Dataset Information

Glycine decarboxylase is a metabolic oncogene critical for tumor initiating cells and tumorigenesis in lung cancer

ABSTRACT: New approaches to cancer therapies could benefit from a better understanding of the molecular determinants critical to tumor initiating cells (TICs). Here we show that the metabolic enzyme glycine decarboxylase (GLDC) is critical for TICs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). From a broad range of primary NSCLC tumors, we isolated CD166+ lung TICs that consistently initiated tumorigenesis in NOD/SCID Il2rγ-/- mice. Lung TICs express high levels of the oncogenic stem cell factor LIN28B and the metabolic enzyme GLDC. Over-expression of GLDC and other glycine/serine metabolism enzymes, but not catalytically inactive GLDC, promotes cellular transformation and tumorigenesis. Metabolomic analysis found that GLDC induces dramatic changes in glycolysis and glycine/serine metabolism, leading to changes in pyrimidine metabolism to regulate cancer cell proliferation. Clinically, GLDC over-expression, observed in multiple cancer types, predicts poorer survival in lung cancer patients. Our findings establish a novel link between glycine metabolism and tumorigenesis, and provide novel targets for advancing anti-cancer therapy. Total RNA obtained from tumor sphere compared to CD166+ and CD166- selected cells of xenograft, primary tumor and normal donors

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

SUBMITTER: Yang Henry

PROVIDER: S-ECPF-GEOD-33198 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Once considered a waste product of anaerobic cellular metabolism, lactate has been identified as a critical regulator of tumorigenesis, maintenance, and progression. The putative primary function of lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB) is to catalyze the conversion of lactate to pyruvate; however, its role in regulating metabolism during tumorigenesis is largely unknown. To determine whether LDHB plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis, we performed 2D and 3D in vitro experiments, utilized a conventional xenograft tumor model, and developed a novel genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in which we combined an LDHB deletion allele with an inducible model of lung adenocarcinoma driven by the concomitant loss of p53 (also known as Trp53) and expression of oncogenic KRAS (G12D) (KP). Here, we show that epithelial-like, tumor-initiating NSCLC cells feature oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) phenotype that is regulated by LDHB-mediated lactate metabolism. We show that silencing of LDHB induces persistent mitochondrial DNA damage, decreases mitochondrial respiratory complex activity and OXPHOS, resulting in reduced levels of mitochondria-dependent metabolites, e.g., TCA intermediates, amino acids, and nucleotides. Inhibition of LDHB dramatically reduced the survival of tumor-initiating cells and sphere formation in vitro, which can be partially restored by nucleotide supplementation. In addition, LDHB silencing reduced tumor initiation and growth of xenograft tumors. Furthermore, we report for the first time that homozygous deletion of LDHB significantly reduced lung tumorigenesis upon the concomitant loss of Tp53 and expression of oncogenic KRAS without considerably affecting the animal's health status, thereby identifying LDHB as a potential target for NSCLC therapy. In conclusion, our study shows for the first time that LDHB is essential for the maintenance of mitochondrial metabolism, especially nucleotide metabolism, demonstrating that LDHB is crucial for the survival and proliferation of NSCLC tumor-initiating cells and tumorigenesis.

Dataset Information

Glycine decarboxylase is a metabolic oncogene critical for tumor initiating cells and tumorigenesis in lung cancer

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure