In:
Cancer Research, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Vol. 81, No. 2 ( 2021-01-15), p. 438-451
Abstract:
Tumors are complex tissues composed of transformed epithelial cells as well as cancer-activated fibroblasts (CAF) that facilitate epithelial tumor cell invasion. We show here that CAFs and other mesenchymal cells rely much more on glutamine than epithelial tumor cells; consequently, they are more sensitive to inhibition of glutaminase. Glutamine dependence drove CAF migration toward this amino acid when cultured in low glutamine conditions. CAFs also invaded a Matrigel matrix following a glutamine concentration gradient and enhanced the invasion of tumor cells when both cells were cocultured. Accordingly, glutamine directed invasion of xenografted tumors in immunocompromised mice. Stimulation of glutamine-driven epithelial tumor invasion by fibroblasts required previous CAF activation, which involved the TGFβ/Snail1 signaling axis. CAFs moving toward Gln presented a polarized Akt2 distribution that was modulated by the Gln-dependent activity of TRAF6 and p62 in the migrating front, and depletion of these proteins prevented Akt2 polarization and Gln-driven CAF invasion. Our results demonstrate that glutamine deprivation promotes CAF migration and invasion, which in turn facilitates the movement of tumor epithelial cells toward nutrient-rich territories. These results provide a novel molecular mechanism for how metabolic stress enhances invasion and metastasis. Significance: Cancer-associated fibroblasts migrate and invade toward free glutamine and facilitate invasion of tumor epithelial cells, accounting for their movement away from the hostile conditions of the tumor towards nutrient-rich adjacent tissues.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0008-5472
,
1538-7445
DOI:
10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-0622
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2036785-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1432-1
detail.hit.zdb_id:
410466-3
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