Targeting glutamine utilization to block metabolic adaptation of tumor cells under the stress of carboxyamidotriazole-induced nutrients unavailability

Jing Shi; Rui Ju; Hongting Gao; Yuqing Huang; Lei Guo; Dechang Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.apsb.2021.07.008

Targeting glutamine utilization to block metabolic adaptation of tumor cells under the stress of carboxyamidotriazole-induced nutrients unavailability

Acta Pharm Sin B. 2022 Feb;12(2):759-773. doi: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.07.008. Epub 2021 Jul 21.

Authors

Jing Shi^{1

2}, Rui Ju¹, Hongting Gao¹, Yuqing Huang¹, Lei Guo¹, Dechang Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
² Department of Pharmacy, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.

Abstract

Tumor cells have unique metabolic programming that is biologically distinct from that of corresponding normal cells. Resetting tumor metabolic programming is a promising strategy to ameliorate drug resistance and improve the tumor microenvironment. Here, we show that carboxyamidotriazole (CAI), an anticancer drug, can function as a metabolic modulator that decreases glucose and lipid metabolism and increases the dependency of colon cancer cells on glutamine metabolism. CAI suppressed glucose and lipid metabolism utilization, causing inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I, thus producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). In parallel, activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) increased glutamine uptake via the transporter SLC1A5, which could activate the ROS-scavenging enzyme glutathione peroxidase. As a result, combined use of inhibitors of GLS/GDH1, CAI could effectively restrict colorectal cancer (CRC) energy metabolism. These data illuminate a new antitumor mechanism of CAI, suggesting a new strategy for CRC metabolic reprogramming treatment.

Keywords: 2-NBDG, glucalogue 2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-2-deoxyglucose; ATP, adenosine triphosphate; AhR; AhR, aryl hydrocarbon receptor; CAI; CAI, carboxyamidotriazole; CHIP, chromatin immunoprecipitation; CRC, colorectal cancer; Colorectal cancer metabolism; DMF, 3′,4′-dimethoxyflavone; DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid; ECAR, extracellular acidification rate; FACS, flow cytometry; GDH1, glutamate dehydrogenase 1; GLS, glutaminase; GPx, glutathione peroxidase; GSH, glutathione; GSSG, oxidized glutathione; Glutamine metabolism; Glutaminolysis; Kyn, kynurenine; MT, mito-TEMPO; Metabolic reprogramming; Mito-Q, mitoquinone mesylate; Mitochondrial oxidative stress; OCR, oxygen consumption rate; Redox homeostasis; TCA, tricarboxylic acid; α-KG, α-ketoglutarate.