metabolism; nuclear reprogramming; regeneration; transdifferentiation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.01.006
  15. iScience. 2020 Jan 21. pii: S2589-0042(20)30038-9. [Epub ahead of print]23(2): 100855
    Dynamic 13C Flux Analysis Captures the Reorganization of Adipocyte Glucose Metabolism in Response to Insulin.
    Lake-Ee Quek, James R Krycer, Satoshi Ohno, Katsuyuki Yugi, Daniel J Fazakerley, Richard Scalzo, Sarah D Elkington, Ziwei Dai, Akiyoshi Hirayama, Satsuki Ikeda, Futaba Shoji, Kumi Suzuki, Jason W Locasale, Tomoyoshi Soga, David E James, Shinya Kuroda.
      Cellular metabolism is dynamic, but quantifying non-steady metabolic fluxes by stable isotope tracers presents unique computational challenges. Here, we developed an efficient 13C-tracer dynamic metabolic flux analysis (13C-DMFA) framework for modeling central carbon fluxes that vary over time. We used B-splines to generalize the flux parameterization system and to improve the stability of the optimization algorithm. As proof of concept, we investigated how 3T3-L1 cultured adipocytes acutely metabolize glucose in response to insulin. Insulin rapidly stimulates glucose uptake, but intracellular pathways responded with differing speeds and magnitudes. Fluxes in lower glycolysis increased faster than those in upper glycolysis. Glycolysis fluxes rose disproportionally larger and faster than the tricarboxylic acid cycle, with lactate a primary glucose end product. The uncovered array of flux dynamics suggests that glucose catabolism is additionally regulated beyond uptake to help shunt glucose into appropriate pathways. This work demonstrates the value of using dynamic intracellular fluxes to understand metabolic function and pathway regulation.
    Keywords:  Biological Sciences; Flux Data; Metabolic Flux Analysis; Metabolomics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2020.100855
  16. Cell Rep. 2020 Feb 11. pii: S2211-1247(20)30054-1. [Epub ahead of print]30(6): 1798-1810.e4
    Dynamic Imaging of LDH Inhibition in Tumors Reveals Rapid In Vivo Metabolic Rewiring and Vulnerability to Combination Therapy.
    Nobu Oshima, Ryo Ishida, Shun Kishimoto, Kristin Beebe, Jeffrey R Brender, Kazutoshi Yamamoto, Daniel Urban, Ganesha Rai, Michelle S Johnson, Gloria Benavides, Giuseppe L Squadrito, Dan Crooks, Joseph Jackson, Abhinav Joshi, Bryan T Mott, Jonathan H Shrimp, Michael A Moses, Min-Jung Lee, Akira Yuno, Tobie D Lee, Xin Hu, Tamara Anderson, Donna Kusewitt, Helen H Hathaway, Ajit Jadhav, Didier Picard, Jane B Trepel, James B Mitchell, Gordon M Stott, William Moore, Anton Simeonov, Larry A Sklar, Jeffrey P Norenberg, W Marston Linehan, David J Maloney, Chi V Dang, Alex G Waterson, Matthew Hall, Victor M Darley-Usmar, Murali C Krishna, Leonard M Neckers.
      The reliance of many cancers on aerobic glycolysis has stimulated efforts to develop lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) inhibitors. However, despite significant efforts, LDH inhibitors (LDHi) with sufficient specificity and in vivo activity to determine whether LDH is a feasible drug target are lacking. We describe an LDHi with potent, on-target, in vivo activity. Using hyperpolarized magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (HP-MRSI), we demonstrate in vivo LDH inhibition in two glycolytic cancer models, MIA PaCa-2 and HT29, and we correlate depth and duration of LDH inhibition with direct anti-tumor activity. HP-MRSI also reveals a metabolic rewiring that occurs in vivo within 30 min of LDH inhibition, wherein pyruvate in a tumor is redirected toward mitochondrial metabolism. Using HP-MRSI, we show that inhibition of mitochondrial complex 1 rapidly redirects tumor pyruvate toward lactate. Inhibition of both mitochondrial complex 1 and LDH suppresses metabolic plasticity, causing metabolic quiescence in vitro and tumor growth inhibition in vivo.
    Keywords:  cancer; hyperpolarized magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging; lactate dehydrogenase; metabolic flux; metabolic imaging; pyruvate metabolism
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.01.039
  17. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Feb 12. pii: 201917938. [Epub ahead of print]
    Statin-induced GGPP depletion blocks macropinocytosis and starves cells with oncogenic defects.
    Zhihua Jiao, Huaqing Cai, Yu Long, Orit Katarina Sirka, Veena Padmanaban, Andrew J Ewald, Peter N Devreotes.
      Cancer cells display novel characteristics which can be exploited for therapeutic advantage. Isolated studies have shown that 1) the mevalonate pathway and 2) increased macropinocytosis are important in tumorigenesis, but a connection between these two observations has not been envisioned. A library screen for compounds that selectively killed Dictyostelium pten - cells identified pitavastatin. Pitavastatin also killed human breast epithelial MCF10A cells lacking PTEN or expressing K-RasG12V, as well as mouse tumor organoids. The selective killing of cells with oncogenic defects was traced to GGPP (geranylgeranyl diphosphate) depletion. Disruption of GGPP synthase in Dictyostelium revealed that GGPP is needed for pseudopod extension and macropinocytosis. Fluid-phase uptake through macropinocytosis is lower in PTEN-deleted cells and, as reported previously, higher in cells expressing activated Ras. Nevertheless, uptake was more sensitive to pitavastatin in cells with either of these oncogenic mutations than in wild-type cells. Loading the residual macropinosomes after pitavastatin with high concentrations of protein mitigated the cell death, indicating that defective macropinocytosis leads to amino acid starvation. Our studies suggest that the dependence of cancer cells on the mevalonate pathway is due to the role of GGPP in macropinocytosis and the reliance of these cells on macropinocytosis for nutrient uptake. Thus, inhibition of the networks mediating these processes is likely to be effective in cancer intervention.
    Keywords:  cancer; chemotaxis; mevalonate pathway; small GTPases; tumor organoids
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1917938117
  18. Cell Death Differ. 2020 Feb 12.
    Rab5a activates IRS1 to coordinate IGF-AKT-mTOR signaling and myoblast differentiation during muscle regeneration.
    Xiao Xia Cong, Xiu Kui Gao, Xi Sheng Rao, Jie Wen, Xiao Ceng Liu, Yin Pu Shi, Min Yi He, Wei Liang Shen, Yue Shen, Hongwei Ouyang, Ping Hu, Boon Chuan Low, Zhuo Xian Meng, Yue Hai Ke, Ming Zhu Zheng, Lin Rong Lu, Yong Heng Liang, Li Ling Zheng, Yi Ting Zhou.
      Rab5 is a master regulator for endosome biogenesis and transport while its in vivo physiological function remains elusive. Here, we find that Rab5a is upregulated in several in vivo and in vitro myogenesis models. By generating myogenic Rab5a-deficient mice, we uncover the essential roles of Rab5a in regulating skeletal muscle regeneration. We further reveal that Rab5a promotes myoblast differentiation and directly interacts with insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), an essential scaffold protein for propagating IGF signaling. Rab5a interacts with IRS1 in a GTP-dependent manner and this interaction is enhanced upon IGF-1 activation and myogenic differentiation. We subsequently identify that the arginine 207 and 222 of IRS1 and tyrosine 82, 89, and 90 of Rab5a are the critical amino acid residues for mediating the association. Mechanistically, Rab5a modulates IRS1 activation by coordinating the association between IRS1 and the IGF receptor (IGFR) and regulating the intracellular membrane targeting of IRS1. Both myogenesis-induced and IGF-evoked AKT-mTOR signaling are dependent on Rab5a. Myogenic deletion of Rab5a also reduces the activation of AKT-mTOR signaling during skeletal muscle regeneration. Taken together, our study uncovers the physiological function of Rab5a in regulating muscle regeneration and delineates the novel role of Rab5a as a critical switch controlling AKT-mTOR signaling by activating IRS1.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-020-0508-1
  19. Oncogene. 2020 Feb 10.
    Preclinical evaluation of a novel triple-acting PIM/PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, IBL-302, in breast cancer.
    Sean P Kennedy, Michael O'Neill, Darren Cunningham, Patrick G Morris, Sinead Toomey, Carmen Blanco-Aparicio, Sonia Martinez, Joaquin Pastor, Alex J Eustace, Bryan T Hennessy.
      The proviral integration of Moloney virus (PIM) family of protein kinases are overexpressed in many haematological and solid tumours. PIM kinase expression is elevated in PI3K inhibitor-treated breast cancer samples, suggesting a major resistance pathway for PI3K inhibitors in breast cancer, potentially limiting their clinical utility. IBL-302 is a novel molecule that inhibits both PIM and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling. We thus evaluated the preclinical activity of IBL-302, in a range of breast cancer models. Our results demonstrate in vitro efficacy of IBL-302 in a range of breast cancer cell lines, including lines with acquired resistance to trastuzumab and lapatinib. IBL-302 demonstrated single-agent, anti-tumour efficacy in suppression of pAKT, pmTOR and pBAD in the SKBR-3, BT-474 and HCC-1954 HER2+/PIK3CA-mutated cell lines. We have also shown the in vivo single-agent efficacy of IBL-302 in the subcutaneous BT-474 and HCC-1954 xenograft model in BALB/c nude mice. The combination of trastuzumab and IBL-302 significantly increased the anti-proliferative effect in HER2+ breast cancer cell line, and matched trastuzumab-resistant line, relative to testing either drug alone. We thus believe that the novel PIM and PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, IBL-302, represents an exciting new potential treatment option for breast cancer, and that it should be considered for clinical investigation.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-020-1202-y
  20. J Cell Biol. 2020 Mar 02. pii: e201902127. [Epub ahead of print]219(3):
    TORC1 regulates vacuole membrane composition through ubiquitin- and ESCRT-dependent microautophagy.
    Xi Yang, Weichao Zhang, Xin Wen, Patrick J Bulinski, Dominic A Chomchai, Felichi Mae Arines, Yun-Yu Liu, Simon Sprenger, David Teis, Daniel J Klionsky, Ming Li.
      Cellular adaptation in response to nutrient limitation requires the induction of autophagy and lysosome biogenesis for the efficient recycling of macromolecules. Here, we discovered that starvation and TORC1 inactivation not only lead to the up-regulation of autophagy and vacuole proteins involved in recycling but also result in the down-regulation of many vacuole membrane proteins to supply amino acids as part of a vacuole remodeling process. Down-regulation of vacuole membrane proteins is initiated by ubiquitination, which is accomplished by the coordination of multiple E3 ubiquitin ligases, including Rsp5, the Dsc complex, and a newly characterized E3 ligase, Pib1. The Dsc complex is negatively regulated by TORC1 through the Rim15-Ume6 signaling cascade. After ubiquitination, vacuole membrane proteins are sorted into the lumen for degradation by ESCRT-dependent microautophagy. Thus, our study uncovered a complex relationship between TORC1 inactivation and vacuole biogenesis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201902127
  21. Cancer Cell. 2020 Feb 10. pii: S1535-6108(19)30581-1. [Epub ahead of print]37(2): 147-156
    Emerging Roles for Branched-Chain Amino Acid Metabolism in Cancer.
    Sharanya Sivanand, Matthew G Vander Heiden.
      Metabolic pathways must be adapted to support cell processes required for transformation and cancer progression. Amino acid metabolism is deregulated in many cancers, with changes in branched-chain amino acid metabolism specifically affecting cancer cell state as well as systemic metabolism in individuals with malignancy. This review highlights key concepts surrounding the current understanding of branched-chain amino acid metabolism and its role in cancer.
    Keywords:  branched-chain amino acids; cancer metabolism; epigenetics; metabolism
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2019.12.011
  22. Development. 2020 Feb 10. pii: dev.181727. [Epub ahead of print]
    The Rheb-TORC1 signaling axis functions as a developmental checkpoint.
    Tam Duong, Neal R Rasmussen, Elliot Ballato, F Sefakor Mote, David J Reiner.
      In many eukaryotes, the small GTPase Rheb functions as a switch to toggle activity of TOR complex 1 (TORC1) between anabolism and catabolism, thus controlling lifespan, development, and autophagy. Our CRISPR-generated, fluorescently tagged endogenous C. elegans RHEB-1 and DAF-15/Raptor are expressed ubiquitously and localize to lysosomes. Disruption of LET-363/TOR and DAF-15/Raptor are required for development past the third larval stage (L3). We observed that deletion of RHEB-1 similarly conferred L3 arrest. Unexpectedly, robust RNAi-mediated depletion of TORC1 components caused arrest at stages prior to L3. Accordingly, conditional depletion of endogenous DAF-15/Raptor in the soma revealed that TORC1 is required at each stage of the life cycle to progress to the next stage. Reversal of DAF-15 depletion permits arrested animals to recover to continue development. Our results are consistent with TORC1 functioning as a developmental checkpoint that governs at each stage the decision of the animal to progress through development.
    Keywords:  Ral; RalGAP; TSC; Tuberous sclerosis complex; mTOR; mTORC1
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.181727
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