Nitrogen metabolism profiling reveals cell state-specific pyrimidine synthesis pathway choice
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE320388 | GEO | 2026/02/24
REPOSITORIES: GEO
Similar Datasets
Project description:Macrophage-mediated phagocytosis plays a pivotal role in eradicating cancer cells and modulating anti-tumor immunity. Yet, the mechanisms through which cancer cells evade phagocytosis remain elusive. We employed a genome-wide CRISPR screen in murine pancreatic cancer cells co-cultured with macrophages and discovered that disabling the tumor-intrinsic pyrimidine synthesis pathway (specifically Cad, Dhodh, and Umps) leads to enhanced phagocytosis by macrophages. Mechanistically, macrophages suppress the UMP salvage pathway in tumor cells, increasing their dependence on de novo UMP synthesis. This suppression resulted in tumor cells with impaired de novo pyrimidine synthesis becoming more susceptible to apoptosis in the presence of macrophages, thereby enhancing macrophage-mediated elimination, both in vitro and in mouse models. Mechanistically, we show that pro-inflammatory cytokines released by macrophages, including TNFα and IL-1, are essential for upregulating Upp1 and decrease UMP pool in tumor cells. Thus, our findings uncover how tumor pyrimidine metabolism pathway shape their sensitivity to macrophage-mediated elimination.
2025-08-26 | GSE262721 | GEO
Project description:Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) reprogram glucose metabolism by hijacking high-affinity glucose uptake to survive in a nutritionally dynamic microenvironment. Here, we trace metabolic aberrations in GSCs to link core genetic mutations in glioblastoma to dependency on de novo pyrimidine synthesis. Targeting the pyrimidine synthetic rate-limiting step enzyme CAD (carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2, aspartate transcarbamyolase, dihydroorotase) or the critical downstream enzyme, DHODH (dihydroorotate dehydrogenase) inhibited GSC survival, self-renewal, and in vivo tumor initiation through the depletion of the pyrimidine nucleotide supply. Mutations in EGFR or PTEN generated distinct CAD phosphorylation patterns to activate carbon influx through pyrimidine synthesis. Simultaneous abrogation of tumor-specific driver mutations and DHODH activity with clinically approved inhibitors demonstrated sustained inhibition of metabolic activity of pyrimidine synthesis and GSC tumorigenic capacity. Higher expression of pyrimidine synthesis genes portend poor prognosis of glioblastoma patients. Collectively, our results demonstrate a novel therapeutic approach of precision medicine through targeting the nexus between driver mutations and metabolic reprogramming in cancer stem cells.
2019-04-09 | GSE129438 | GEO
Project description:The genomic DNAs of strains 263 of L. infantum and five derived independent resistant mutants to 5-fluorouracil were used in comparative genomic hybridizations to reveal the deletion and/or amplification events occured by drug resistance mechanisms. The human protozoan parasites Leishmania are prototrophic for pyrimidines and de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis is necessary for their growth. Five independent L. infantum mutants were selected for resistance to the pyrimidine analogue 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in the hope to better understand the metabolism of pyrimidine in Leishmania. Analysis of the 5-FU mutants by comparative genomic hybridization and whole genome sequencing revealed amplification and deletion events as well as point mutations in metabolic genes involved in either the uridine salvage, folate or dTMP biosynthesis pathways. In particular, a dhfr-ts containing amplicon was observed in two mutants and a deletion of part of chromosome 10 was detected in one mutant. Point mutations in uridine phosphorybosyl transferase (UPRT), thymidine kinase (TK) and uridine phosphorylase (UP) were also discovered. Transfection experiments confirmed that these molecular alterations were responsible for the 5-FU resistance phenotype. Transport studies revealed that one resistant mutant was defective for uracil and 5-FU import although the identity of the transporter remains elusive. This study provided further insights in pyrimidine metabolism in Leishmania and confirmed that multiple mutations can co-exist in a cell to lead to resistance. Each independent resistant mutant to 5-fluorouracil was hybridizated with the wild-type L. infantum 263 to 10 microarrays, each with three biological replicates (independent cultures).
2013-12-31 | E-GEOD-45866 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is one of the deadliest cancers, with limited therapeutic options due to its therapeutically intractable genome, which is characterized by the functional inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and high tumor heterogeneity, including diverse metabolic adaptations. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these metabolic alterations remain poorly understood, particularly how TSG inactivation rewires tumor metabolism to drive tumorigenesis and create metabolic dependencies. Through integrated multi-omics analysis, we identify for the first time that NF2 loss of function defines a distinct PM subtype characterized by enhanced de novo pyrimidine synthesis, which NF2-deficient PM cells are critically dependent on for sustained proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NF2 loss activates YAP, a downstream proto-oncogenic transcriptional coactivator in the Hippo signalling pathway, which in turn upregulates CAD and DHODH, key enzymes in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway. Our findings provide novel insights into metabolic reprogramming in PM, revealing de novo pyrimidine synthesis as a synthetic lethal vulnerability in NF2-deficient tumors. This work highlights a potential therapeutic strategy for targeting NF2-deficient mesothelioma through metabolic intervention.
2025-07-08 | PXD063342 | Pride
Project description:Aerobic glycolysis, which is also termed the Warburg effect, is one of the aberrant metabolic pathways in highly proliferating cells. Glycolysis provides glycolytic metabolites to support the generation of biomass, such as nucleotides, amino acids, and lipids. To date, no studies have explored interrelationships between glycolysis and other metabolic pathways. Phosphofructokinase-2/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) activates glycolysis by synthesizing fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (F2,6BP), which allosterically activates the rate-limiting enzyme 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase (PFK-1). In this study, we found that PFKFB3 directly interacts with and regulates the phosphorylation of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2, aspartate transcarbamylase, and dihydroorotase (CAD), the enzyme catalyzing the first three steps of de novo pyrimidine synthesis. PFKFB3 inactivation reduced de novo pyrimidine synthesis, RNA and DNA production, and the growth of cancer and proliferative cells. Thus, the glycolytic activator PFKFB3 bridges glycolysis with pyrimidine synthesis, unites both glucose metabolism and nucleic acid metabolism, and contributes to cell proliferation under both physiological and pathological conditions.
2025-06-16 | PXD048755 | Pride
Project description:Relapse continues to limit survival for patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Previous studies have independently implicated activation of B-cell developmental signaling pathways and increased glucose consumption with chemo-resistance and relapse risk. Here, we connect these observations, demonstrating that B-ALL cells with active signaling, defined by high expression of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 (“pS6+ cells”), are metabolically unique and glucose dependent. Metabolic flux and carbon tracing confirms pS6+ cells to be highly glycolytic and notably sensitive to glucose deprivation, relying on glucose for de novo nucleotide synthesis. Uridine, but not purines or pyrimidines, rescues pS6+ cells from glucose deprivation, demonstrating uridine to be essential for their survival. Active signaling in pS6+ cells drives uridine production through activating phosphorylation of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CAD), the enzyme catalyzing the initial steps of uridine synthesis. Inhibition of signaling abolishes glucose dependency and CAD phosphorylation in pS6+ cells. Primary pS6+ cells demonstrate high expression of uridine synthesis proteins, including dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), the rate-limiting catalyst of de novo uridine synthesis. Gene expression demonstrates that increased expression of DHODH is associated with relapse and inferior event-free survival after chemotherapy. Further, the majority of B-ALL genomic subtypes demonstrate activity of DHODH. Inhibiting DHODH using BAY2402232 effectively kills pS6+ cells in vitro with its IC50 correlated with the strength of pS6 signaling across 14 B-ALL cell lines and patient-derived xenografts (PDX). In vivo DHODH inhibition prolongs survival and decreases leukemia burden in pS6+ B-ALL cell line and PDX models. These findings link active signaling to uridine dependency in B-ALL cells and associate this with risk of relapse. Targeting uridine synthesis through DHODH inhibition offers a promising therapeutic strategy for chemo-resistant B-ALL as a novel therapeutic approach for relapsed disease.
2026-01-12 | GSE286115 | GEO
Project description:Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is one of the deadliest cancers, with limited therapeutic options due to its therapeutically intractable genome, which is characterized by the functional inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and high tumor heterogeneity, including diverse metabolic adaptations. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these metabolic alterations remain poorly understood, particularly how TSG inactivation rewires tumor metabolism to drive tumorigenesis and create metabolic dependencies. Through integrated multi-omics analysis, we identify for the first time that NF2 loss of function defines a distinct PM subtype characterized by enhanced de novo pyrimidine synthesis, which NF2-deficient PM cells are critically dependent on for sustained proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NF2 loss activates YAP, a downstream proto-oncogenic transcriptional coactivator in the Hippo signalling pathway, which in turn upregulates CAD and DHODH, key enzymes in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway. Our findings provide novel insights into metabolic reprogramming in PM, revealing de novo pyrimidine synthesis as a synthetic lethal vulnerability in NF2-deficient tumors. This work highlights a potential therapeutic strategy for targeting NF2-deficient mesothelioma through metabolic intervention.
2025-07-15 | GSE295651 | GEO
Project description:Metabolic heterogeneity resulting from the intrinsic heterogeneity of human tumors has been shown to cause a myriad of adverse outcomes of tumor therapy, including resistance to chemotherapy, but the mechanisms inside remain largely unknown. Here, we found that the de novo pyrimidine synthesis pathway, which we previously identified as crucial for the proliferation of gastric and colon cancer cells, determines the chemosensitivity of these cancer types. In the chemosensitive cells, chemotherapeutic drugs such as 5-FU promoted the degradation of CAD, an enzyme that is rate-limiting for pyrimidine synthesis, leading to the apoptosis of these cells. We also found that CAD needed to be cleaved, by activated caspase-3 on its Asp1371 residue, before its degradation. Upregulation of CAD, either by overexpression or by a mutation on the Asp1371 to block the caspase-3 cleavage, conferred tumor chemoresistance in both mouse xenograft models and the Cldn18-ATK mouse gastric tumor models. Importantly, mutations related to Asp1371 of CAD were found in gastric tumor samples of patients who underwent unsuccessful neoadjuvant chemotherapy. By searching for a compound that is capable of degradating the CAD-Asp1371 mutant, we discovered that a compound called RMY-186 can be used to treat chemoresistant tumors related to CAD mutations, resulting in a significant improvement in the effectiveness of chemotherapy. We have, therefore, revealed the vulnerability of de novo pyrimidine synthesis during chemotherapy, which can be targeted to overcome chemotherapeutic resistance and augment the antitumor efficacy of genotoxic chemotherapy agents.
2025-01-01 | PXD059365 |
Project description:During an immune response, macrophages specifically reprogramme their metabolism to support functional changes. Here, we revealed that nucleotide metabolism is one of the most significantly reprogrammed pathways upon classical activation. Specifically, de novo synthesis of pyrimidines is maintained up to uridine monophosphate, but blocked at cytidine triphosphate and deoxythymidine monophosphate synthesis; de novo synthesis of purines is shut off at the last step (catalysed by AICAR transformylase/IMP cyclohydrolase), and cells switch to increased purine salvage. Nucleotide degradation to nitrogenous bases is upregulated but complete oxidation of purine bases (catalysed by xanthine oxidoreductase) is inhibited, diverting flux into salvage. Mechanistically, nitric oxide was identified as a major regulator of nucleotide metabolism, simultaneously driving multiple key changes, including the transcriptional downregulation of Tyms and profound inhibition of AICAR transformylase/IMP cyclohydrolase and XOR. Inhibiting purine salvage using HGPRT knockout or inhibition alters the expression of many stimulation-induced genes, suppresses macrophage migration and phagocytosis, and increases the proliferation of the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Together, these results thoroughly uncover the dynamic reprogramming of macrophage nucleotide metabolism upon classical activation and elucidate the regulatory mechanisms and functional significance of such reprogramming.
2025-07-16 | GSE267546 | GEO
Project description:During an immune response, macrophages specifically reprogramme their metabolism to support functional changes. Here, we revealed that nucleotide metabolism is one of the most significantly reprogrammed pathways upon classical activation. Specifically, de novo synthesis of pyrimidines is maintained up to uridine monophosphate, but blocked at cytidine triphosphate and deoxythymidine monophosphate synthesis; de novo synthesis of purines is shut off at the last step (catalysed by AICAR transformylase/IMP cyclohydrolase), and cells switch to increased purine salvage. Nucleotide degradation to nitrogenous bases is upregulated but complete oxidation of purine bases (catalysed by xanthine oxidoreductase) is inhibited, diverting flux into salvage. Mechanistically, nitric oxide was identified as a major regulator of nucleotide metabolism, simultaneously driving multiple key changes, including the transcriptional downregulation of Tyms and profound inhibition of AICAR transformylase/IMP cyclohydrolase and XOR. Inhibiting purine salvage using HGPRT knockout or inhibition alters the expression of many stimulation-induced genes, suppresses macrophage migration and phagocytosis, and increases the proliferation of the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Together, these results thoroughly uncover the dynamic reprogramming of macrophage nucleotide metabolism upon classical activation and elucidate the regulatory mechanisms and functional significance of such reprogramming.
2025-07-16 | GSE267544 | GEO