Details of a Researcher - Soga, Tomoyoshi

Papers - Soga, Tomoyoshi

Division display 81 - 100 of about 425 ／ All the affair displays >>

Differing impact of phosphoglycerate mutase 1-deficiency on brown and white adipose tissue

Yoshida, Y., Shimizu, I., Hsiao, Y.T., Suda, M., Katsuumi, G., Seki, M., Suzuki, Y., Okuda, S., Soga, T., Minamino, T.

iScience 25 ( 5 ) 104268 2022.05

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a metabolically active organ that contributes to the thermogenic response to cold exposure. In addition, other thermogenic cells termed beige adipocytes are generated in white adipose tissue (WAT) by cold exposure. Although activation of brown/beige adipose tissue is associated with mobilization of both glucose and lipids, few studies have focused on the role of glycolytic enzymes in regulating adipose tissue function. We generated mouse models with specific deletion of the glycolytic enzyme phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) from adipose tissue. Deletion of Pgam1 from both BAT and WAT promoted whitening of BAT with beiging of visceral WAT, whereas deletion of Pgam1 from BAT alone led to whitening of BAT without beiging of WAT. Our results demonstrate a potential role of glycolytic enzymes in beiging of visceral WAT and suggest that PGAM1 would be a novel therapeutic target in obesity and diabetes.

Access to Document (DOI)

Polarity protein SCRIB interacts with SLC3A2 to regulate proliferation and tamoxifen resistance in ER+ breast cancer

Saito, Y., Matsuda, S., Ohnishi, N., Endo, K., Ashitani, S., Ohishi, M., Ueno, A., Tomita, M., Ueda, K., *Soga, T., *Muthuswamy, S.K

Commun. Biol. 5 ( 1 ) 403 2022.05

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer represents 75% of all breast cancers in women. Although patients with ER+ cancers receive endocrine therapies, more than 30% develop resistance and succumb to the disease, highlighting the need to understand endocrine resistance. Here we show an unexpected role for the cell polarity protein SCRIB as a tumor-promoter and a regulator of endocrine resistance in ER-positive breast cancer cells. SCRIB expression is induced by estrogen signaling in a MYC-dependent manner. SCRIB interacts with SLC3A2, a heteromeric component of leucine amino acid transporter SLC7A5. SLC3A2 binds to the N-terminus of SCRIB to facilitate the formation of SCRIB/SLC3A2/LLGL2/SLC7A5 quaternary complex required for membrane localization of the amino acid transporter complex. Both SCRIB and SLC3A2 are required for cell proliferation and tamoxifen resistance in ER+ cells identifying a new role for the SCRIB/SLC3A2 complex in ER+ breast cancer.

Access to Document (DOI)

S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine extends lifespan through methionine restriction effects

Ogawa, T., Masumura, K., Kohara, Y., Kanai, M., Soga, T., Ohya, Y., Blackwell, T.K. Mizunuma, M.

Aging Cell 21 ( 5 ) e13604 2022.05

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Access to Document (DOI)

Surgical Treatment for Colorectal Cancer Partially Restores Gut Microbiome and Metabolome Traits

Shiroma, H., Shiba, S., Erawijantari, P.P., Takamaru, H., Yamada, M., Sakamoto, T., Kanemitsu, Y., Mizutani, S., Soga, T., Saito, Y., Shibata, T., Fukuda, S., Yachida, S., Yamada, T.

mSystems 7 ( 2 ) e0001822 2022.04

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiome and metabolites are associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the influence of surgery for CRC treatment on the gut microbiome and metabolites and how it relates to CRC risk in postoperative CRC patients remain partially understood. Here, we collected 170 fecal samples from 85 CRC patients pre- and approximately 1 year postsurgery and performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing and capillary electrophoresis-time of flight mass spectrometry-based metabolomics analyses to characterize alterations between pre- and postsurgery. We determined that the relative abundance of 114 species was altered postsurgery (P < 0.005). CRC-associated species, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, were decreased postsurgery. On the other hand, Clostridium scindens, carcinogenesis-associated deoxycholate (DCA)-producing species, and its biotransformed genes (bai operon) were increased postsurgery. The concentration of 60 fecal metabolites was also altered postsurgery (P < 0.005). Two bile acids, cholate and DCA, were increased postsurgery. We developed methods to estimate postoperative CRC risk based on the gut microbiome and metabolomic compositions using a random forest machine-learning algorithm that classifies large adenoma or early-stage CRC and healthy controls from publicly available data sets. We applied methods to preoperative samples and then compared the estimated CRC risk between the two groups according to the presence of large adenoma or tumors 5 years postsurgery (P < 0.05). Overall, our results show that the gut microbiome and metabolites dynamically change from pre- to postsurgery. In postoperative CRC patients, potential CRC risk derived from gut microbiome and metabolites still remains, which indicates the importance of follow-up assessments. IMPORTANCE The gut microbiome and metabolites are associated with CRC progression and carcinogenesis. Postoperative CRC patients are reported to be at an increased CRC risk; however, how gut microbiome and metabolites are related to CRC risk in postoperative patients remains only partially understood. In this study, we investigated the influence of surgical CRC treatment on the gut microbiome and metabolites. We found that the CRC-associated species Fusobacterium nucleatum was decreased postsurgery, whereas carcinogenesis-associated DCA and its producing species and genes were increased postsurgery. We developed methods to estimate postoperative CRC risk based on the gut microbiome and metabolomic compositions. We applied methods to compare the estimated CRC risk between two groups according to the presence of large adenoma or tumors after 5 years postsurgery. To our knowledge, this study is the first report on differences between pre- and postsurgery using metagenomics and metabolomics data analysis. Our methods might be used for CRC risk assessment in postoperative patients.

Access to Document (DOI)

Plant hvu-MIR168-3p enhances expression of glucose transporter 1 (SLC2A1) in human cells by silencing genes related to mitochondrial electron transport chain complex I

Akao, Y., Kuranaga, Y., Heishima, K., Sugito, N., Morikawa, K., Ito, Y., Soga, T., Ito, T.

J. Nutr. Biochem. 101 108922 2022.03

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted, ISSN 09552863

Diet is a crucial factor for preventing most diseases. Edible plant extracts are known to contain exosome-like nanoparticles, in which food-derived plant microRNAs are included and may serve as a novel functional component in human health. Here, we demonstrated that hvu-MIR168-3p included in the nanoparticles of rice aleurone cells down-regulated the expression of the genes related to mitochondrial electron transport chain complex I in human cells. Subsequently, hvu-MIR168-3p enhanced protein and RNA expression levels of glucose transporter I and caused a decrease in the blood glucose level, which findings were obtained by in vitro and in vivo experiments, respectively. These findings suggest that a cross-kingdom relationship between plants and humans with respect to hvu-MIR168-3p exists and may contribute to preventive medicine for GLUT1-related dysfunctions including glucose metabolism, aging, and tumor immunology.

Access to Document (DOI)

Metabolic profiling of prostate cancer in skeletal microenvironments identifies G6PD as a key mediator of growth and survival

Whitburn, J., Rao, S.R., Morris, E.V., Tabata, S., Hirayama, A., Soga, T., Edwards, J.R., Kaya, Z., Palmer, C., Hamdy, F.C., Edwards, C.M.

Sci. Adv. 8 ( 8 ) eabf9096 2022.02

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

The spread of cancer to bone is invariably fatal, with complex cross-talk between tumor cells and the bone microenvironment responsible for driving disease progression. By combining in silico analysis of patient datasets with metabolomic profiling of prostate cancer cells cultured with bone cells, we demonstrate the changing energy requirements of prostate cancer cells in the bone microenvironment, identifying the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) as elevated in prostate cancer bone metastasis, with increased expression of the PPP rate-limiting enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) associated with a reduction in progression-free survival. Genetic and pharmacologic manipulation demonstrates that G6PD inhibition reduces prostate cancer growth and migration, associated with changes in cellular redox state and increased chemosensitivity. Genetic blockade of G6PD in vivo results in reduction of tumor growth within bone. In summary, we demonstrate the metabolic plasticity of prostate cancer cells in the bone microenvironment, identifying the PPP and G6PD as metabolic targets for the treatment of prostate cancer bone metastasis.

Access to Document (DOI)

Multi-omics-based label-free metabolic flux inference reveals obesity-associated dysregulatory mechanisms in liver glucose metabolism

Uematsu, S., Ohno, S., Tanaka, K.Y., Hatano, A., Kokaji, T., Ito, Y., Kubota, H., Hironaka, K., Suzuki, Y., Matsumoto, M., Nakayama, K.I., Hirayama, A., Soga, T., Kuroda, S.

iScience 25 ( 2 ) 103787 2022.02

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Glucose homeostasis is maintained by modulation of metabolic flux. Enzymes and metabolites regulate the involved metabolic pathways. Dysregulation of glucose homeostasis is a pathological event in obesity. Analyzing metabolic pathways and the mechanisms contributing to obesity-associated dysregulation in vivo is challenging. Here, we introduce OMELET: Omics-Based Metabolic Flux Estimation without Labeling for Extended Trans-omic Analysis. OMELET uses metabolomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic data to identify relative changes in metabolic flux, and to calculate contributions of metabolites, enzymes, and transcripts to the changes in metabolic flux. By evaluating the livers of fasting ob/ob mice, we found that increased metabolic flux through gluconeogenesis resulted primarily from increased transcripts, whereas that through the pyruvate cycle resulted from both increased transcripts and changes in substrates of metabolic enzymes. With OMELET, we identified mechanisms underlying the obesity-associated dysregulation of metabolic flux in the liver.

Access to Document (DOI)

Four features of temporal patterns characterize similarity among individuals and molecules by glucose ingestion in humans

Fujita, S., Karasawa, Y., Fujii, M., Hironaka, K., Uda, S., Kubota, H., Inoue, H., Sumitomo, Y., Hirayama, A., Soga, T., Kuroda, S.

NPJ Syst. Biol. Appl. 8 ( 1 ) 6 2022.02

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Oral glucose ingestion induces systemic changes of many blood metabolites related not only to glucose, but also other metabolites such as amino acids and lipids through many blood hormones. However, the detailed temporal changes in the concentrations of comprehensive metabolites and hormones over a long time by oral glucose ingestion are uncharacterized. We measured 83 metabolites and 7 hormones in 20 healthy human subjects in response to glucose ingestion. We characterized temporal patterns of blood molecules by four features: (i) the decomposability into "amplitude" and "rate" components, (ii) the similarity of temporal patterns among individuals, (iii) the relation of molecules over time among individuals, and (iv) the similarity of temporal patterns among molecules. Glucose and glucose metabolism-related hormones indicated a rapid increase, and citrulline and lipids, which indicated a rapid decrease, returned to fasting levels faster than amino acids. Compared to glucose metabolism-related molecules and lipids, amino acids showed similar temporal patterns among individuals. The four features of temporal patterns of blood molecules by oral glucose ingestion characterize the differences among individuals and among molecules.

Access to Document (DOI)

Energy-sparing by 2-methyl-2-thiazoline protects heart from ischemia/reperfusion injury

Nishi, M., Ogata, T., Kobayakawa, K., Kobayakawa, R., Matsuo, T., Cannistraci, C.V., Tomita, S., Taminishi, S., Suga, T., Kitani, T., Higuchi, Y., Sakamoto, A., Tsuji, Y., Soga, T., Matoba, S.

ESC Heart Fail. 9 ( 1 ) 428 - 441 2022.02

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Aims: Cardiac ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains a critical issue in the therapeutic management of ischaemic heart failure. Although mild hypothermia has a protective effect on cardiac I/R injury, more rapid and safe methods that can obtain similar results to hypothermia therapy are required. 2-Methyl-2-thiazoline (2MT), an innate fear inducer, causes mild hypothermia resulting in resistance to critical hypoxia in cutaneous or cerebral I/R injury. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the protective effect of systemically administered 2MT on cardiac I/R injury and to elucidate the mechanism underlying this effect.

Methods and results: A single subcutaneous injection of 2MT (50 mg/kg) was given prior to reperfusion of the I/R injured 10 week-old male mouse heart and its efficacy was evaluated 24 h after the ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. 2MT preserved left ventricular systolic function following I/R injury (ejection fraction, %: control 37.9 ± 6.7, 2MT 54.1 ± 6.4, P < 0.01). 2MT also decreased infarct size (infarct size/ischaemic area at risk, %: control 48.3 ± 12.1, 2MT 25.6 ± 4.2, P < 0.05) and serum cardiac troponin levels (ng/mL: control 8.9 ± 1.1, 2MT 1.9 ± 0.1, P < 0.01) after I/R. Moreover, 2MT reduced the oxidative stress-exposed area within the heart (%: control 25.3 ± 4.7, 2MT 10.8 ± 1.4, P < 0.01). These results were supported by microarray analysis of the mouse hearts. 2MT induced a transient, mild decrease in core body temperature (°C: -2.4 ± 1.4), which gradually recovered over several hours. Metabolome analysis of the mouse hearts suggested that 2MT minimized energy metabolism towards suppressing oxidative stress. Furthermore, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging revealed that 2MT reduced the activity of brown adipose tissue (standardized uptake value: control 24.3 ± 6.4, 2MT 18.4 ± 5.8, P < 0.05). 2MT also inhibited mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis in rat cardiomyoblasts.

Conclusions: We identified the cardioprotective effect of systemically administered 2MT on cardiac I/R injury by sparing energy metabolism with reversible hypothermia. Our results highlight the potential of drug-induced hypothermia therapy as an adjunct to coronary intervention in severe ischaemic heart disease.

Access to Document (DOI)

Group IIA secreted phospholipase A2 controls skin carcinogenesis and psoriasis by shaping the gut microbiota

Miki, Y., Taketomi, Y., Kidoguchi, Y., Yamamoto, K., Muramatsu, K., Nishito, Y., Park, J., Hosomi, K., Mizuguchi, K., Kunisawa, J., Soga, T., Boilard, E., Gowda, S.G.B. Ikeda, K., Arita, M., Murakami, M.

JCI Insight 7 ( 2 ) e152611 2022.01

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Besides promoting inflammation by mobilizing lipid mediators, group IIA secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) prevents bacterial infection by degrading bacterial membranes. Here, we show that, despite the restricted intestinal expression of sPLA2-IIA in BALB/c mice, its genetic deletion leads to amelioration of cancer and exacerbation of psoriasis in distal skin. Intestinal expression of sPLA2-IIA is reduced after treatment with antibiotics or under germ-free conditions, suggesting its upregulation by gut microbiota. Metagenome, transcriptome, and metabolome analyses have revealed that sPLA2-IIA deficiency alters the gut microbiota, accompanied by notable changes in the intestinal expression of genes related to immunity and metabolism, as well as in the levels of various blood metabolites and fecal bacterial lipids, suggesting that sPLA2-IIA contributes to shaping of the gut microbiota. The skin phenotypes in Pla2g2a-/- mice are lost (a) when they are cohoused with littermate WT mice, resulting in the mixing of the microbiota between the genotypes, or (b) when they are housed in a more stringent pathogen-free facility, where Pla2g2a expression in WT mice is low and the gut microbial compositions in both genotypes are nearly identical. Thus, our results highlight a potentially new aspect of sPLA2-IIA as a modulator of gut microbiota, perturbation of which affects distal skin responses.

Access to Document (DOI)

Glucocorticoid imprints a low glucose metabolism onto CD8 T cells and induces the persistent suppression of the immune response

Konishi, A., Suzuki, J., Kuwahara, M., Matsumoto, A., Nomura, S., Soga, T., Yorozuya, T., Yamashita, M.

Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 588 34 - 40 2022.01

Joint Work, Accepted, ISSN 0006291X

Glucocorticoids (GCs), immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory agents have various effects on T cells. However, the long-term influence of GCs on the T cell-mediated immune response remain to be elucidated. We demonstrated that the administration of GC during the TCR-mediated activation phase induced long-lasting suppression of glycolysis, even after the withdrawal of GC. The acquisition of the effector functions was inhibited, while the expression of PD-1 was increased in CD8 T cells activated in the presence of GC. Furthermore, adoptive transfer experiments revealed that GC-treated CD8 T cells reduced memory T cell formation and anti-tumor activity. These findings reveal that GCs have long-lasting influence on the T cell-mediated immune response via modulation of T cell metabolism.

Access to Document (DOI)

Hao1 Is Not a Pathogenic Factor for Ectopic Ossifications but Functions to Regulate the TCA Cycle In Vivo

Kimura, A., Hirayama, A., Matsumoto, T., Sato, Y., Kobayashi, T., Ikeda, S., Maruyama, M., Kaneko, M., Shigeta, M., Ito, E., Soma, T., Miyamoto, K., Soga, T., Tomita, M., Oya, A., Matsumoto, M., Nakamura, M., Kanaji, A., Miyamoto, T.

Metabolites 12 ( 1 ) 82 2022.01

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), a disease characterized by the ectopic ossification of a spinal ligament, promotes neurological disorders associated with spinal canal stenosis. While blocking ectopic ossification is mandatory to prevent OPLL development and progression, the mechanisms underlying the condition remain unknown. Here we show that expression of hydroxyacid oxidase 1 (Hao1), a gene identified in a previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) as an OPLL-associated candidate gene, specifically and significantly decreased in fibroblasts during osteoblast differentiation. We then newly established Hao1-deficient mice by generating Hao1-flox mice and crossing them with CAG-Cre mice to yield global Hao1-knockout (CAG-Cre/Hao1flox/flox; Hao1 KO) animals. Hao1 KO mice were born normally and exhibited no obvious phenotypes, including growth retardation. Moreover, Hao1 KO mice did not exhibit ectopic ossification or calcification. However, urinary levels of some metabolites of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle were significantly lower in Hao1 KO compared to control mice based on comprehensive metabolomic analysis. Our data indicate that Hao1 loss does not promote ectopic ossification, but rather that Hao1 functions to regulate the TCA cycle in vivo.

Access to Document (DOI)

SI-MOIRAI: A new method to identify and quantify the metabolic fate of nucleotides

Ikeda, Y., Hirayama, A., Kofuji, S., Hirota, Y., Kamata, R., Osaka, N., Fujii, Y., Sasaki, M., Ikeda, S., Smith, E.P., Bachoo, R., Soga, T., Sasaki, A.T.

J Biochem. 170 ( 6 ) 699 - 711 2022.01

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted, ISSN 0021924X

Since the discovery of nucleotides over 100 years ago, extensive studies have revealed the importance of nucleotides for homeostasis, health, and disease. However, there remains no established method to investigate quantitively and accurately intact nucleotide incorporation into RNA and DNA. Herein, we report a new method, Stable-Isotope Measure Of Influxed Ribonucleic Acid Index (SI-MOIRAI), for the identification and quantification of the metabolic fate of ribonucleotides and their precursors. SI-MOIRAI, named after Greek goddesses of fate, combines a stable isotope-labeling flux assay with mass spectrometry to enable quantification of the newly synthesized ribonucleotides into r/m/tRNA under a metabolic stationary state. Using glioblastoma U87MG cells and a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) glioblastoma mouse model, SI-MOIRAI analyses showed that newly synthesized GTP was particularly and disproportionally highly utilized for rRNA and tRNA synthesis but not for mRNA synthesis in glioblastoma (GBM) in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, newly synthesized pyrimidine nucleotides exhibited a significantly lower utilization rate for RNA synthesis than newly synthesized purine nucleotides. The results reveal the existence of discrete pathways and compartmentalization of purine and pyrimidine metabolism designated for RNA synthesis, demonstrating the capacity of SI-MOIRAI to reveal previously unknown aspects of nucleotide biology.

Access to Document (DOI)

Stemness and immune evasion conferred by TDO2-AHR pathway are associated with liver metastasis of colon cancer

Miyazaki, T., Chung, S., Sakai, H., Ohata, H., Obata, Y., Shiokawa, D., Mizoguchi, Y., Kubo, T., Ichikawa, H., Taniguchi, H., Aoki, K., Soga, T., Nakagama, H., Okamoto, K.

Cancer Sci. 113 ( 1 ) 170 - 181 2022.01

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway modulates the immune system in response to kynurenine, an endogenous tryptophan metabolite. IDO1 and TDO2 catalyze kynurenine production, which promotes cancer progression by compromising host immunosurveillance. However, it is unclear whether the AHR activation regulates the malignant traits of cancer such as metastatic capability or cancer stemness. Here, we carried out systematic analyses of metabolites in patient-derived colorectal cancer spheroids, and identified high levels of kynurenine and TDO2 that were positively associated with liver metastasis. In a mouse colon cancer model, TDO2 expression substantially enhanced liver metastasis, induced AHR-mediated PD-L1 transactivation, and dampened immune responses; these changes were all abolished by PD-L1 knockout. In patient-derived cancer spheroids, TDO2 or AHR activity was required for not only the expression of PD-L1, but also for cancer stem cell (CSC)-related characteristics and Wnt signaling. TDO2 was coexpressed with both PD-L1 and nuclear β-catenin in colon xenograft tumors, and the coexpression of TDO2 and PD-L1 was observed in clinical colon cancer specimens. Thus, our data indicate that the activation of the TDO2-kynurenine-AHR pathway facilitates liver metastasis of colon cancer via PD-L1-mediated immune evasion and maintenance of stemness.

Access to Document (DOI)

Metabolic profiling of charged metabolites in association with menopausal status in Japanese community-dwelling midlife women: Tsuruoka Metabolomic Cohort Study

Watanabe, K., Iida, M., Harada, S., Kato, S., Kuwabara, K., Kurihara, A., Takeuchi, A., Sugiyama, D., Okamura, T., Suzuki, A., Amano, K., Hirayama, A., Sugimoto, M., Soga, T., Tomita, M., Kobayashi, Y., Banno, K., Aoki, D., Takebayashi, T.

Maturitas 155 54 - 62 2022.01

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Background
Emerging evidence has shown that charged metabolites, such as amino acids, may play an important role in the pathogenesis of various metabolic disorders, many of which women in the postmenopausal period are at high risk of developing. This study examined the metabolic profile of middle-aged Japanese women to investigate alterations in charged metabolites induced by menopausal transition.

Methods
The participants were 1193 female residents aged 40–60 at the baseline survey of the Tsuruoka Metabolomics Cohort Study. We investigated the cross-sectional association of menopausal status with 94 metabolomic biomarkers assayed in fasting plasma samples via capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry using linear regression analysis.

Results
Among the participants, 529 were premenopausal, 132 were in menopausal transition (MT), and 532 were postmenopausal. Significant differences were found in age, blood pressure, glucose and lipid levels, and smoking and drinking habits among the three groups. The concentrations of 5 metabolites in the MT group and 15 metabolites in the postmenopausal group were significantly higher than those in the premenopausal group after adjusting for confounding factors. When classified into pathways, these metabolites were related to the tricarboxylic cycle, urea cycle, and homocysteine metabolism, some of which are linked to arteriosclerosis.

Conclusion
Multiple charged metabolites were associated with women's menopausal status, showing a gradual increase as women shifted from pre-, to peri-, to postmenopause. These findings might reflect the early changes behind the increased risk of dyslipidemia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis in later life.

Access to Document (DOI)

MEK inhibition preferentially suppresses anchorage-independent growth in osteosarcoma cells and decreases tumors in vivo

Shimizu, T., Kimura, K., Sugihara, E., Yamaguchi-Iwai, S., Nobuse, H., Sampetrean, O., Otsuki, Y., Fukuchi, Y., Saitoh, K., Kato, K., Soga, T., Muto, A., Saya, H.

J. Orthop. Res. 39 ( 12 ) 2732 - 2743 2021.12

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Osteosarcoma is the most common high-grade malignancy of bone, and novel therapeutic options are urgently required. Previously, we developed mouse osteosarcoma AXT cells that can proliferate both under adherent and nonadherent conditions. Based on metabolite levels, nonadherent conditions were more similar to the in vivo environment than adherent conditions. A drug screen identified MEK inhibitors, including trametinib, that preferentially decreased the viability of nonadherent AXT cells. Trametinib inhibited the cell cycle and induced apoptosis in AXT cells, and both effects were stronger under nonadherent conditions. Trametinib also potently decreased viability in U2OS cells, but its effects were less prominent in MG63 or Saos2 cells. By contrast, MG63 and Saos2 cells were more sensitive to PI3K inhibition than AXT or U2OS cells. Notably, the combination of MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) and PI3K inhibition synergistically decreased viability in U2OS and AXT cells, but this effect was less pronounced in MG63 or Saos2 cells. Therefore, signal dependence for cell survival and crosstalk between MEK-ERK and PI3K-AKT pathways in osteosarcoma are cell context-dependent. The activation status of other kinases including CREB varied in a cell context-dependent manner, which might determine the response to MEK inhibition. A single dose of trametinib was sufficient to decrease the size of the primary tumor and circulating tumor cells in vivo. Moreover, combined administration of trametinib and rapamycin or conventional anticancer drugs further increased antitumor activity. Thus, given optimal biomarkers for predicting its effects, trametinib holds therapeutic potential for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

Access to Document (DOI)

Identification of the first highly selective inhibitor of human lactate dehydrogenase B

Shibata, S., Sogabe, S., Miwa, M., Fujimoto, T., Takakura, N., Naotsuka, A., Kitamura, S., Kawamoto, T., Soga, T.

Sci Rep. 11 ( 1 ) 21353 2021.11

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) catalyses the conversion of pyruvate to lactate and NADH to NAD+; it has two isoforms, LDHA and LDHB. LDHA is a promising target for cancer therapy, whereas LDHB is necessary for basal autophagy and cancer cell proliferation in oxidative and glycolytic cancer cells. To the best of our knowledge, selective inhibitors for LDHB have not yet been reported. Here, we developed a high-throughput mass spectrometry screening system using an LDHB enzyme assay by detecting NADH and NAD+. As a result, we identified a small-molecule LDHB selective inhibitor AXKO-0046, an indole derivative. This compound exhibited uncompetitive LDHB inhibition (EC50 = 42 nM). X-ray crystallography revealed that AXKO-0046 bound to the potential allosteric site away from the LDHB catalytic active site, suggesting that targeting the tetramerisation interface of the two dimers is critical for the enzymatic activity. AXKO-0046 and its derivatives can be used to validate LDHB-associated pathways in cancer metabolism.

Access to Document (DOI)

Basigin deficiency prevents anaplerosis and ameliorates insulin resistance and hepatosteatosis

Ryuge, A., Kosugi, T., Maeda, K., Banno, R., Gou, Y., Zaitsu, K., Ito, T., Sato, Y., Hirayama, A., Tsubota, S., Honda, T., Nakajima, K., Ozaki, T., Kondoh, K., Takahashi, K., Kato, N., Ishimoto, T., Soga, T., Nakagawa, T., Koike, T., Arima, H., Yuzawa, Y., Minokoshi, Y., Maruyama, S., Kadomatsu, K.

JCI Insight 6 ( 20 ) e142464 2021.10

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Monocarboxylates, such as lactate and pyruvate, are precursors for biosynthetic pathways, including those for glucose, lipids, and amino acids via the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and adjacent metabolic networks. The transportation of monocarboxylates across the cellular membrane is performed primarily by monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), the membrane localization and stabilization of which are facilitated by the transmembrane protein basigin (BSG). Here, we demonstrate that the MCT/BSG axis sits at a crucial intersection of cellular metabolism. Abolishment of MCT1 in the plasma membrane was achieved by Bsg depletion, which led to gluconeogenesis impairment via preventing the influx of lactate and pyruvate into the cell, consequently suppressing the TCA cycle. This net anaplerosis suppression was compensated in part by the increased utilization of glycogenic amino acids (e.g., alanine and glutamine) into the TCA cycle and by activated ketogenesis through fatty acid β-oxidation. Complementary to these observations, hyperglycemia and hepatic steatosis induced by a high-fat diet were ameliorated in Bsg-deficient mice. Furthermore, Bsg deficiency significantly improved insulin resistance induced by a high-fat diet. Taken together, the plasma membrane-selective modulation of lactate and pyruvate transport through BSG inhibition could potentiate metabolic flexibility to treat metabolic diseases.

Access to Document (DOI)

Urinary Metabolome Analyses of Patients with Acute Kidney Injury Using Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry

Saito, R., Hirayama, A., Akiba, A., Kamei, Y., Kato, Y., Ikeda, S., Kwan, B., Pu, M., Natarajan, L., Shinjo, H., Akiyama, S., Tomita, M., Soga, T., Maruyama, S.

Metabolites 11 ( 10 ) 671 2021.09

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is defined as a rapid decline in kidney function. The associated syndromes may lead to increased morbidity and mortality, but its early detection remains difficult. Using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOFMS), we analyzed the urinary metabolomic profile of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after invasive surgery. Urine samples were collected at six time points: before surgery, at ICU admission and 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after. First, urine samples from 61 initial patients (non-AKI: 23, mild AKI: 24, severe AKI: 14) were measured, followed by the measurement of urine samples from 60 additional patients (non-AKI: 40, mild AKI: 20). Glycine and ethanolamine were decreased in patients with AKI compared with non-AKI patients at 6–24 h in the two groups. The linear statistical model constructed at each time point by machine learning achieved the best performance at 24 h (median AUC: 89%, cross-validated) for the 1st group. When cross-validated between the two groups, the AUC showed the best value of 70% at 12 h. These results identified metabolites and time points that show patterns specific to subjects who develop AKI, paving the way for the development of better biomarkers.

Access to Document (DOI)

Upregulation of Thymidylate Synthase Induces Pemetrexed Resistance in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Sato, Y., Tomita, M., Soga, T., Ochiai, A., Makinoshima, H.

Front. Pharmacol. 12 718675 2021.09

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an invasive malignancy that develops in the pleural cavity, and antifolates are used as chemotherapeutics for treating. The majority of antifolates, including pemetrexed (PMX), inhibit enzymes involved in purine and pyrimidine synthesis. MPM patients frequently develop drug resistance in clinical practice, however the associated drug-resistance mechanism is not well understood. This study was aimed to elucidate the mechanism underlying resistance to PMX in MPM cell lines. We found that among the differentially expressed genes associated with drug resistance (determined by RNA sequencing), TYMS expression was higher in the established resistant cell lines than in the parental cell lines. Knocking down TYMS expression significantly reduced drug resistance in the resistant cell lines. Conversely, TYMS overexpression significantly increased drug resistance in the parental cells. Metabolomics analysis revealed that the levels of dTMP were higher in the resistant cell lines than in the parental cell lines; however, resistant cells showed no changes in dTTP levels after PMX treatment. We found that the nucleic acid-biosynthetic pathway is important for predicting the efficacy of PMX in MPM cells. The results of chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR) assays suggested that H3K27 acetylation in the 5′-UTR of TYMS may promote its expression in drug-resistant cells. Our findings indicate that the intracellular levels of dTMP are potential biomarkers for the effective treatment of patients with MPM and suggest the importance of regulatory mechanisms of TYMS expression in the disease.

Access to Document (DOI)

　 Previous page - Next page 　