Upregulation of serine metabolism enzyme PSAT1 predicts poor prognosis and promotes proliferation, metastasis and drug resistance of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Serine metabolic reprogramming is known to be associated with oncogenesis and tumor development. The key metabolic enzyme PSAT1 has been identified as a potential prognostic marker for various cancers, but its role in ccRCC remains unkown. In this study, we investigated expression of PSAT1 in ccRCC using the TCGA database and clinical specimens. Our results showed that PSAT1 exhibited lower expression in tumor tissue compared to adjacent normal tissue, but its expression level increased with advancing stages and grades of ccRCC. Patients with elevated expression level of PSAT1 exhibited an unfavorable prognosis. Functional experiments have substantiated that the depletion of PSAT1 shows an effective activity in inhibiting the proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC cells, concurrently promoting apoptosis. RNA sequencing analysis has revealed that the attenuation of PSAT1 can diminish tumor resistance to therapeutic drugs. Furthermore, the xenograft model has indicated that the inhibition of PSAT1 can obviously impact the tumorigenic potential of ccRCC and mitigate lung metastasis. Notably, pharmacological targeting PSAT1 by Aminooxyacetic Acid (AOA) or knockdown of PSAT1 increased the susceptibility of sunitinib-resistant cells. Inhibition of PSAT1 increased the sensitivity of drug-resistant tumors to sunitinib in vivo. Collectively, our investigation identifies PSAT1 as an independent prognostic biomarker for advanced ccRCC patients and as a prospective therapeutic target.

Interleukin-6 mediates PSAT1 expression and serine metabolism in TSC2-deficient cells.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) are caused by aberrant mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) activation due to loss of either TSC1 or TSC2 Cytokine profiling of TSC2-deficient LAM patient-derived cells revealed striking up-regulation of Interleukin-6 (IL-6). LAM patient plasma contained increased circulating IL-6 compared with healthy controls, and TSC2-deficient cells showed up-regulation of IL-6 transcription and secretion compared to wild-type cells. IL-6 blockade repressed the proliferation and migration of TSC2-deficient cells and reduced oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification. U-13C glucose tracing revealed that IL-6 knockout reduced 3-phosphoserine and serine production in TSC2-deficient cells, implicating IL-6 in de novo serine metabolism. IL-6 knockout reduced expression of phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1), an essential enzyme in serine biosynthesis. Importantly, recombinant IL-6 treatment rescued PSAT1 expression in the TSC2-deficient, IL-6 knockout clones selectively and had no effect on wild-type cells. Treatment with anti-IL-6 (αIL-6) antibody similarly reduced cell proliferation and migration and reduced renal tumors in Tsc2+/- mice while reducing PSAT1 expression. These data reveal a mechanism through which IL-6 regulates serine biosynthesis, with potential relevance to the therapy of tumors with mTORC1 hyperactivity.

Molecular Structure of Phosphoserine Aminotransferase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme involved in the second step of the phosphorylated pathway of serine biosynthesis. PSAT catalyzes the transamination of 3-phosphohydroxypyruvate to 3-phosphoserine using L-glutamate as the amino donor. Although structural studies of PSAT have been performed from archaea and humans, no structural information is available from fungi. Therefore, to elucidate the structural features of fungal PSAT, we determined the crystal structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae PSAT (ScPSAT) at a resolution of 2.8 Å. The results demonstrated that the ScPSAT protein was dimeric in its crystal structure. Moreover, the gate-keeping loop of ScPSAT exhibited a conformation similar to that of other species. Several distinct structural features in the halide-binding and active sites of ScPSAT were compared with its homologs. Overall, this study contributes to our current understanding of PSAT by identifying the structural features of fungal PSAT for the first time.

Off to a slow start: Analyzing lag phases and accelerating rates in steady-state enzyme kinetics.

Steady-state enzyme kinetics typically relies on the measurement of 'initial rates', obtained when the substrate is not significantly consumed and the amount of product formed is negligible. Although initial rates are usually faster than those measured later in the reaction time-course, sometimes the speed of the reaction appears instead to increase with time, reaching a steady level only after an initial delay or 'lag phase'. This behavior needs to be interpreted by the experimentalists. To assist interpretation, this article analyzes the many reasons why, during an enzyme assay, the observed rate can be slow in the beginning and then progressively accelerate. The possible causes range from trivial artifacts to instances in which deeper mechanistic or biophysical factors are at play. We provide practical examples for most of these causes, based firstly on experiments conducted with ornithine δ-aminotransferase and with other pyridoxal-phosphate dependent enzymes that have been studied in our laboratory. On the side to this survey, we provide evidence that the product of the ornithine δ-aminotransferase reaction, glutamate 5-semialdehyde, cyclizes spontaneously to pyrroline 5-carboxylate with a rate constant greater than 3 s-1.

Overexpression of microRNA-195-5p reduces cisplatin resistance and angiogenesis in ovarian cancer by inhibiting the PSAT1-dependent GSK3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the leading causes for cancer-related deaths among women. MicroRNAs (miRs) have been proved to be vital to the development and progression of OC. Hence, the study aims to evaluate the ability of miR-195-5p affecting cisplatin (DDP) resistance and angiogenesis in OC and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: MiRs that could target phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1), a differentially expressed gene in OC, were predicted by miRNA-mRNA prediction websites. The expression patterns of miR-195-5p in the OC tissues and cells were determined using RNA quantification assay. The role of miR-195-5p in OC was evaluated by determining DDP resistance, apoptosis and angiogenesis of OC cells after up-regulating or down-regulating miR-195-5p or PSAT1, or blocking the glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK3ß)/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Animal experiment was conducted to explore the effect of miR-195-5p on resistance to DDP and angiogenesis. RESULT: MiR-195-5p directly targeted PSAT1 and down-regulated its expression. The expression of miR-195-5p was lower while that of PSAT1 was higher in OC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. When miR-195-5p was over-expressed or PSAT1 was silenced, the expression of HIF-1α, VEGF, PSAT1, ß-catenin as well as the extent of GSK3ß phosphorylation was reduced, the angiogenesis and resistance to DDP was diminished and apoptosis was promoted both in vitro and in vivo. The inhibition of GSK3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway was involved in the regulation process. CONCLUSION: Over-expression of miR-195-5p reduced angiogenesis and DDP resistance in OC, which provides a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of OC.

Molecular characterization and expression analysis of a phosphoserine aminotransferase involving l-serine synthesis from silkworm, Bombyx mori.

In this study, we identified and characterized a phosphoserine aminotransferase (bmPSAT) from Bombyx mori (B. mori) that is responsible for l-serine biosynthesis. A complementary DNA that encodes bmPSAT was cloned by reverse transcriptase polymerase reaction and sequenced. The presumed amino acid sequence revealed 47-87% identity with known PSATs from insects, humans, plants, and bacteria. Through phylogenetic analysis, we found that bmPSAT is evolutionary related to insect PSATs. Recombinant bmPSAT was produced in Escherichia coli by using a cold-shock promotor and purified to homogeneity. This enzyme utilizes phosphohydroxypyruvate and glutamate for transamination. bmPSAT messenger RNA (mRNA) was expressed at higher levels in several tissues of standard strain silkworm including the silk gland, whereas a sericin-deficient silkworm strain exhibited a diminished expression of bmPSAT mRNA in the silk gland. These findings indicate that bmPSAT may play an important role in synthesizing and supplying l-serine in the larva of B. mori.

Structural investigation and inhibitory response of halide on phosphoserine aminotransferase from Trichomonas vaginalis.

BACKGROUND: Phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT) catalyses the second reversible step of the phosphoserine biosynthetic pathway in Trichomonas vaginalis, which is crucial for the synthesis of serine and cysteine. METHODS: PSAT from T. vaginalis (TvPSAT) was analysed using X-ray crystallography, enzyme kinetics, and molecular dynamics simulations. RESULTS: The crystal structure of TvPSAT was determined to 2.15Å resolution, and is the first protozoan PSAT structure to be reported. The active site of TvPSAT structure was found to be in a closed conformation, and at the active site PLP formed an internal aldimine linkage to Lys 202. In TvPSAT, Val 340 near the active site while it is Arg in most other members of the PSAT family, might be responsible in closing the active site. Kinetic studies yielded Km values of 54 µM and 202 µM for TvPSAT with OPLS and AKG, respectively. Only iodine inhibited the TvPSAT activity while smaller halides could not inhibit. CONCLUSION: Results from the structure, comparative molecular dynamics simulations, and the inhibition studies suggest that iodine is the only halide that can bind TvPSAT strongly and may thus inhibit the activity of TvPSAT. The long loop between ß8 and α8 at the opening of the TvPSAT active site cleft compared to other PSATs, suggests that this loop may help control the access of substrates to the TvPSAT active site and thus influences the enzyme kinetics. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Our structural and functional studies have improved our understanding of how PSAT helps this organism persists in the environment.

Serine biosynthesis and transport defects.

l-serine is a non-essential amino acid that is biosynthesized via the enzymes phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PGDH), phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT), and phosphoserine phosphatase (PSP). Besides its role in protein synthesis, l-serine is a potent neurotrophic factor and a precursor of a number of essential compounds including phosphatidylserine, sphingomyelin, glycine, and d-serine. Serine biosynthesis defects result from impairments of PGDH, PSAT, or PSP leading to systemic serine deficiency. Serine biosynthesis defects present in a broad phenotypic spectrum that includes, at the severe end, Neu-Laxova syndrome, a lethal multiple congenital anomaly disease, intermediately, infantile serine biosynthesis defects with severe neurological manifestations and growth deficiency, and at the mild end, the childhood disease with intellectual disability. A serine transport defect resulting from deficiency of the ASCT1, the main transporter for serine in the central nervous system, has been recently described in children with neurological manifestations that overlap with those observed in serine biosynthesis defects. l-serine therapy may be beneficial in preventing or ameliorating symptoms in serine biosynthesis and transport defects, if started before neurological damage occurs. Herein, we review serine metabolism and transport, the clinical, biochemical, and molecular aspects of serine biosynthesis and transport defects, the mechanisms of these diseases, and the potential role of serine therapy.

Overexpression of Phosphoserine Aminotransferase (PSAT)-Enhanced Cadmium Resistance and Accumulation in Duckweed (Lemna turionifera 5511).

Cadmium (Cd) hampers plant growth and harms photosynthesis. Glutamate (Glu) responds to Cd stress and activates the Ca2+ signaling pathway in duckweed, emphasizing Glu's significant role in Cd stress. In this study, we overexpressed phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT), a crucial enzyme in Glu metabolism, in duckweed. We investigated the response of PSAT-transgenic duckweed to Cd stress, including growth, Glu metabolism, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzyme activity, Cd2+ flux, and gene expression. Remarkably, under Cd stress, PSAT-transgenic duckweed prevented root abscission, upregulated the expression of photosynthesis ability, and increased Chl a, Chl b, and Chl a + b levels by 13.9%, 7%, and 12.6%, respectively. Antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT and SOD) also improved under Cd stress, reducing cell membrane damage in PSAT-transgenic duckweeds. Transcriptomic analysis revealed an upregulation of Glu metabolism-related enzymes in PSAT-transgenic duckweed under Cd stress. Moreover, metabolomic analysis showed a 68.4% increase in Glu content in PSAT duckweed exposed to Cd. This study sheds novel insights into the role of PSAT in enhancing plant resistance to Cd stress, establishing a theoretical basis for the impact of Glu metabolism on heavy metal tolerance in plants.

PSAT1 is upregulated by METTL3 to attenuate high glucose-induced retinal pigment epithelial cell apoptosis and oxidative stress.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major ocular complication of diabetes mellitus, and a significant cause of visual impairment and blindness in adults. Phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1) is an enzyme participating in serine synthesis, which might improve insulin signaling and insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, it has been reported that the m6A methylation in mRNA controls gene expression under many physiological and pathological conditions. Nevertheless, the influences of m6A methylation on PSAT1 expression and DR progression at the molecular level have not been reported. METHODS: High-glucose (HG) was used to treat human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19) to construct a cell injury model. PSAT1 and Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) levels were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). PSAT1, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 related X protein (Bax), and METTL3 protein levels were examined by western blot assay. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and TUNEL assays. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels were examined using special assay kits. Interaction between METTL3 and PSAT1 was verified using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) and dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: PSAT1 and METTL3 levels were decreased in DR patients and HG-treated ARPE-19 cells. Upregulation of PSAT1 might attenuate HG-induced cell viability inhibition and apoptosis and oxidative stress promotion in ARPE-19 cells. Moreover, PSAT1 was identified as a downstream target of METTL3-mediated m6A modification. METTL3 might improve the stability of PSAT1 mRNA via m6A methylation. CONCLUSION: METTL3 might mitigate HG-induced ARPE-19 cell damage partly by regulating the stability of PSAT1 mRNA, providing a promising therapeutic target for DR.

Phosphoserine aminotransferase deficiency diagnosed by whole-exome sequencing and LC-MS/MS reanalysis: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Phosphoserine aminotransferase deficiency (PSATD) is an autosomal recessive disorder associated with hypertonia, psychomotor retardation, and acquired microcephaly. Patients with PSATD have low concentrations of serine in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. METHODS: We reported a 2-year-old female child with developmental delay, dyskinesia, and microcephaly. LC-MS/MS was used to detect amino acid concentration in the blood and whole-exome sequencing (WES) was used to identify the variants. PolyPhen-2 web server and PyMol were used to predict the pathogenicity and changes in the 3D model molecular structure of protein caused by variants. RESULTS: WES demonstrated compound heterozygous variants in PSAT1, which is associated with PSATD, with a paternal likely pathogenic variant (c.235G>A, Gly79Arg) and a maternal likely pathogenic variant (c.43G>C, Ala15Pro). Reduced serine concentration in LC-MS/MS further confirmed the diagnosis of PSATD in this patient. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate the importance of WES combined with LC-MS/MS reanalysis in the diagnosis of genetic diseases and expand the PSAT1 variant spectrum in PSATD. Moreover, we summarize all the cases caused by PSAT1 variants in the literature. This case provides a vital reference for the diagnosis of future cases.

Engineering and finetuning expression of SerC for balanced metabolic flux in vitamin B6 production.

Vitamin B6 plays a crucial role in cellular metabolism and stress response, making it an essential component for growth in all known organisms. However, achieving efficient biosynthesis of vitamin B6 faces the challenge of maintaining a balanced distribution of metabolic flux between growth and production. In this study, our focus is on addressing this challenge through the engineering of phosphoserine aminotransferase (SerC) to resolve its redundancy and promiscuity. The enzyme SerC was semi-designed and screened based on sequences and predicted kcat values, respectively. Mutants and heterologous proteins showing potential were then fine-tuned to optimize the production of vitamin B6. The resulting strain enhances the production of vitamin B6, indicating that different fluxes are distributed to the biosynthesis pathway of serine and vitamin B6. This study presents a promising strategy to address the challenge posed by multifunctional enzymes, with significant implications for enhancing biochemical production through engineering processes.

Structural basis of L-phosphoserine binding to Bacillus alcalophilus phosphoserine aminotransferase.

Phosphoserine aminotransferase is a vitamin B6-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the reversible conversion of 3-phosphohydroxypyruvate to L-phosphoserine using glutamate as an amine donor. In an effort to gain insight into the substrate-recognition mechanism of the enzyme, crystal structures of Bacillus alcalophilus phosphoserine aminotransferase in the presence or absence of L-phosphoserine were determined to resolutions of 1.5 and 1.6 Å, respectively. Local conformational changes induced upon substrate binding were identified. However, in contrast to other aminotransferases, no domain or subunit movements were observed. Two Arg residues (Arg42 and Arg328) and two His residues (His41 and His327) were found to form a tight binding site for the phosphate group of L-phosphoserine. Comparison with Escherichia coli phosphoserine aminotransferase in complex with the substrate analogue α-methylglutamate revealed more extensive structural changes in the case of L-phosphoserine binding. Based on the structural analysis, the flexibility of Arg328 is proposed to be critical for substrate recognition.

The protective effects of phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1) against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a severe clinical syndrome, causing a profound medical and socioeconomic burden worldwide. This study aimed to explore underlying biomarkers and treatment targets in the progression of hepatic I/R injury. We screened gene expression profiles of the hepatic I/R injury from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, downloaded expression profiles data (GSE117066). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified through cluster of the PPI network, and enrichment pathways were conducted based on gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. The bioinformatics analysis was used to identify biomarkers that alleviate hepatic I/R injury. Finally, the effects of hub gene were investigated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. A total of 162 DEGs (76 up-regulated and 86 down-regulated genes) were extracted between sham and I/R, and 248 DEGs (118 up-regulated and 130 down-regulated genes) were extracted between I/R and ischemic postconditioning (IPO). The cluster of the PPI network and maximal clique centrality (MCC) method of the common DEGs were performed to identify the phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1) as the potential gene for hepatic I/R injury. Then, the H-E, TUNEL and PCNA staining were indicated that the hepatic injury score was highest in I/R 6 h. The expression level of apoptosis-related proteins was consistent with the pathological results. Both gain- and loss-of-function assays demonstrated that hepatic I/R injury was alleviated by PSAT1. PSAT1 may play crucial roles in hepatic I/R injury and thus serves as a hub biomarker for hepatic I/R injury prognosis and individual-based treatment.

Phosphoserine Aminotransferase Pathogenetic Variants in Serine Deficiency Disorders: A Functional Characterization.

In humans, the phosphorylated pathway (PP) converts the glycolytic intermediate D-3-phosphoglycerate (3-PG) into L-serine through the enzymes 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT) and phosphoserine phosphatase. From the pathogenic point of view, the PP in the brain is particularly relevant, as genetic defects of any of the three enzymes are associated with a group of neurometabolic disorders known as serine deficiency disorders (SDDs). We recombinantly expressed and characterized eight variants of PSAT associated with SDDs and two non-SDD associated variants. We show that the pathogenetic mechanisms in SDDs are extremely diverse, including low affinity of the cofactor pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and thermal instability for S179L and G79W PSAT, loss of activity of the holo form for R342W PSAT, aggregation for D100A PSAT, increased Km for one of the substrates with invariant kcats for S43R PSAT, and a combination of increased Km and decreased kcat for C245R PSAT. Finally, we show that the flux through the in vitro reconstructed PP at physiological concentrations of substrates and enzymes is extremely sensitive to alterations of the functional properties of PSAT variants, confirming PSAT dysfunctions as a cause of SSDs.

L-serine biosynthesis in the human central nervous system: Structure and function of phosphoserine aminotransferase.

Organisms from all kingdoms of life synthesize L-serine (L-Ser) from 3-phosphoglycerate through the phosphorylated pathway, a three-step diversion of glycolysis. Phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT) catalyzes the intermediate step, the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent transamination of 3-phosphohydroxypyruvate and L-glutamate to O-phosphoserine (OPS) and α-ketoglutarate. PSAT is particularly relevant in the central nervous system of mammals because L-Ser is the metabolic precursor of D-serine, cysteine, phospholipids, and nucleotides. Several mutations in the human psat gene have been linked to serine deficiency disorders, characterized by severe neurological symptoms. Furthermore, PSAT is overexpressed in many tumors and this overexpression has been associated with poor clinical outcomes. Here, we report the detailed functional and structural characterization of the recombinant human PSAT. The reaction catalyzed by PSAT is reversible, with an equilibrium constant of about 10, and the enzyme is very efficient, with a kcat /Km of 5.9 × 106  M-1  s-1 , thus contributing in driving the pathway towards the products despite the extremely unfavorable first step catalyzed by 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase. The 3D X-ray crystal structure of PSAT was solved in the substrate-free as well as in the OPS-bound forms. Both structures contain eight protein molecules in the asymmetric unit, arranged in four dimers, with a bound cofactor in each subunit. In the substrate-free form, the active site of PSAT contains a sulfate ion that, in the substrate-bound form, is replaced by the phosphate group of OPS. Interestingly, fast crystal soaking used to produce the substrate-bound form allowed the trapping of different intermediates along the catalytic cycle.

MicroRNA regulation of the serine synthesis pathway in endocrine-resistant breast cancer cells.

Despite the successful combination of therapies improving survival of estrogen receptor α (ER+) breast cancer patients with metastatic disease, mechanisms for acquired endocrine resistance remain to be fully elucidated. The RNA binding protein HNRNPA2B1 (A2B1), a reader of N(6)-methyladenosine (m6A) in transcribed RNA, is upregulated in endocrine-resistant, ER+ LCC9 and LY2 cells compared to parental MCF-7 endocrine-sensitive luminal A breast cancer cells. The miRNA-seq transcriptome of MCF-7 cells overexpressing A2B1 identified the serine metabolic processes pathway. Increased expression of two key enzymes in the serine synthesis pathway (SSP), phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1) and phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), correlates with poor outcomes in ER+ breast patients who received tamoxifen (TAM). We reported that PSAT1 and PHGDH were higher in LCC9 and LY2 cells compared to MCF-7 cells and their knockdown enhanced TAM sensitivity in these-resistant cells. Here we demonstrate that stable, modest overexpression of A2B1 in MCF-7 cells increased PSAT1 and PHGDH and endocrine resistance. We identified four miRNAs downregulated in MCF-7-A2B1 cells that directly target the PSAT1 3'UTR (miR-145-5p and miR-424-5p), and the PHGDH 3'UTR (miR-34b-5p and miR-876-5p) in dual luciferase assays. Lower expression of miR-145-5p and miR-424-5p in LCC9 and ZR-75-1-4-OHT cells correlated with increased PSAT1 and lower expression of miR-34b-5p and miR-876-5p in LCC9 and ZR-75-1-4-OHT cells correlated with increased PHGDH. Transient transfection of these miRNAs restored endocrine-therapy sensitivity in LCC9 and ZR-75-1-4-OHT cells. Overall, our data suggest a role for decreased A2B1-regulated miRNAs in endocrine resistance and upregulation of the SSP to promote tumor progression in ER+ breast cancer.

Multi-omics Analysis of the Role of PHGDH in Colon Cancer.

Objectives: Serine metabolism is essential for tumor cells. Endogenous serine arises from de novo synthesis pathways. As the rate-limiting enzyme of this pathway, PHGDH is highly expressed in a variety of tumors including colon cancer. Therefore, targeted inhibition of PHGDH is an important strategy for anti-tumor therapy research. However, the specific gene expression and metabolic pathways regulated by PHGDH in colon cancer are still unclear. Our study was aimed to clarified the role of PHGDH in serine metabolism in colon cancer to provide new knowledge for in-depth understanding of serine metabolism and PHGDH function in colon cancer. Methods: In this study, we analyzed the gene expression and metabolic remodeling process of colon cancer cells (SW620) after targeted inhibition of PHGDH by gene transcriptomics and metabolomics. LC-MS analysis was performed in 293T cells to PHGDH gene transcription and protein post-translational modification under depriving exogenous serine. Results: We found that amino acid transporters, amino acid metabolism, lipid synthesis related pathways compensation and other processes are involved in the response process after PHGDH inhibition. And ATF4 mediated the transcriptional expression of PHGDH under exogenous serine deficiency conditions. While LC-MS analysis of post-translational modification revealed that PHGDH produced changes in acetylation sites after serine deprivation that the K289 site was lost, and a new acetylation site K21was produced. Conclusion: Our study performed transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis by inhibiting PHGDH, thus clarifying the role of PHGDH in gene transcription and metabolism in colon cancer cells. The mechanism of high PHGDH expression in colon cancer cells and the acetylation modification that occurs in PHGDH protein were also clarified by serine deprivation. In our study, the role of PHGDH in serine metabolism in colon cancer was clarified by multi-omics analysis to provide new knowledge for in-depth understanding of serine metabolism and PHGDH function in colon cancer.

Identification of a novel PHGDH covalent inhibitor by chemical proteomics and phenotypic profiling.

The first rate-limiting enzyme of the serine synthesis pathway (SSP), phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), is hyperactive in multiple tumors, which leads to the activation of SSP and promotes tumorigenesis. However, only a few inhibitors of PHGDH have been discovered to date, especially the covalent inhibitors of PHGDH. Here, we identified withangulatin A (WA), a natural small molecule, as a novel covalent inhibitor of PHGDH. Affinity-based protein profiling identified that WA could directly bind to PHGDH and inactivate the enzyme activity of PHGDH. Biolayer interferometry and LC-MS/MS analysis further demonstrated the selective covalent binding of WA to the cysteine 295 residue (Cys295) of PHGDH. With the covalent modification of Cys295, WA blocked the substrate-binding domain (SBD) of PHGDH and exerted an allosteric effect to induce PHGDH inactivation. Further studies revealed that with the inhibition of PHGDH mediated by WA, the glutathione synthesis was decreased and intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were elevated, leading to the inhibition of tumor proliferation. This study indicates WA as a novel PHGDH covalent inhibitor, which identifies Cys295 as a novel allosteric regulatory site of PHGDH and holds great potential in developing anti-tumor agents for targeting PHGDH.

Nuclear Pyruvate Kinase M2 (PKM2) Contributes to Phosphoserine Aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1)-Mediated Cell Migration in EGFR-Activated Lung Cancer Cells.

An elevated expression of phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1) has been observed in multiple tumor types and is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Although PSAT1 is postulated to promote tumor growth through its enzymatic function within the serine synthesis pathway (SSP), its role in cancer progression has not been fully characterized. Here, we explore a putative non-canonical function of PSAT1 that contributes to lung tumor progression. Biochemical studies found that PSAT1 selectively interacts with pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2). Amino acid mutations within a PKM2-unique region significantly reduced this interaction. While PSAT1 loss had no effect on cellular pyruvate kinase activity and PKM2 expression in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, fractionation studies demonstrated that the silencing of PSAT1 in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant PC9 or EGF-stimulated A549 cells decreased PKM2 nuclear translocation. Further, PSAT1 suppression abrogated cell migration in these two cell types whereas PSAT1 restoration or overexpression induced cell migration along with an elevated nuclear PKM2 expression. Lastly, the nuclear re-expression of the acetyl-mimetic mutant of PKM2 (K433Q), but not the wild-type, partially restored cell migration in PSAT1-silenced cells. Therefore, we conclude that, in response to EGFR activation, PSAT1 contributes to lung cancer cell migration, in part, by promoting nuclear PKM2 translocation.