Metabolic reprogramming of stromal fibroblasts through p62-mTORC1 signaling promotes inflammation and tumorigenesis

ABSTRACT: The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in cancer progression, but the precise mechanisms by which stromal cells influence the tumor epithelium are poorly understood. The signaling adapter p62 has been implicated as a positive regulator of epithelial tumorigenesis; however, its role in the stroma is unknown. We show here that p62 levels are reduced in the stroma of several tumors. Also, orthotopic and organotypic studies demonstrate that the loss of p62 in the tumor microenvironment or stromal fibroblasts resulted in increased tumorigenesis of epithelial prostate cancer cells. The mechanism involves the regulation of cellular redox through an mTORC1/c-Myc pathway of stromal glucose and amino acid metabolism. Inhibition of the pathway by p62 deficiency results in increased stromal IL-6 production, which is required for tumor promotion in the epithelial compartment. Thus, p62 is an anti-inflammatory tumor suppressor that acts through modulation of metabolism in the tumor stroma. C57BL6 syngeneic TRAMP-C2Re3 cells (5×10^4) were injected orthotopically into the prostate of WT (n=6) or p62 KO (n=6) mice (C57BL6 background) and tumor growth was assessed, followed by transcriptome profiling of the orthotopic tumors (n=12).

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

SUBMITTER: Jorge Moscat 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-55587 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress