Fusobacterium nucleatum Promotes Chemoresistance to Colorectal Cancer by Modulating Autophagy.

Gut microbiota are linked to chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis. Chemotherapy failure is the major cause of recurrence and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. Here, we investigated the contribution of gut microbiota to chemoresistance in patients with colorectal cancer. We found that Fusobacterium (F.) nucleatum was abundant in colorectal cancer tissues in patients with recurrence post chemotherapy, and was associated with patient clinicopathological characterisitcs. Furthermore, our bioinformatic and functional studies demonstrated that F. nucleatum promoted colorectal cancer resistance to chemotherapy. Mechanistically, F. nucleatum targeted TLR4 and MYD88 innate immune signaling and specific microRNAs to activate the autophagy pathway and alter colorectal cancer chemotherapeutic response. Thus, F. nucleatum orchestrates a molecular network of the Toll-like receptor, microRNAs, and autophagy to clinically, biologically, and mechanistically control colorectal cancer chemoresistance. Measuring and targeting F. nucleatum and its associated pathway will yield valuable insight into clinical management and may ameliorate colorectal cancer patient outcomes.

HK2: Gatekeeping microglial activity by tuning glucose metabolism and mitochondrial functions.

Hexokinase 2 (HK2) plays a multifaceted role in the regulation of cellular activities. A new study by Hu et al.1 delineated a critical role of HK2 in governing glycolytic flux and mitochondrial activity, thereby modulating microglial functions in maladaptive inflammation in brain diseases.

Ubiquitination of hnRNPA1 by TRAF6 links chronic innate immune signaling with myelodysplasia.

Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation contributes to premalignant hematologic conditions, such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). TRAF6, a TLR effector with ubiquitin (Ub) ligase activity, is overexpressed in MDS hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). We found that TRAF6 overexpression in mouse HSPC results in impaired hematopoiesis and bone marrow failure. Using a global Ub screen, we identified hnRNPA1, an RNA-binding protein and auxiliary splicing factor, as a substrate of TRAF6. TRAF6 ubiquitination of hnRNPA1 regulated alternative splicing of Arhgap1, which resulted in activation of the GTP-binding Rho family protein Cdc42 and accounted for hematopoietic defects in TRAF6-expressing HSPCs. These results implicate Ub signaling in coordinating RNA processing by TLR pathways during an immune response and in premalignant hematologic diseases, such as MDS.

SUCLA2-coupled regulation of GLS succinylation and activity counteracts oxidative stress in tumor cells.

Glutaminase regulates glutaminolysis to promote cancer cell proliferation. However, the mechanism underlying glutaminase activity regulation is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that kidney-type glutaminase (GLS) is highly expressed in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) specimens with correspondingly upregulated glutamine dependence for PDAC cell proliferation. Upon oxidative stress, the succinyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase ADP-forming subunit ß (SUCLA2) phosphorylated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) at S79 dissociates from GLS, resulting in enhanced GLS K311 succinylation, oligomerization, and activity. Activated GLS increases glutaminolysis and the production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and glutathione, thereby counteracting oxidative stress and promoting tumor cell survival and tumor growth in mice. In addition, the levels of SUCLA2 pS79 and GLS K311 succinylation, which were mutually correlated, were positively associated with advanced stages of PDAC and poor prognosis for patients. Our findings reveal critical regulation of GLS by SUCLA2-coupled GLS succinylation regulation and underscore the regulatory role of metabolites in glutaminolysis and PDAC development.

KDM3A Senses Oxygen Availability to Regulate PGC-1α-Mediated Mitochondrial Biogenesis.

Hypoxia, which occurs during tumor growth, triggers complex adaptive responses in which peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) plays a critical role in mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism. However, how PGC-1α is regulated in response to oxygen availability remains unclear. We demonstrated that lysine demethylase 3A (KDM3A) binds to PGC-1α and demethylates monomethylated lysine (K) 224 of PGC-1α under normoxic conditions. Hypoxic stimulation inhibits KDM3A, which has a high KM of oxygen for its activity, and enhances PGC-1α K224 monomethylation. This modification decreases PGC-1α's activity required for NRF1- and NRF2-dependent transcriptional regulation of TFAM, TFB1M, and TFB2M, resulting in reduced mitochondrial biogenesis. Expression of PGC-1α K224R mutant significantly increases mitochondrial biogenesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and tumor cell apoptosis under hypoxia and inhibits brain tumor growth in mice. This study revealed that PGC-1α monomethylation, which is dependent on oxygen availability-regulated KDM3A, plays a critical role in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 dephosphorylates and inhibits TERT for tumor suppression.

Telomere dysfunction is intricately linked to the aging process and stands out as a prominent cancer hallmark. Here we demonstrate that telomerase activity is differentially regulated in cancer and normal cells depending on the expression status of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1). In FBP1-expressing cells, FBP1 directly interacts with and dephosphorylates telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) at Ser227. Dephosphorylated TERT fails to translocate into the nucleus, leading to the inhibition of telomerase activity, reduction in telomere lengths, enhanced senescence and suppressed tumor cell proliferation and growth in mice. Lipid nanoparticle-mediated delivery of FBP1 mRNA inhibits liver tumor growth. Additionally, FBP1 expression levels inversely correlate with TERT pSer227 levels in renal and hepatocellular carcinoma specimens and with poor prognosis of the patients. These findings demonstrate that FBP1 governs cell immortality through its protein phosphatase activity and uncover a unique telomerase regulation in tumor cells attributed to the downregulation or deficiency of FBP1 expression.

Nuclear PGK1 Alleviates ADP-Dependent Inhibition of CDC7 to Promote DNA Replication.

DNA replication is initiated by assembly of the kinase cell division cycle 7 (CDC7) with its regulatory activation subunit, activator of S-phase kinase (ASK), to activate DNA helicase. However, the mechanism underlying regulation of CDC7-ASK complex is unclear. Here, we show that ADP generated from CDC7-mediated MCM phosphorylation binds to an allosteric region of CDC7, disrupts CDC7-ASK interaction, and inhibits CDC7-ASK activity in a feedback way. EGFR- and ERK-activated casein kinase 2α (CK2α) phosphorylates nuclear phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) 1 at S256, resulting in interaction of PGK1 with CDC7. CDC7-bound PGK1 converts ADP to ATP, thereby abrogating the inhibitory effect of ADP on CDC7-ASK activity, promoting the recruitment of DNA helicase to replication origins, DNA replication, cell proliferation, and brain tumorigenesis. These findings reveal an instrumental self-regulatory mechanism of CDC7-ASK activity by its kinase reaction product ADP and a nonglycolytic role for PGK1 in abrogating this negative feedback in promoting tumor development.

The moonlighting function of glycolytic enzyme enolase-1 promotes choline phospholipid metabolism and tumor cell proliferation.

Aberrantly upregulated choline phospholipid metabolism is a novel emerging hallmark of cancer, and choline kinase α (CHKα), a key enzyme for phosphatidylcholine production, is overexpressed in many types of human cancer through undefined mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate that the expression levels of the glycolytic enzyme enolase-1 (ENO1) are positively correlated with CHKα expression levels in human glioblastoma specimens and that ENO1 tightly governs CHKα expression via posttranslational regulation. Mechanistically, we reveal that both ENO1 and the ubiquitin E3 ligase TRIM25 are associated with CHKα. Highly expressed ENO1 in tumor cells binds to I199/F200 of CHKα, thereby abrogating the interaction between CHKα and TRIM25. This abrogation leads to the inhibition of TRIM25-mediated polyubiquitylation of CHKα at K195, increased stability of CHKα, enhanced choline metabolism in glioblastoma cells, and accelerated brain tumor growth. In addition, the expression levels of both ENO1 and CHKα are associated with poor prognosis in glioblastoma patients. These findings highlight a critical moonlighting function of ENO1 in choline phospholipid metabolism and provide unprecedented insight into the integrated regulation of cancer metabolism by crosstalk between glycolytic and lipidic enzymes.

Proline hydroxylation of CREB-regulated transcriptional coactivator 2 controls hepatic glucose metabolism.

Prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) enzymes change HIF activity according to oxygen signal; whether it is regulated by other physiological conditions remains largely unknown. Here, we report that PHD3 is induced by fasting and regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis through interaction and hydroxylation of CRTC2. Pro129 and Pro615 hydroxylation of CRTC2 following PHD3 activation is necessary for its association with cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and nuclear translocation, and enhanced binding to promoters of gluconeogenic genes by fasting or forskolin. CRTC2 hydroxylation-stimulated gluconeogenic gene expression is independent of SIK-mediated phosphorylation of CRTC2. Liver-specific knockout of PHD3 (PHD3 LKO) or prolyl hydroxylase-deficient knockin mice (PHD3 KI) show attenuated fasting gluconeogenic genes, glycemia, and hepatic capacity to produce glucose during fasting or fed with high-fat, high-sucrose diet. Importantly, Pro615 hydroxylation of CRTC2 by PHD3 is increased in livers of fasted mice, diet-induced insulin resistance or genetically obese ob/ob mice, and humans with diabetes. These findings increase our understanding of molecular mechanisms linking protein hydroxylation to gluconeogenesis and may offer therapeutic potential for treating excessive gluconeogenesis, hyperglycemia, and type 2 diabetes.

Bacterial infection promotes tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer via regulating CDC42 acetylation.

Increasing evidence highlights the role of bacteria in promoting tumorigenesis. The underlying mechanisms may be diverse and remain poorly understood. Here, we report that Salmonella infection leads to extensive de/acetylation changes in host cell proteins. The acetylation of mammalian cell division cycle 42 (CDC42), a member of the Rho family of GTPases involved in many crucial signaling pathways in cancer cells, is drastically reduced after bacterial infection. CDC42 is deacetylated by SIRT2 and acetylated by p300/CBP. Non-acetylated CDC42 at lysine 153 shows an impaired binding of its downstream effector PAK4 and an attenuated phosphorylation of p38 and JNK, consequently reduces cell apoptosis. The reduction in K153 acetylation also enhances the migration and invasion ability of colon cancer cells. The low level of K153 acetylation in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) predicts a poor prognosis. Taken together, our findings suggest a new mechanism of bacterial infection-induced promotion of colorectal tumorigenesis by modulation of the CDC42-PAK axis through manipulation of CDC42 acetylation.

METTL14 modulates glycolysis to inhibit colorectal tumorigenesis in p53-wild-type cells.

The frequency of p53 mutations in colorectal cancer (CRC) is approximately 40-50%. A variety of therapies are being developed to target tumors expressing mutant p53. However, potential therapeutic targets for CRC expressing wild-type p53 are rare. In this study, we show that METTL14 is transcriptionally activated by wild-type p53 and suppresses tumor growth only in p53-wild-type (p53-WT) CRC cells. METTL14 deletion promotes both AOM/DSS and AOM-induced CRC growth in mouse models with the intestinal epithelial cell-specific knockout of METTL14. Additionally, METTL14 restrains aerobic glycolysis in p53-WT CRC, by repressing SLC2A3 and PGAM1 expression via selectively promoting m6 A-YTHDF2-dependent pri-miR-6769b/pri-miR-499a processing. Biosynthetic mature miR-6769b-3p and miR-499a-3p decrease SLC2A3 and PGAM1 levels, respectively, and suppress malignant phenotypes. Clinically, METTL14 only acts as a beneficial prognosis factor for the overall survival of p53-WT CRC patients. These results uncover a new mechanism for METTL14 inactivation in tumors and, most importantly, reveal that the activation of METTL14 is a critical mechanism for p53-dependent cancer growth inhibition, which could be targeted for therapy in p53-WT CRC.

Dual-field-of-view high-spectral-resolution lidar: Simultaneous profiling of aerosol and water cloud to study aerosol-cloud interaction.

SignificanceAerosol-cloud interaction affects the cooling of Earth's climate, mostly by activation of aerosols as cloud condensation nuclei that can increase the amount of sunlight reflected back to space. But the controlling physical processes remain uncertain in current climate models. We present a lidar-based technique as a unique remote-sensing tool without thermodynamic assumptions for simultaneously profiling diurnal aerosol and water cloud properties with high resolution. Direct lateral observations of cloud properties show that the vertical structure of low-level water clouds can be far from being perfectly adiabatic. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that, instead of an increase of liquid water path (LWP) as proposed by most general circulation models, elevated aerosol loading can cause a net decrease in LWP.

Disruption of CerS6-mediated sphingolipid metabolism by FTO deficiency aggravates ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Deregulation of RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) influences intestinal immune cells and leads to intestinal inflammation. We studied the function of fat mass-and obesity-associated protein (FTO), one of the m6A demethylases, in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: We analysed colon tissues of Ftoflox/flox; Villin-cre mice and their Ftoflox/flox littermates with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) using real-time PCR and 16s rRNA sequencing. RNA and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing were used to analyse immunocytes and IECs. Macrophages were treated with conditioned medium of FTO-knockdown MODE-K cells or sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and analysed for gene expression. Liquid chromatograph mass spectrometry identified C16-ceramide. RESULTS: FTO downregulation was identified in our in-house cohort and external cohorts of UC patients. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota, increased infiltration of proinflammatory macrophages, and enhanced differentiation of Th17 cells were observed in Ftoflox/flox;Villin-cre mice under DSS treatment. FTO deficiency resulted in an increase in m6A modification and a decrease in mRNA stability of CerS6, the gene encoding ceramide synthetase, leading to the downregulation of CerS6 and the accumulation of S1P in IECs. Subsequentially, the secretion of S1P by IECs triggered proinflammatory macrophages to secrete serum amyloid A protein 1/3, ultimately inducing Th17 cell differentiation. In addition, through bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation, we identified UC patients with lower FTO expression might respond better to vedolizumab treatment. CONCLUSIONS: FTO downregulation promoted UC by decreasing CerS6 expression, leading to increased S1P accumulation in IECs and aggravating colitis via m6A-dependent mechanisms. Lower FTO expression in UC patients may enhance their response to vedolizumab treatment.

ß-Galactosidase-Activated and Red Light-Induced RNA Modification Strategy for Prolonged NIR Fluorescence/PET Bimodality Imaging.

Improving the retention of small-molecule-based therapeutic agents in tumors is crucial to achieve precise diagnosis and effective therapy of cancer. Herein, we propose a ß-galactosidase (ß-Gal)-activated and red light-induced RNA modification (GALIRM) strategy for prolonged tumor imaging. A ß-Gal-activatable near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence (FL) and positron emission tomography (PET) bimodal probe 68Ga-NOTA-FCG consists of a triaaza triacetic acid chelator NOTA for 68Ga-labeling, a ß-Gal-activated photosensitizer CyGal, and a singlet oxygen (1O2)-susceptible furan group for RNA modification. Studies have demonstrated that the probe emits an activated NIR FL signal upon cleavage by endogenous ß-Gal overexpressed in the lysosomes, which is combined with the PET imaging signal of 68Ga allowing for highly sensitive imaging of ovarian cancer. Moreover, the capability of 68Ga-NOTA-FCG generating 1O2 under 690 nm illumination could be simultaneously unlocked, which can trigger the covalent cross-linking between furan and nucleotides of cytoplasmic RNAs. The formation of the probe-RNA conjugate can effectively prevent exocytosis and prolong retention of the probe in tumors. We thus believe that this GALIRM strategy may provide entirely new insights into long-term tumor imaging and efficient tumor treatment.

Base editing of the mutated TERT promoter inhibits liver tumor growth.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Base editing has shown great potential for treating human diseases with mutated genes. However, its potential for treating HCC has not yet been explored. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We employed adenine base editors (ABEs) to correct a telomerase reverse transcriptase ( TERT ) promoter mutation, which frequently occurs in various human cancers, including HCC. The mutated TERT promoter -124 C>T is corrected to -124 C by a single guide (sg) RNA-guided and deactivated Campylobacter jejuni Cas9 (CjCas9)-fused adenine base editor (CjABE). This edit impairs the binding of the E-twenty six/ternary complex factor transcription factor family, including E-twenty six-1 and GABPA, to the TERT promoter, leading to suppressed TERT promoter and telomerase activity, decreased TERT expression and cell proliferation, and increased cell senescence. Importantly, injection of adeno-associated viruses expressing sgRNA-guided CjABE or employment of lipid nanoparticle-mediated delivery of CjABE mRNA and sgRNA inhibits the growth of liver tumors harboring TERT promoter mutations. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that a sgRNA-guided CjABE efficiently converts the mutated TERT promoter -124 C>T to -124 C in HCC cells and underscore the potential to treat HCC by the base editing-mediated correction of TERT promoter mutations.

Legumain-Triggered Macrocyclization of Radiofluorinated Tracer for Enhanced PET Imaging.

Enhancing the accumulation and retention of small-molecule probes in tumors is an important way to achieve accurate cancer diagnosis and therapy. Enzyme-stimulated macrocyclization of small molecules possesses great potential for enhanced positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of tumors. Herein, we reported an 18F-labeled radiotracer [18F]AlF-RSM for legumain detection in vivo. The tracer was prepared by a one-step aluminum-fluoride-restrained complexing agent ([18F]AlF-RESCA) method with high radiochemical yield (RCY) (88.35 ± 3.93%) and radiochemical purity (RCP) (>95%). More notably, the tracer can be transformed into a hydrophobic macrocyclic molecule under the joint action of legumain and reductant. Simultaneously, the tracer could target legumain-positive tumors and enhance accumulation and retention in tumors, resulting in the amplification of PET imaging signals. The enhancement of radioactivity enables PET imaging of legumain activity with high specificity. We envision that, by combining this highly efficient 18F-labeled strategy with our intramolecular macrocyclization reaction, a range of radiofluorinated tracers can be designed for tumor PET imaging and early cancer diagnosis in the future.

Role of transcription factor complex OsbHLH156-OsIRO2 in regulating manganese, copper, and zinc transporters in rice.

Iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) are essential micronutrients that are necessary for plant growth and development, but can be toxic at supra-optimal levels. Plants have evolved a complex homeostasis network that includes uptake, transport, and storage of these metals. It was shown that the transcription factor (TF) complex OsbHLH156-OsIRO2 is activated under Fe deficient conditions and acts as a central regulator on Strategy II Fe acquisition. In this study, the role of the TF complex on Mn, Cu, and Zn uptake was evaluated. While Fe deficiency led to significant increases in shoot Mn, Cu, and Zn concentrations, the increases of these divalent metal concentrations were significantly suppressed in osbhlh156 and osiro2 mutants, suggesting that the TF complex plays roles on Mn, Cu, and Zn uptake and transport. An RNA-sequencing assay showed that the genes associated with Mn, Cu, and Zn uptake and transport were significantly suppressed in the osbhlh156 and osiro2 mutants. Transcriptional activation assays demonstrated that the TF complex could directly bind to the promoters of OsIRT1, OsYSL15, OsNRAMP6, OsHMA2, OsCOPT1/7, and OsZIP5/9/10, and activate their expression. In addition, the TF complex is required to activate the expression of nicotianamine (NA) and 2'-deoxymugineic acid (DMA) synthesis genes, which in turn facilitate the uptake and transport of Mn, Cu, and Zn. Furthermore, OsbHLH156 and OsIRO2 promote Cu accumulation to partially restore the Fe-deficiency symptoms. Taken together, OsbHLH156 and OsIRO2 TF function as core regulators not only in Fe homeostasis, but also in Mn, Cu, and Zn accumulation.

Prevalence of Self-Reported Hypertension and Antihypertensive Medication Use Among Adults - United States, 2017-2021.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. It increases with age and is highest among non-Hispanic Black or African American persons, men, persons aged ≥65 years, those of lower socioeconomic status, and those who live in the southern United States. Hypertension affects approximately one half of U.S. adults, and approximately one quarter of those persons have their blood pressure under control. Reducing population-level hypertension prevalence and improving control is a national priority. In 2017, updated guidelines for high blood pressure in adults recommended lowering the blood pressure threshold for diagnosis of hypertension. Analysis of data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System found that age-standardized, self-reported diagnosed hypertension was approximately 30% during 2017-2021, with persistent differences by age, sex, race and ethnicity, level of education, and state of residence. During this period, the age-standardized prevalence of antihypertensive medication use among persons with hypertension increased by 3.1 percentage points, from 59.8% to 62.9% (p<0.001). Increases in antihypertensive medication use were observed in most sociodemographic groups and in many states. Assessing current trends in hypertension diagnosis and treatment can help guide the development of policies and implementation of interventions to reduce this important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and can aid in addressing health disparities.

Manipulating Intramolecular Charge Transfer and Supramolecular Interaction in D-A-D Conjugated Systems by Regioisomerization.

Three new donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) architecture regioisomers comprising a large planar electron-withdrawing core tribenzo[a,c,i]phenazine and two identical electron-donating triphenylamines with different substitution patterns were designed and synthesized. Employing this regioisomerization strategy, the intramolecular charge-transfer interactions are effectively tuned and result in a significant bathochromic shift of photoluminescence maximum over 100 nm, which induces the corresponding emission band extending into the near-infrared region as well as giving a high solid-state quantum yield of 25%. Meanwhile, it is found that the supramolecular interactions of this series of regioisomers with planar electron-donor pyrene are greatly affected by the substitution pattern.