TY - JOUR
T1 - Glutamine transporters are targets of multiple oncogenic signaling pathways in prostate cancer
AU - White, Mark A.
AU - Lin, Chenchu
AU - Rajapakshe, Kimal
AU - Dong, Jianrong
AU - Shi, Yan
AU - Tsouko, Efrosini
AU - Mukhopadhyay, Ratna
AU - Jasso, Diana
AU - Dawood, Wajahat
AU - Coarfa, Cristian
AU - Frigo, Daniel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
©2017 AACR.
PY - 2017/8
Y1 - 2017/8
N2 - Despite the known importance of androgen receptor (AR) signaling in prostate cancer, the processes downstream of AR that drive disease development and progression remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap has thus limited the ability to treat cancer. Here, it is demonstrated that androgens increase the metabolism of glutamine in prostate cancer cells. This metabolism was required for maximal cell growth under conditions of serum starvation. Mechanistically, AR signaling promoted glutamine metabolism by increasing the expression of the glutamine transporters SLC1A4 and SLC1A5, genes commonly overexpressed in prostate cancer. Correspondingly, gene expression signatures of AR activity correlated with SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 mRNA levels in clinical cohorts. Interestingly, MYC, a canonical oncogene in prostate cancer and previously described master regulator of glutamine metabolism, was only a context-dependent regulator of SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 levels, being unable to regulate either transporter in PTEN wild-type cells. In contrast, rapamycin was able to decrease the androgen-mediated expression of SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 independent of PTEN status, indicating that mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) was needed for maximal AR-mediated glutamine uptake and prostate cancer cell growth. Taken together, these data indicate that three well-established oncogenic drivers (AR, MYC, and mTOR) function by converging to collectively increase the expression of glutamine transporters, thereby promoting glutamine uptake and subsequent prostate cancer cell growth.
AB - Despite the known importance of androgen receptor (AR) signaling in prostate cancer, the processes downstream of AR that drive disease development and progression remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap has thus limited the ability to treat cancer. Here, it is demonstrated that androgens increase the metabolism of glutamine in prostate cancer cells. This metabolism was required for maximal cell growth under conditions of serum starvation. Mechanistically, AR signaling promoted glutamine metabolism by increasing the expression of the glutamine transporters SLC1A4 and SLC1A5, genes commonly overexpressed in prostate cancer. Correspondingly, gene expression signatures of AR activity correlated with SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 mRNA levels in clinical cohorts. Interestingly, MYC, a canonical oncogene in prostate cancer and previously described master regulator of glutamine metabolism, was only a context-dependent regulator of SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 levels, being unable to regulate either transporter in PTEN wild-type cells. In contrast, rapamycin was able to decrease the androgen-mediated expression of SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 independent of PTEN status, indicating that mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) was needed for maximal AR-mediated glutamine uptake and prostate cancer cell growth. Taken together, these data indicate that three well-established oncogenic drivers (AR, MYC, and mTOR) function by converging to collectively increase the expression of glutamine transporters, thereby promoting glutamine uptake and subsequent prostate cancer cell growth.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85026638861&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85026638861&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-16-0480
DO - 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-16-0480
M3 - Article
C2 - 28507054
AN - SCOPUS:85026638861
SN - 1541-7786
VL - 15
SP - 1017
EP - 1028
JO - Molecular Cancer Research
JF - Molecular Cancer Research
IS - 8
ER -