CROT overactivation within peroxisomes confers chemoresistance to non-small cell lung cancer by targeting fatty acid oxidation-Nrf2-ferroptosis resistance axis

A key factor that limits the therapeutic benefits for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is chemoresistance. Even so, a detailed understanding of the process involved in chemoresistance acquisition and development at molecular level in NSCLC is still lacking. Here, we established chemo-resi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chunyu Hua, Guohui Zhang, Wendan Yu, Jie Zhou, Liyuan Ru, Guoqing Xue, Lina Zheng, Meiyi Wang, Yiwei Wang, Dianlin Yu, Qijing Wang, Jiaxin Liu, Ruonan Wang, Wuguo Deng, Ranran Tang, Wei Guo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-10-01
Series:Pharmacological Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661825003366
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849227019487805440
author Chunyu Hua
Guohui Zhang
Wendan Yu
Jie Zhou
Liyuan Ru
Guoqing Xue
Lina Zheng
Meiyi Wang
Yiwei Wang
Dianlin Yu
Qijing Wang
Jiaxin Liu
Ruonan Wang
Wuguo Deng
Ranran Tang
Wei Guo
author_facet Chunyu Hua
Guohui Zhang
Wendan Yu
Jie Zhou
Liyuan Ru
Guoqing Xue
Lina Zheng
Meiyi Wang
Yiwei Wang
Dianlin Yu
Qijing Wang
Jiaxin Liu
Ruonan Wang
Wuguo Deng
Ranran Tang
Wei Guo
author_sort Chunyu Hua
collection DOAJ
description A key factor that limits the therapeutic benefits for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is chemoresistance. Even so, a detailed understanding of the process involved in chemoresistance acquisition and development at molecular level in NSCLC is still lacking. Here, we established chemo-resistant NSCLC cells with obvious resistance to vincristine and paclitaxel and found the abnormal up-regulation of Carnitine O-Octanoyltransferase (CROT) in these cells by means of transcriptomics. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the survival of NSCLC cells, especially chemosensitivity, including sensitivity to chemotherapeutics beyond vincristine and paclitaxel, was markedly influenced by CROT expression, and CROT silencing even reversed chemoresistance in NSCLC. Mechanistically, CROT is overactivated within peroxisomes in chemo-resistant NSCLC cells and drives chemoresistance relying on its involvement in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress processes. By mediating the production of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), CROT stabilizes eryth-like-2 associated factor 2 (Nrf2) via preventing its ubiquitination and degradation, leading to more nuclear translocation of Nrf2, thereby inhibiting chemotherapy stress-induced ferroptosis. Accordingly, fatty acid oxidation inhibitors or ferroptosis activators rendered NSCLC cells increased sensitivity to chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo. Clinically and encouragingly, the aberrant up-regulation of CROT and Nrf2 was observed in chemo-resistant NSCLC tumor tissues and patients with higher CROT and/or Nrf2 level possessed a poor outcome. In sum, our study identifies CROT as a key promoter to drive chemoresistance of NSCLC cells by targeting fatty acid oxidation-Nrf2-ferroptosis resistance axis. The targeted inhibition of this axis and associated components individually or in cascades combined with chemotherapy may be exploited in avoiding or overcoming chemoresistance in NSCLC.
format Article
id doaj-art-8f25aa9730f94d55a2ff15ae8e0748b8
institution Kabale University
issn 1096-1186
language English
publishDate 2025-10-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Pharmacological Research
spelling doaj-art-8f25aa9730f94d55a2ff15ae8e0748b82025-08-24T05:11:32ZengElsevierPharmacological Research1096-11862025-10-0122010791110.1016/j.phrs.2025.107911CROT overactivation within peroxisomes confers chemoresistance to non-small cell lung cancer by targeting fatty acid oxidation-Nrf2-ferroptosis resistance axisChunyu Hua0Guohui Zhang1Wendan Yu2Jie Zhou3Liyuan Ru4Guoqing Xue5Lina Zheng6Meiyi Wang7Yiwei Wang8Dianlin Yu9Qijing Wang10Jiaxin Liu11Ruonan Wang12Wuguo Deng13Ranran Tang14Wei Guo15Institute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaInstitute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, ChinaSun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Guangdong, China; Corresponding author at: Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Institute, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital, Nanjing 210004, China; Corresponding authors.Institute of Cancer Stem Cells & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China; Corresponding authors.A key factor that limits the therapeutic benefits for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is chemoresistance. Even so, a detailed understanding of the process involved in chemoresistance acquisition and development at molecular level in NSCLC is still lacking. Here, we established chemo-resistant NSCLC cells with obvious resistance to vincristine and paclitaxel and found the abnormal up-regulation of Carnitine O-Octanoyltransferase (CROT) in these cells by means of transcriptomics. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the survival of NSCLC cells, especially chemosensitivity, including sensitivity to chemotherapeutics beyond vincristine and paclitaxel, was markedly influenced by CROT expression, and CROT silencing even reversed chemoresistance in NSCLC. Mechanistically, CROT is overactivated within peroxisomes in chemo-resistant NSCLC cells and drives chemoresistance relying on its involvement in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress processes. By mediating the production of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), CROT stabilizes eryth-like-2 associated factor 2 (Nrf2) via preventing its ubiquitination and degradation, leading to more nuclear translocation of Nrf2, thereby inhibiting chemotherapy stress-induced ferroptosis. Accordingly, fatty acid oxidation inhibitors or ferroptosis activators rendered NSCLC cells increased sensitivity to chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo. Clinically and encouragingly, the aberrant up-regulation of CROT and Nrf2 was observed in chemo-resistant NSCLC tumor tissues and patients with higher CROT and/or Nrf2 level possessed a poor outcome. In sum, our study identifies CROT as a key promoter to drive chemoresistance of NSCLC cells by targeting fatty acid oxidation-Nrf2-ferroptosis resistance axis. The targeted inhibition of this axis and associated components individually or in cascades combined with chemotherapy may be exploited in avoiding or overcoming chemoresistance in NSCLC.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661825003366NSCLCChemoresistanceCROTPeroxisomesNrf2Ferroptosis
spellingShingle Chunyu Hua
Guohui Zhang
Wendan Yu
Jie Zhou
Liyuan Ru
Guoqing Xue
Lina Zheng
Meiyi Wang
Yiwei Wang
Dianlin Yu
Qijing Wang
Jiaxin Liu
Ruonan Wang
Wuguo Deng
Ranran Tang
Wei Guo
CROT overactivation within peroxisomes confers chemoresistance to non-small cell lung cancer by targeting fatty acid oxidation-Nrf2-ferroptosis resistance axis
Pharmacological Research
NSCLC
Chemoresistance
CROT
Peroxisomes
Nrf2
Ferroptosis
title CROT overactivation within peroxisomes confers chemoresistance to non-small cell lung cancer by targeting fatty acid oxidation-Nrf2-ferroptosis resistance axis
title_full CROT overactivation within peroxisomes confers chemoresistance to non-small cell lung cancer by targeting fatty acid oxidation-Nrf2-ferroptosis resistance axis
title_fullStr CROT overactivation within peroxisomes confers chemoresistance to non-small cell lung cancer by targeting fatty acid oxidation-Nrf2-ferroptosis resistance axis
title_full_unstemmed CROT overactivation within peroxisomes confers chemoresistance to non-small cell lung cancer by targeting fatty acid oxidation-Nrf2-ferroptosis resistance axis
title_short CROT overactivation within peroxisomes confers chemoresistance to non-small cell lung cancer by targeting fatty acid oxidation-Nrf2-ferroptosis resistance axis
title_sort crot overactivation within peroxisomes confers chemoresistance to non small cell lung cancer by targeting fatty acid oxidation nrf2 ferroptosis resistance axis
topic NSCLC
Chemoresistance
CROT
Peroxisomes
Nrf2
Ferroptosis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661825003366
work_keys_str_mv AT chunyuhua crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT guohuizhang crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT wendanyu crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT jiezhou crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT liyuanru crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT guoqingxue crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT linazheng crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT meiyiwang crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT yiweiwang crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT dianlinyu crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT qijingwang crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT jiaxinliu crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT ruonanwang crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT wuguodeng crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT ranrantang crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis
AT weiguo crotoveractivationwithinperoxisomesconferschemoresistancetononsmallcelllungcancerbytargetingfattyacidoxidationnrf2ferroptosisresistanceaxis