{"title":"Kynurenine: an oncometabolite in colon cancer.","authors":"Niranjan Venkateswaran, Maralice Conacci-Sorrell","doi":"10.15698/cst2020.01.210","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tryptophan is one of the eight essential amino acids that must be obtained from the diet. Interestingly, tryptophan is the least abundant amino acid in most proteins, a large portion of cellular tryptophan is converted into metabolites of the serotonin and kynurenine pathways. In a recent study, (Venkateswaran, Lafita-Navarro et al., 2019, Genes Dev), we discovered that colon cancer cells display greater uptake and processing of tryptophan than normal colonic cells and tissues. This process is mediated by the oncogenic transcription factor MYC that promotes the expression of the tryptophan importers SLC1A5 and SLC7A5 and the tryptophan metabolizing enzyme AFMID. The metabolism of tryptophan in colon cancer cells generates kynurenine, a biologically active metabolite necessary to maintain continuous cell proliferation. Our results indicate that kynurenine functions as an oncometabolite, at least in part, by activating the transcription factor AHR, which then regulates growth promoting genes in cancer cells. We propose that blocking kynurenine production or activity can be an efficient approach to specifically limit the growth of colon cancer cells. Here, we describe our findings and new questions for future studies targeted at understanding AHR-independent function of kynurenine, as well as interfering with the enzyme AFMID as a new strategy to target the kynurenine pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":36371,"journal":{"name":"Cell Stress","volume":"4 1","pages":"24-26"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1000,"publicationDate":"2020-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6946015/pdf/","citationCount":"38","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Cell Stress","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.15698/cst2020.01.210","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"CELL BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 38
Abstract
Tryptophan is one of the eight essential amino acids that must be obtained from the diet. Interestingly, tryptophan is the least abundant amino acid in most proteins, a large portion of cellular tryptophan is converted into metabolites of the serotonin and kynurenine pathways. In a recent study, (Venkateswaran, Lafita-Navarro et al., 2019, Genes Dev), we discovered that colon cancer cells display greater uptake and processing of tryptophan than normal colonic cells and tissues. This process is mediated by the oncogenic transcription factor MYC that promotes the expression of the tryptophan importers SLC1A5 and SLC7A5 and the tryptophan metabolizing enzyme AFMID. The metabolism of tryptophan in colon cancer cells generates kynurenine, a biologically active metabolite necessary to maintain continuous cell proliferation. Our results indicate that kynurenine functions as an oncometabolite, at least in part, by activating the transcription factor AHR, which then regulates growth promoting genes in cancer cells. We propose that blocking kynurenine production or activity can be an efficient approach to specifically limit the growth of colon cancer cells. Here, we describe our findings and new questions for future studies targeted at understanding AHR-independent function of kynurenine, as well as interfering with the enzyme AFMID as a new strategy to target the kynurenine pathway.
Cell StressBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology-Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous)
CiteScore
13.50
自引率
0.00%
发文量
21
审稿时长
15 weeks
期刊介绍:
Cell Stress is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that is dedicated to publishing highly relevant research in the field of cellular pathology. The journal focuses on advancing our understanding of the molecular, mechanistic, phenotypic, and other critical aspects that underpin cellular dysfunction and disease. It specifically aims to foster cell biology research that is applicable to a range of significant human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, myopathies, mitochondriopathies, infectious diseases, cancer, and pathological aging.
The scope of Cell Stress is broad, welcoming submissions that represent a spectrum of research from fundamental to translational and clinical studies. The journal is a valuable resource for scientists, educators, and policymakers worldwide, as well as for any individual with an interest in cellular pathology. It serves as a platform for the dissemination of research findings that are instrumental in the investigation, classification, diagnosis, and therapeutic management of major diseases. By being open-access, Cell Stress ensures that its content is freely available to a global audience, thereby promoting international scientific collaboration and accelerating the exchange of knowledge within the research community.