Department of Endocrinology, Hematology and Gerontology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
Department of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
Cancer Res. 2022 Sep 16;82(18):3209-3222. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-3914.
UNLABELLED: Glutamine synthase 2 (GLS2) is a key regulator of glutaminolysis and has been previously implicated in activities consistent with tumor suppression. Here we generated Gls2 knockout (KO) mice that develop late-occurring B-cell lymphomas and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Further, Gls2 KO mice subjected to the hepatocarcinogenic Stelic Animal Model (STAM) protocol produce larger HCC tumors than seen in wild-type (WT) mice. GLS2 has been shown to promote ferroptosis, a form of cell death characterized by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid peroxides. In line with this, GLS2 deficiency, either in cells derived from Gls2 KO mice or in human cancer cells depleted of GLS2, conferred significant resistance to ferroptosis. Mechanistically, GLS2, but not GLS1, increased lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by facilitating the conversion of glutamate to α-ketoglutarate (αKG), thereby promoting ferroptosis. Ectopic expression of WT GLS2 in a human hepatic adenocarcinoma xenograft model significantly reduced tumor size; this effect was nullified by either expressing a catalytically inactive form of GLS2 or by blocking ferroptosis. Furthermore, analysis of cancer patient datasets supported a role for GLS2-mediated regulation of ferroptosis in human tumor suppression. These data suggest that GLS2 is a bona fide tumor suppressor and that its ability to favor ferroptosis by regulating glutaminolysis contributes to its tumor suppressive function. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates that the key regulator of glutaminolysis, GLS2, can limit HCC in vivo by promoting ferroptosis through αKG-dependent lipid ROS, which in turn might lay the foundation for a novel therapeutic approach.
未标记:谷氨酰胺合成酶 2(GLS2)是谷氨酰胺分解代谢的关键调节因子,先前与肿瘤抑制作用一致的活动有关。在这里,我们生成了 Gls2 敲除(KO)小鼠,这些小鼠会发生迟发性 B 细胞淋巴瘤和肝细胞癌(HCC)。此外,接受 Stelic 动物模型(STAM)方案致肝癌的 Gls2 KO 小鼠产生的 HCC 肿瘤比野生型(WT)小鼠大。GLS2 已被证明可促进铁死亡,这是一种以铁依赖性脂质过氧化物积累为特征的细胞死亡形式。与此一致的是,无论是在源自 Gls2 KO 小鼠的细胞中还是在耗尽 GLS2 的人类癌细胞中,GLS2 缺乏都赋予了对铁死亡的显著抗性。从机制上讲,GLS2(而非 GLS1)通过促进谷氨酸转化为 α-酮戊二酸(αKG)来增加脂质活性氧(ROS)的产生,从而促进铁死亡。WT GLS2 在人肝腺瘤异种移植模型中的异位表达显着减小了肿瘤大小;通过表达催化失活形式的 GLS2 或阻断铁死亡,这种作用被消除。此外,对癌症患者数据集的分析支持 GLS2 介导的铁死亡调节在人类肿瘤抑制中的作用。这些数据表明 GLS2 是一种真正的肿瘤抑制因子,其通过调节谷氨酰胺分解代谢促进铁死亡的能力有助于其肿瘤抑制功能。
意义:本研究表明,谷氨酰胺分解代谢的关键调节因子 GLS2 可以通过依赖αKG 的脂质 ROS 促进铁死亡来限制体内 HCC,这反过来又可能为新的治疗方法奠定基础。
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