PHGDH Arginine Methylation by PRMT1 Promotes Serine Synthesis and Represents a Therapeutic Vulnerability in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
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ABSTRACT: Serine synthesis is crucial for tumor growth and survival, but its regulatory mechanism in cancer remains elusive. Here, using integrative metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses, we show a heterogeneity between metabolite and transcript profiles. Specifically, the level of serine in HCC tissues is increased, whereas the expression of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), the first rate-limiting enzyme in serine biosynthesis pathway, is dramatically downregulated. Interestingly, the increased serine level is obtained by enhanced PHGDH catalytic activity due to protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1)-mediated methylation of PHGDH at arginine 236. PRMT1-mediated PHGDH methylation and activation potentiates serine synthesis, ameliorates oxidative stress, and promotes HCC growth in vitro and in vivo. FBXO7, an E3 ubiquitin ligase which is downregulated in human HCC tissues, ubiquitinates and downregulates PRMT1 to suppress PHGDH methylation and serine synthesis, leading to the inhibition of HCC cell growth. Furthermore, PRMT1-mediated PHGDH methylation correlates with PHGDH hyperactivation and serine accumulation in human HCC tissues, and is predictive of poor prognosis of HCC patients. Notably, blocking PHGDH methylation with a TAT-tagged non-methylated peptide inhibits serine synthesis and restrains HCC growth, both in an HCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model and subcutaneous HCC cell-derived xenograft model. Overall, our findings reveal a novel regulatory mechanism of PHGDH activity and serine synthesis, and suggest PHGDH methylation as a potential therapeutic vulnerability in HCC.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE207435 | GEO | 2022/07/11
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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