Cell-Autonomous versus Systemic Akt Isoform Deletions Uncovered New Roles for Akt1 and Akt2 in Breast Cancer.

Studies in three mouse models of breast cancer identified profound discrepancies between cell-autonomous and systemic Akt1- or Akt2-inducible deletion on breast cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis. Although systemic Akt1 deletion inhibits metastasis, cell-autonomous Akt1 deletion does not. Single-cell mRNA sequencing revealed that systemic Akt1 deletion maintains the pro-metastatic cluster within primary tumors but ablates pro-metastatic neutrophils. Systemic Akt1 deletion inhibits metastasis by impairing survival and mobilization of tumor-associated neutrophils. Importantly, either systemic or neutrophil-specific Akt1 deletion is sufficient to inhibit metastasis of Akt-proficient tumors. Thus, Akt1-specific inhibition could be therapeutic for breast cancer metastasis regardless of primary tumor origin. Systemic Akt2 deletion does not inhibit and exacerbates mammary tumorigenesis and metastasis, but cell-autonomous Akt2 deletion prevents breast cancer tumorigenesis by ErbB2. Elevated circulating insulin level induced by Akt2 systemic deletion hyperactivates tumor Akt, exacerbating ErbB2-mediated tumorigenesis, curbed by pharmacological reduction of the elevated insulin.

Akt-dependent Skp2 mRNA translation is required for exiting contact inhibition, oncogenesis, and adipogenesis.

The requirement of Akt for cell proliferation and oncogenesis is mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) dependent. SV40 large T expression in Akt-deficient cells restores cell proliferation rate, but is insufficient for exiting contact inhibition and oncogene-induced anchorage-independent growth, because of a failure to promote Skp2 mRNA translation. Skp2 mRNA and protein are induced upon exiting contact inhibition, which enables entry into mitosis. While Skp2 mRNA is induced in Akt-deficient cells, it is not translated, preventing entry into mitosis. Restoring Skp2 expression in Akt-deficient cells is sufficient to restore exit from contact inhibition and oncogenesis. Skp2 mRNA translation is dependent on mTORC1 and the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Thus, the requirement of Akt for exiting contact inhibition is mediated by the induction of Skp2 mRNA translation in eIF4E-dependent mechanism. These results provide a new insight into the role of the Akt/mTORC1/eIF4E axis in tumourigenesis. Akt-dependent Skp2 mRNA translation is also required for mitotic clonal expansion (MCE)--the earliest event in adipogenesis. Skp2 re-expression in Akt-deficient preadipocytes, which are impaired in adipogenesis, is sufficient to restore adipogenesis. These results uncover the mechanism by which Akt mediates adipogenesis.

Combination of oxidative stress and FOXM1 inhibitors induces apoptosis in cancer cells and inhibits xenograft tumor growth.

Tumor cells accumulate high level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) because they are metabolically more active than normal cells. Elevated ROS levels increase tumorigenecity but also render cancer cells more vulnerable to oxidative stress than normal cells. The oncogenic transcription factor Forkhead Box M1 (FOXM1), which is overexpressed in a wide range of human cancers, was reported to protect cancer cells from the adverse effects of oxidative stress by up regulating the expression of scavenger enzymes. We therefore hypothesized that the combination of FOXM1 ablation and ROS inducers could selectively eradicate cancer cells. We show that RNA interference-mediated knockdown of FOXM1 further elevates intracellular ROS levels and increases sensitivity of cancer cells to ROS-mediated cell death after treatment with ROS inducers. We also demonstrate that the combination of ROS inducers with FOXM1/proteasome inhibitors induces robust apoptosis in different human cancer cells. In addition, we show evidence that FOXM1/proteasome inhibitor bortezomib in combination with the ROS inducer ß-phenylethyl isothiocyanate efficiently inhibits the growth of breast tumor xenografts in nude mice. We conclude that the combination of ROS inducers and FOXM1 inhibitors could be used as a therapeutic strategy to selectively eliminate cancer cells.

Akt deficiency impairs normal cell proliferation and suppresses oncogenesis in a p53-independent and mTORC1-dependent manner.

Akt contributes to tumorigenesis by inhibiting apoptosis. Here we establish that Akt is required for normal cell proliferation and susceptibility to oncogenesis independently of its antiapoptotic activity. Partial ablation of Akt activity by deleting Akt1 inhibits cell proliferation and oncogenesis. These effects are compounded by deleting both Akt1 and Akt2. In vivo, Akt1 null mice are resistant to MMTV-v-H-Ras-induced tumors and to skin carcinogenesis. Thus, partial ablation of Akt activity is sufficient to suppress tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. The effect of Akt deficiency on cell proliferation and oncogenesis is p53 independent but mTORC1 dependent. Surprisingly, upon mTORC1 hyperactivation, the reduction in Akt activity does not impair cell proliferation and susceptibility to oncogenic transformation; thus, Akt may mediate these processes exclusively via mTORC1.

FoxM1, a critical regulator of oxidative stress during oncogenesis.

The transcription factor FoxM1 is over-expressed in most human malignancies. Although it is evident that FoxM1 has critical functions in tumour development and progression, the mechanisms by which FoxM1 participates in those processes are not understood. Here, we describe an essential role of FoxM1 in the regulation of oxidative stress that contributes to malignant transformation and tumour cell survival. We identify a negative feedback loop involving FoxM1 that regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) in proliferating cells. We show that induction of FoxM1 by oncogenic Ras requires ROS. Elevated FoxM1, in turn, downregulates ROS levels by stimulating expression of ROS scavenger genes, such as MnSOD, catalase and PRDX3. FoxM1 depletion sensitizes cells to oxidative stress and increases oncogene-induced premature senescence. Moreover, tumour cells expressing activated AKT1 are 'addicted' to FoxM1, as they require continuous presence of FoxM1 for survival. Together, our results identify FoxM1 as a key regulator of ROS in dividing cells, and provide insights into the mechanism how tumour cells use FoxM1 to control oxidative stress to escape premature senescence and apoptosis.

CD36 maintains lipid homeostasis via selective uptake of monounsaturated fatty acids during matrix detachment and tumor progression.

A high-fat diet (HFD) promotes metastasis through increased uptake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs). The fatty acid transporter CD36 has been implicated in this process, but a detailed understanding of CD36 function is lacking. During matrix detachment, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress reduces SCD1 protein, resulting in increased lipid saturation. Subsequently, CD36 is induced in a p38- and AMPK-dependent manner to promote preferential uptake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), thereby maintaining a balance between SFAs and MUFAs. In attached cells, CD36 palmitoylation is required for MUFA uptake and protection from palmitate-induced lipotoxicity. In breast cancer mouse models, CD36-deficiency induced ER stress while diminishing the pro-metastatic effect of HFD, and only a palmitoylation-proficient CD36 rescued this effect. Finally, AMPK-deficient tumors have reduced CD36 expression and are metastatically impaired, but ectopic CD36 expression restores their metastatic potential. Our results suggest that, rather than facilitating HFD-driven tumorigenesis, CD36 plays a supportive role by preventing SFA-induced lipotoxicity.

A non-catalytic scaffolding activity of hexokinase 2 contributes to EMT and metastasis.

Hexokinase 2 (HK2), which catalyzes the first committed step in glucose metabolism, is induced in cancer cells. HK2's role in tumorigenesis has been attributed to its glucose kinase activity. Here, we describe a kinase independent HK2 activity, which contributes to metastasis. HK2 binds and sequesters glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) and acts as a scaffold forming a ternary complex with the regulatory subunit of protein kinase A (PRKAR1a) and GSK3ß to facilitate GSK3ß phosphorylation and inhibition by PKA. Thus, HK2 functions as an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP). Phosphorylation by GSK3ß targets proteins for degradation. Consistently, HK2 increases the level and stability of GSK3 targets, MCL1, NRF2, and particularly SNAIL. In addition to GSK3 inhibition, HK2 kinase activity mediates SNAIL glycosylation, which prohibits its phosphorylation by GSK3. Finally, in mouse models of breast cancer metastasis, HK2 deficiency decreases SNAIL protein levels and inhibits SNAIL-mediated epithelial mesenchymal transition and metastasis.

Down-regulation of Notch-1 and Jagged-1 inhibits prostate cancer cell growth, migration and invasion, and induces apoptosis via inactivation of Akt, mTOR, and NF-kappaB signaling pathways.

Notch signaling is involved in a variety of cellular processes, such as cell fate specification, differentiation, proliferation, and survival. Notch-1 over-expression has been reported in prostate cancer metastases. Likewise, Notch ligand Jagged-1 was found to be over-expressed in metastatic prostate cancer compared to localized prostate cancer or benign prostatic tissues, suggesting the biological significance of Notch signaling in prostate cancer progression. However, the mechanistic role of Notch signaling and the consequence of its down-regulation in prostate cancer have not been fully elucidated. Using multiple cellular and molecular approaches such as MTT assay, apoptosis assay, gene transfection, real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting, migration, invasion assay and ELISA, we found that down-regulation of Notch-1 or Jagged-1 was mechanistically associated with inhibition of cell growth, migration, invasion and induction of apoptosis in prostate cancer cells, which was mediated via inactivation of Akt, mTOR, and NF-kappaB signaling. Consistent with these results, we found that the down-regulation of Notch-1 or Jagged-1 led to decreased expression and the activity of NF-kappaB downstream genes such as MMP-9, VEGF, and uPA, contributing to the inhibition of cell migration and invasion. Taken together, we conclude that the down-regulation of Notch-1 or Jagged-1 mediated inhibition of cell growth, migration and invasion, and the induction of apoptosis was in part due to inactivation of Akt, mTOR, and NF-kappaB signaling pathways. Our results further suggest that inactivation of Notch signaling pathways by innovative strategies could be a potential targeted approach for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer.

Selective eradication of cancer displaying hyperactive Akt by exploiting the metabolic consequences of Akt activation.

Akt activation in human cancers exerts chemoresistance, but pan-Akt inhibition elicits adverse consequences. We exploited the consequences of Akt-mediated mitochondrial and glucose metabolism to selectively eradicate and evade chemoresistance of prostate cancer displaying hyperactive Akt. PTEN-deficient prostate cancer cells that display hyperactivated Akt have high intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, in part, because of Akt-dependent increase of oxidative phosphorylation. High intracellular ROS levels selectively sensitize cells displaying hyperactive Akt to ROS-induced cell death enabling a therapeutic strategy combining a ROS inducer and rapamycin in PTEN-deficient prostate tumors in mouse models. This strategy elicited tumor regression, and markedly increased survival even after the treatment was stopped. By contrast, exposure to antioxidant increased prostate tumor progression. To increase glucose metabolism, Akt activation phosphorylated HK2 and induced its expression. Indeed, HK2 deficiency in mouse models of Pten-deficient prostate cancer elicited a marked inhibition of tumor development and extended lifespan.

Hexokinase-2 depletion inhibits glycolysis and induces oxidative phosphorylation in hepatocellular carcinoma and sensitizes to metformin.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are metabolically distinct from normal hepatocytes by expressing the high-affinity hexokinase (HK2) and suppressing glucokinase (GCK). This is exploited to selectively target HCC. Hepatic HK2 deletion inhibits tumor incidence in a mouse model of hepatocarcinogenesis. Silencing HK2 in human HCC cells inhibits tumorigenesis and increases cell death, which cannot be restored by GCK or mitochondrial binding deficient HK2. Upon HK2 silencing, glucose flux to pyruvate and lactate is inhibited, but TCA fluxes are maintained. Serine uptake and glycine secretion are elevated suggesting increased requirement for one-carbon contribution. Consistently, vulnerability to serine depletion increases. The decrease in glycolysis is coupled to elevated oxidative phosphorylation, which is diminished by metformin, further increasing cell death and inhibiting tumor growth. Neither HK2 silencing nor metformin alone inhibits mTORC1, but their combination inhibits mTORC1 in an AMPK-independent and REDD1-dependent mechanism. Finally, HK2 silencing synergizes with sorafenib to inhibit tumor growth.

Author Correction: Hexokinase-2 depletion inhibits glycolysis and induces oxidative phosphorylation in hepatocellular carcinoma and sensitizes to metformin.

In the originally published version of this Article, the colours of the bars in Fig. 4b were inadvertently switched during the production process, such that 'HK2-Dox' and 'HK2+Dox' were depicted in red and 'Nt-Dox' and 'Nt+Dox' were depicted in blue. These errors have now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Akt inhibits apoptosis downstream of BID cleavage via a glucose-dependent mechanism involving mitochondrial hexokinases.

The serine/threonine kinase Akt/protein kinase B inhibits apoptosis induced by a variety of stimuli, including overexpression or activation of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members. The precise mechanisms by which Akt prevents apoptosis are not completely understood, but Akt may function to maintain mitochondrial integrity, thereby preventing cytochrome c release following an apoptotic insult. This effect may be mediated, in part, via promotion of physical and functional interactions between mitochondria and hexokinases. Here we show that growth factor deprivation induced proteolytic cleavage of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member BID to yield its active truncated form, tBID. Activated Akt inhibited mitochondrial cytochrome c release and apoptosis following BID cleavage. Akt also antagonized tBID-mediated BAX activation and mitochondrial BAK oligomerization, two downstream events thought to be critical for tBID-induced apoptosis. Glucose deprivation, which impaired the ability of Akt to maintain mitochondrion-hexokinase association, prevented Akt from inhibiting BID-mediated apoptosis. Interestingly, tBID independently elicited dissociation of hexokinases from mitochondria, an effect that was antagonized by activated Akt. Ectopic expression of the amino-terminal half of hexokinase II, which is catalytically active and contains the mitochondrion-binding domain, consistently antagonized tBID-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that Akt inhibits BID-mediated apoptosis downstream of BID cleavage via promotion of mitochondrial hexokinase association and antagonism of tBID-mediated BAX and BAK activation at the mitochondria.

Nutritional regulation and role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta in fatty acid catabolism in skeletal muscle.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors primarily involved in lipid homeostasis. PPARdelta displays strong expression in tissues with high lipid metabolism, such as adipose, intestine and muscle. Its role in skeletal muscle remains largely unknown. After a 24-h starvation period, PPARdelta mRNA levels are dramatically up-regulated in gastrocnemius muscle of mice and restored to control level upon refeeding. The rise of PPARdelta is accompanied by parallel up-regulations of fatty acid translocase/CD36 (FAT/CD36) and heart fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), while refeeding promotes down-regulation of both genes. To directly access the role of PPARdelta in muscle cells, we forced its expression and that of a dominant-negative PPARdelta mutant in C2C12 myogenic cells. Differentiated C2C12 cells responds to 2-bromopalmitate or synthetic PPARdelta agonist by induction of genes involved in lipid metabolism and increment of fatty acid oxidation. Overexpression of PPARdelta enhanced these cellular responses, whereas expression of the dominant-negative mutant exerts opposite effects. These data strongly support a role for PPARdelta in the regulation of fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle and in adaptive response of this tissue to lipid catabolism.

Systemic Akt1 Deletion after Tumor Onset in p53(-/-) Mice Increases Lifespan and Regresses Thymic Lymphoma Emulating p53 Restoration.

Akt is frequently activated in human cancers. However, it is unknown whether systemic inhibition of a single Akt isoform could regress cancer progression in cancers that are not driven by Akt activation. We systemically deleted Akt1 after tumor onset in p53(-/-) mice, which develop tumors independently of Akt activation. Systemic Akt1 deletion regresses thymic lymphoma in p53(-/-) mice emulating p53 restoration. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of Akt selectively kills thymic lymphoma cells and not primary thymocytes. Mechanistically, Akt1 inhibition in p53(-/-) thymic lymphoma inhibits Skp2 expression and induces FasL, which is the primary cause of cell death. Skp2 exerts resistance to cell death by antagonizing the induction of FasL and reducing FAS expression, which is linked to cyclin D1 expression. The results established a paradigm whereby systemic Akt1 inhibition is sufficient to regress tumors that are not driven by Akt activation and a mechanism of cell survival by Skp2.

Molecular pathways: reactive oxygen species homeostasis in cancer cells and implications for cancer therapy.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important in regulating normal cellular processes, but deregulated ROS contribute to the development of various human diseases, including cancers. Cancer cells have increased ROS levels compared with normal cells, because of their accelerated metabolism. The high ROS levels in cancer cells, which distinguish them from normal cells, could be protumorigenic, but are also their Achilles' heel. The high ROS content in cancer cells renders them more susceptible to oxidative stress-induced cell death, and can be exploited for selective cancer therapy. In this review, we describe several potential therapeutic strategies that take advantage of ROS imbalance in cancer cells by further increasing oxidative stress, either alone or in combination with drugs that modulate certain signaling pathways.

PTK6 activation at the membrane regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition in prostate cancer.

The intracellular tyrosine kinase protein tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6) lacks a membrane-targeting SH4 domain and localizes to the nuclei of normal prostate epithelial cells. However, PTK6 translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in human prostate tumor cells. Here, we show that while PTK6 is located primarily within the cytoplasm, the pool of active PTK6 in prostate cancer cells localizes to membranes. Ectopic expression of membrane-targeted active PTK6 promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition in part by enhancing activation of AKT, thereby stimulating cancer cell migration and metastases in xenograft models of prostate cancer. Conversely, siRNA-mediated silencing of endogenous PTK6 promoted an epithelial phenotype and impaired tumor xenograft growth. In mice, PTEN deficiency caused endogenous active PTK6 to localize at membranes in association with decreased E-cadherin expression. Active PTK6 was detected at membranes in some high-grade human prostate tumors, and PTK6 and E-cadherin expression levels were inversely correlated in human prostate cancers. In addition, high levels of PTK6 expression predicted poor prognosis in patients with prostate cancer. Our findings reveal novel functions for PTK6 in the pathophysiology of prostate cancer, and they define this kinase as a candidate therapeutic target. Cancer Res; 73(17); 5426-37. ©2013 AACR.

FoxOs inhibit mTORC1 and activate Akt by inducing the expression of Sestrin3 and Rictor.

FoxO transcription factors and TORC1 are conserved downstream effectors of Akt. Here, we unraveled regulatory circuits underlying the interplay between Akt, FoxO, and mTOR. Activated FoxO1 inhibits mTORC1 by TSC2-dependent and TSC2-independent mechanisms. First, FoxO1 induces Sestrin3 (Sesn3) gene expression. Sesn3, in turn, inhibits mTORC1 activity in Tsc2-proficient cells. Second, FoxO1 elevates the expression of Rictor, leading to increased mTORC2 activity that consequently activates Akt. In Tsc2-deficient cells, the elevation of Rictor by FoxO increases mTORC2 assembly and activity at the expense of mTORC1, thereby activating Akt while inhibiting mTORC1. FoxO may act as a rheostat that maintains homeostatic balance between Akt and mTOR complexes' activities. In response to physiological stresses, FoxO maintains high Akt activity and low mTORC1 activity. Thus, under stress conditions, FoxO inhibits the anabolic activity of mTORC1, a major consumer of cellular energy, while activating Akt, which increases cellular energy metabolism, thereby maintaining cellular energy homeostasis.

mTORC1 hyperactivity inhibits serum deprivation-induced apoptosis via increased hexokinase II and GLUT1 expression, sustained Mcl-1 expression, and glycogen synthase kinase 3beta inhibition.

The current concept is that Tsc-deficient cells are sensitized to apoptosis due to the inhibition of Akt activity by the negative feedback mechanism induced by the hyperactive mTORC1. Unexpectedly, however, we found that Tsc1/2-deficient cells exhibit increased resistance to serum deprivation-induced apoptosis. mTORC1 hyperactivity contributes to the apoptotic resistance of serum-deprived Tsc1/2-deficient cells in part by increasing the growth factor-independent expression of hexokinase II (HKII) and GLUT1. mTORC1-mediated increase in hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF1alpha) abundance, which occurs in the absence of serum in normoxic Tsc2-deficient cells, contributes to these changes. Increased HIF1alpha abundance in these cells is attributed to both an increased level and the sustained translation of HIF1alpha mRNA. Sustained glycogen synthase kinase 3beta inhibition and Mcl-1 expression also contribute to the apoptotic resistance of Tsc2-deficient cells to serum deprivation. The inhibition of mTORC1 activity by either rapamycin or Raptor knockdown cannot resensitize these cells to serum deprivation-induced apoptosis because of elevated Akt activity that is an indirect consequence of mTORC1 inhibition. However, the increased HIF1alpha abundance and the maintenance of Mcl-1 protein expression in serum-deprived Tsc2(-/)(-) cells are dependent largely on the hyperactive eIF4E in these cells. Consistently, the reduction of eIF4E levels abrogates the resistance of Tsc2(-/)(-) cells to serum deprivation-induced apoptosis.

Akt determines replicative senescence and oxidative or oncogenic premature senescence and sensitizes cells to oxidative apoptosis.

Akt deficiency causes resistance to replicative senescence, to oxidative stress- and oncogenic Ras-induced premature senescence, and to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated apoptosis. Akt activation induces premature senescence and sensitizes cells to ROS-mediated apoptosis by increasing intracellular ROS through increased oxygen consumption and by inhibiting the expression of ROS scavengers downstream of FoxO, particularly sestrin 3. This uncovers an Achilles' heel of Akt, since in contrast to its ability to inhibit apoptosis induced by multiple apoptotic stimuli, Akt could not inhibit ROS-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, treatment with rapamycin that led to further Akt activation and resistance to etoposide hypersensitized cancer cells to ROS-mediated apoptosis. Given that rapamycin alone is mainly cytostatic, this constitutes a strategy for cancer therapy that selectively eradicates cancer cells via Akt activation.

Profound effects of the general anesthetic etomidate on oxidative phosphorylation without effects on their yield.

We investigated the effects of the general anesthetic Etomidate on oxidative phosphorylation in isolated rat liver mitochondria. The study of each electron transfer site shows that there is an inhibition: mainly at complex I but also, to a lesser extent, at complex III. Moreover, with succinate as substrate, the increase in non-phosphorylating respiration is accompanied by a decrease in DeltaPsi. However, this effect is not due to classical uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, since ADP addition at high Etomidate concentrations restores the transmembrane difference of electrical potential. Also, in the same range of Etomidate concentration, the ATP/O ratio is not significantly affected. In conclusion, the main effect of Etomidate is to decrease the oxidative phosphorylation rate without changing yield. The H(+) leak which appears under non-phosphorylating conditions becomes negligible in physiological conditions.