The cytokine transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) can induce normal breast epithelial cells to take on a mesenchymal phenotype, termed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). While the... Show moreThe cytokine transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) can induce normal breast epithelial cells to take on a mesenchymal phenotype, termed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). While the transcriptional and proteomic changes during TGF-beta-induced EMT have been described, the metabolic rewiring that occurs in epithelial cells undergoing EMT is not well understood. Here, we quantitively analyzed the TGF-beta-induced metabolic reprogramming during EMT of non-transformed NMuMG mouse mammary gland epithelial cells using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We found that TGF-beta elevates glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid (TCA)-cycle activity and increases glutaminolysis. Additionally, TGF-beta affects the hexosamine pathway, arginine-proline metabolism, the cellular redox state, and strongly affects choline metabolism during EMT. TGF-beta was found to induce phosphocholine production. A kinase inhibitor RSM-93A that inhibits choline kinase alpha (CHK alpha) mitigated TGF-beta-induced changes associated with EMT, i.e., increased filamentous (F)-actin stress fiber formation and N-Cadherin mesenchymal marker expression. Show less
Hua, W.; Dijke, P. ten; Kostidis, S.; Giera, M.; Hornsveld, M. 2020
Metastasis is the most frequent cause of death in cancer patients. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the process in which cells lose epithelial integrity and become motile, a critical... Show moreMetastasis is the most frequent cause of death in cancer patients. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the process in which cells lose epithelial integrity and become motile, a critical step for cancer cell invasion, drug resistance and immune evasion. The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) signaling pathway is a major driver of EMT. Increasing evidence demonstrates that metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer and extensive metabolic changes are observed during EMT. The aim of this review is to summarize and interconnect recent findings that illustrate how changes in glycolysis, mitochondrial, lipid and choline metabolism coincide and functionally contribute to TGF beta-induced EMT. We describe TGF beta signaling is involved in stimulating both glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. Interestingly, the subsequent metabolic consequences for the redox state and lipid metabolism in cancer cells are found to be in favor of EMT as well. Combined we illustrate that a better understanding of the mechanistic links between TGF beta signaling, cancer metabolism and EMT holds promising strategies for cancer therapy, some of which are already actively being explored in the clinic. Show less
