Disruption of glutamine transport uncouples the NUPR1 stress-adaptation program and induces prostate cancer radiosensitivity
Abstract Background Metabolic and stress response adaptations in prostate cancer (PCa) mediate tumor resistance to radiation therapy (RT). Our study investigated the roles of glutamine (Gln) transporters SLC1A5, SLC7A5, and SLC38A1 in regulating NUPR1-mediated stress response, PCa cell survival, met...
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Cell Communication and Signaling |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-025-02344-3 |
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| author | Uğur Kahya Vasyl Lukiyanchuk Ielizaveta Gorodetska Matthias M. Weigel Ayşe Sedef Köseer Berke Alkan Dragana Savic Annett Linge Steffen Löck Mirko Peitzsch Ira-Ida Skvortsova Mechthild Krause Anna Dubrovska |
| author_facet | Uğur Kahya Vasyl Lukiyanchuk Ielizaveta Gorodetska Matthias M. Weigel Ayşe Sedef Köseer Berke Alkan Dragana Savic Annett Linge Steffen Löck Mirko Peitzsch Ira-Ida Skvortsova Mechthild Krause Anna Dubrovska |
| author_sort | Uğur Kahya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Metabolic and stress response adaptations in prostate cancer (PCa) mediate tumor resistance to radiation therapy (RT). Our study investigated the roles of glutamine (Gln) transporters SLC1A5, SLC7A5, and SLC38A1 in regulating NUPR1-mediated stress response, PCa cell survival, metabolic reprogramming, and response to RT. Methods The radiosensitizing potential of GLS inhibition with CB-839 was analyzed in prostate cancer xenograft models. The level of gene expression was analyzed by RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR in the established cell lines or patient-derived tumor and adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Phosphoproteomic analysis was employed to identify the underlying signaling pathways. The publicly available PCa patient datasets, and a dataset for the patients treated with RT were analyzed by SUMO software. The key parameters of mitochondrial functions were measured by Seahorse analysis. Analysis of the general oxidative stress level and mitochondrial superoxide detection were conducted using flow cytometry. γH2A.X foci analysis was used to assess the DNA double strand break. Relative cell sensitivity to RT was evaluated by radiobiological clonogenic assays. Aldefluor assay and sphere-forming analysis were used to determine cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype. Results A siRNA-mediated knockdown of Gln transporters SLC1A5, SLC7A5, and SLC38A1 resulted in significant radiosensitization of PCa cells. Consistently, the first-in-clinic glutaminase (GLS) inhibitor CB-839, combined with RT, demonstrated a synergistic effect with radiotherapy in vivo, significantly delaying tumor growth. Inhibition of Gln metabolism or knockdown of Gln transporters SLC1A5, SLC7A5, or SLC38A1 induces expression of NUPR1, a stress response transcriptional regulator, but simultaneously uncouples the NUPR1-driven metabolic stress-adaptation program. Similarly to the effect from NUPR1 knockdown, depletion of these Gln transporters led to reduced cell viability, accumulation of mitochondrial ROS, and increased PCa radiosensitivity. This effect is more pronounced in PCa cells with high dependency on OXPHOS for energy production. Conclusions Our work underscores the role of Gln transporters and the NUPR1-mediated stress response in PCa cell survival, oxidative stress, mitochondrial functions, and radioresistance. Our findings provide a potential therapeutic in vivo strategy to enhance the efficacy of RT and suggest a potential synergism between the depletion of Gln transporters or NUPR1 and OXPHOS inhibition. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7027f4a6d5df4f0490b4264bc080fd0b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1478-811X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | Cell Communication and Signaling |
| spelling | doaj-art-7027f4a6d5df4f0490b4264bc080fd0b2025-08-20T03:05:15ZengBMCCell Communication and Signaling1478-811X2025-07-0123112410.1186/s12964-025-02344-3Disruption of glutamine transport uncouples the NUPR1 stress-adaptation program and induces prostate cancer radiosensitivityUğur Kahya0Vasyl Lukiyanchuk1Ielizaveta Gorodetska2Matthias M. Weigel3Ayşe Sedef Köseer4Berke Alkan5Dragana Savic6Annett Linge7Steffen Löck8Mirko Peitzsch9Ira-Ida Skvortsova10Mechthild Krause11Anna Dubrovska12OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-RossendorfOncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-RossendorfOncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-RossendorfOncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-RossendorfOncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-RossendorfOncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-RossendorfDepartment of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of InnsbruckOncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-RossendorfOncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-RossendorfInstitute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität DresdenDepartment of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of InnsbruckOncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-RossendorfOncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-RossendorfAbstract Background Metabolic and stress response adaptations in prostate cancer (PCa) mediate tumor resistance to radiation therapy (RT). Our study investigated the roles of glutamine (Gln) transporters SLC1A5, SLC7A5, and SLC38A1 in regulating NUPR1-mediated stress response, PCa cell survival, metabolic reprogramming, and response to RT. Methods The radiosensitizing potential of GLS inhibition with CB-839 was analyzed in prostate cancer xenograft models. The level of gene expression was analyzed by RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR in the established cell lines or patient-derived tumor and adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Phosphoproteomic analysis was employed to identify the underlying signaling pathways. The publicly available PCa patient datasets, and a dataset for the patients treated with RT were analyzed by SUMO software. The key parameters of mitochondrial functions were measured by Seahorse analysis. Analysis of the general oxidative stress level and mitochondrial superoxide detection were conducted using flow cytometry. γH2A.X foci analysis was used to assess the DNA double strand break. Relative cell sensitivity to RT was evaluated by radiobiological clonogenic assays. Aldefluor assay and sphere-forming analysis were used to determine cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype. Results A siRNA-mediated knockdown of Gln transporters SLC1A5, SLC7A5, and SLC38A1 resulted in significant radiosensitization of PCa cells. Consistently, the first-in-clinic glutaminase (GLS) inhibitor CB-839, combined with RT, demonstrated a synergistic effect with radiotherapy in vivo, significantly delaying tumor growth. Inhibition of Gln metabolism or knockdown of Gln transporters SLC1A5, SLC7A5, or SLC38A1 induces expression of NUPR1, a stress response transcriptional regulator, but simultaneously uncouples the NUPR1-driven metabolic stress-adaptation program. Similarly to the effect from NUPR1 knockdown, depletion of these Gln transporters led to reduced cell viability, accumulation of mitochondrial ROS, and increased PCa radiosensitivity. This effect is more pronounced in PCa cells with high dependency on OXPHOS for energy production. Conclusions Our work underscores the role of Gln transporters and the NUPR1-mediated stress response in PCa cell survival, oxidative stress, mitochondrial functions, and radioresistance. Our findings provide a potential therapeutic in vivo strategy to enhance the efficacy of RT and suggest a potential synergism between the depletion of Gln transporters or NUPR1 and OXPHOS inhibition.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-025-02344-3Prostate cancerRadiationGlutamine transportersGLSNUPR1Oxidative stress |
| spellingShingle | Uğur Kahya Vasyl Lukiyanchuk Ielizaveta Gorodetska Matthias M. Weigel Ayşe Sedef Köseer Berke Alkan Dragana Savic Annett Linge Steffen Löck Mirko Peitzsch Ira-Ida Skvortsova Mechthild Krause Anna Dubrovska Disruption of glutamine transport uncouples the NUPR1 stress-adaptation program and induces prostate cancer radiosensitivity Cell Communication and Signaling Prostate cancer Radiation Glutamine transporters GLS NUPR1 Oxidative stress |
| title | Disruption of glutamine transport uncouples the NUPR1 stress-adaptation program and induces prostate cancer radiosensitivity |
| title_full | Disruption of glutamine transport uncouples the NUPR1 stress-adaptation program and induces prostate cancer radiosensitivity |
| title_fullStr | Disruption of glutamine transport uncouples the NUPR1 stress-adaptation program and induces prostate cancer radiosensitivity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disruption of glutamine transport uncouples the NUPR1 stress-adaptation program and induces prostate cancer radiosensitivity |
| title_short | Disruption of glutamine transport uncouples the NUPR1 stress-adaptation program and induces prostate cancer radiosensitivity |
| title_sort | disruption of glutamine transport uncouples the nupr1 stress adaptation program and induces prostate cancer radiosensitivity |
| topic | Prostate cancer Radiation Glutamine transporters GLS NUPR1 Oxidative stress |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-025-02344-3 |
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