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Nature Reviews. Urology Apr 2020Anabolic metabolism mediated by aberrant growth factor signalling fuels tumour growth and progression. The first biochemical descriptions of the altered metabolic nature... (Review)
Review
Anabolic metabolism mediated by aberrant growth factor signalling fuels tumour growth and progression. The first biochemical descriptions of the altered metabolic nature of solid tumours were reported by Otto Warburg almost a century ago. Now, the study of tumour metabolism is being redefined by the development of new molecular tools, tumour modelling systems and precise instrumentation together with important advances in genetics, cell biology and spectroscopy. In contrast to Warburg's original hypothesis, accumulating evidence demonstrates a critical role for mitochondrial metabolism and substantial variation in the way in which different tumours metabolize nutrients to generate biomass. Furthermore, computational and experimental approaches suggest a dominant influence of the tissue-of-origin in shaping the metabolic reprogramming that enables tumour growth. For example, the unique metabolic properties of prostate adenocarcinoma are likely to stem from the distinct metabolism of the prostatic epithelium from which it emerges. Normal prostatic epithelium employs comparatively glycolytic metabolism to sustain physiological citrate secretion, whereas prostate adenocarcinoma consumes citrate to power oxidative phosphorylation and fuel lipogenesis, enabling tumour progression through metabolic reprogramming. Current data suggest that the distinct metabolic aberrations in prostate adenocarcinoma are driven by the androgen receptor, providing opportunities for functional metabolic imaging and novel therapeutic interventions that will be complementary to existing diagnostic and treatment options.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Cell Proliferation; Citric Acid; Citric Acid Cycle; Glycolysis; Humans; Lipogenesis; Male; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Oxidative Phosphorylation; Prostate; Prostatic Neoplasms; Receptors, Androgen; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 32112053
DOI: 10.1038/s41585-020-0288-x -
Current Drug Metabolism 2021In vivo biotransformation of exposed chemicals is one of the major factors that determine the concentration and the duration of a substance at the systemic site of... (Review)
Review
In vivo biotransformation of exposed chemicals is one of the major factors that determine the concentration and the duration of a substance at the systemic site of effect. Given that toxicity is expressed as a function of two factors, namely dose and time, the type and intensity of the toxicity are directly dependent on the chemical transformation of the exposed parent substance. This dependency involves two different situations. The amount of the chemical reaching the target will be decreased with the extent of metabolism if the parent chemical is toxic, and the opposite is true if the metabolite(s) is toxic instead. To date, the liver microsomal fraction in mammals has been justifiably considered as the center of biotransformation reactions because the liver and microsomes (i.e., endoplasmic reticulum component of the cell) possess the most abundant types and quantities of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes, especially the cytochrome P450 supergene enzyme family. These enzymes are common in all kingdoms of life, which strongly suggests that the origin of life is common. It is already known that various drugs enter mitochondria by different mechanisms, and this translocation is believed to be responsible for mitochondrial effects that are part of the therapeutic actions of various drugs such as lipid-lowering statins or antidiabetogenic thiazolidindiones. However, the discovery of mitochondrial forms of the xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes provoked discussions about whether mitochondria metabolize drugs and other chemicals to some extent. This possibility may particularly be important as mitochondria have various critical cellular structures and functions. In the case of in situ generated metabolite(s), when there are adverse interactions with either these structures or functions, various toxic outcomes may appear. In this review, we compiled studies in the literature regarding biotransformation of drugs and other chemicals catalyzed by mitochondria where it is both an initiator and target of toxicity.
Topics: Animals; Biotransformation; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Humans; Mitochondria; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Xenobiotics
PubMed: 34182906
DOI: 10.2174/1389200222666210628125020 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2016Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are endogenous lipids able to activate cannabinoid receptors, the primary molecular targets of the cannabis (Cannabis sativa) active principle... (Review)
Review
Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are endogenous lipids able to activate cannabinoid receptors, the primary molecular targets of the cannabis (Cannabis sativa) active principle Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol. During the last 20 years, several N-acylethanolamines and acylesters have been shown to act as eCBs, and a complex array of receptors, metabolic enzymes, and transporters (that altogether form the so-called eCB system) has been shown to finely tune their manifold biological activities. It appears now urgent to develop methods and protocols that allow to assay in a specific and quantitative manner the distinct components of the eCB system, and that can properly localize them within the cell. A brief overview of eCBs and of the proteins that bind, transport, and metabolize these lipids is presented here, in order to put in a better perspective the relevance of methodologies that help to disclose molecular details of eCB signaling in health and disease. Proper methodological approaches form also the basis for a more rationale and effective drug design and therapeutic strategy to combat human disorders.
Topics: Endocannabinoids; Humans; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Oxidation-Reduction; Receptors, Cannabinoid; Research Design; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 27245886
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3539-0_1 -
Immunological Reviews May 2020Metabolically quiescent T cells circulate throughout the body in search of antigen. Following engagement of their cognate receptors, T cells undergo metabolic... (Review)
Review
Metabolically quiescent T cells circulate throughout the body in search of antigen. Following engagement of their cognate receptors, T cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to support their activation, differentiation, and ultimately function. In the spirit of Sir Archibald Garrod, this metabolic reprogramming actually imparts a chemical individuality which confers advantage, while in others confers vulnerability, depending upon the milieu. Studying T cell immunometabolism in the context of inborn errors of metabolism allows one to define essential pathways of intermediary metabolism as well metabolic vulnerabilities and plasticity. Inborn errors of metabolism, a class of diseases first named by Garrod, have a long history of being informative for common physiologic and pathologic processes. This endeavor may be accomplished through the study of patients, animal models, and in vitro models of inborn errors of metabolism. In this review, the basics of intermediary metabolism and core metabolic pathways will be discussed, along with their relationship to T cell immunometabolism. Due to their pleiotropic nature, the reader will be specifically directed toward various inborn errors of metabolism which may be helpful for answering important questions about the role of metabolism in T cells.
Topics: Animals; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Energy Metabolism; Humans; Immunity; Lipid Metabolism; Lymphocyte Activation; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative Stress; T-Lymphocytes
PubMed: 32236968
DOI: 10.1111/imr.12854 -
European Journal of Cell Biology 2022Metabolic alterations have been observed in many cancer types. The deregulated metabolism has thus become an emerging hallmark of the disease, where the metabolism is... (Review)
Review
Metabolic alterations have been observed in many cancer types. The deregulated metabolism has thus become an emerging hallmark of the disease, where the metabolism is frequently rewired to aerobic glycolysis. This has led to the concept of "metabolic reprogramming", which has therefore been extensively studied. Over the years, it has been characterized the enhancement of aerobic glycolysis, where key mutations in some of the enzymes of the TCA cycle, and the increased glucose uptake, are used by cancer cells to achieve a "metabolic phenotype" useful to gain a proliferation advantage. Many studies have highlighted in detail the signaling pathways and the molecular mechanisms responsible for the glycolytic switch. However, glycolysis is not the only metabolic process that cancer cells rely on. Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS), gluconeogenesis or the beta-oxidation of fatty acids (FAO) may be involved in the development and progression of several tumors. In some cases, these metabolisms are even more crucial than aerobic glycolysis for the tumor survival. This review will focus on the contribution of these alterations of metabolism to the development and survival of cancers. We will also analyze the molecular mechanisms by which the balance between these metabolic processes may be regulated, as well as some of the therapeutical approaches that can derive from their study.
Topics: Energy Metabolism; Fatty Acids; Glycolysis; Humans; Mitochondria; Neoplasms; Oxidative Phosphorylation
PubMed: 35453093
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151225 -
Current Opinion in Gastroenterology May 2015It is our opinion that there is an unmet need in hepatology for a minimally or noninvasive test of liver function and physiology. Quantitative liver function tests... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
It is our opinion that there is an unmet need in hepatology for a minimally or noninvasive test of liver function and physiology. Quantitative liver function tests define the severity and prognosis of liver disease by measuring the clearance of substrates whose uptake or metabolism is dependent upon liver perfusion or hepatocyte function. Substrates with high-affinity hepatic transporters exhibit high 'first-pass' hepatic extraction and their clearance measures hepatic perfusion. In contrast, substrates metabolized by the liver have low first-pass extraction and their clearance measures specific drug metabolizing pathways.
RECENT FINDINGS
We highlight one quantitative liver function test, the dual cholate test, and introduce the concept of a disease severity index linked to clinical outcome that quantifies the simultaneous processes of hepatocyte uptake, clearance from the systemic circulation, clearance from the portal circulation, and portal-systemic shunting.
SUMMARY
It is our opinion that dual cholate is a relevant test for defining disease severity, monitoring the natural course of disease progression, and quantifying the response to therapy.
Topics: Cholates; Health Services Needs and Demand; Hepatocytes; Humans; Liver; Liver Diseases; Liver Function Tests; Metabolic Clearance Rate; Predictive Value of Tests; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 25714706
DOI: 10.1097/MOG.0000000000000167 -
Biomolecules Aug 2021Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) belongs to the nuclear receptors' superfamily and mainly functions as a xenobiotic sensor activated by a variety of ligands. PXR is widely... (Review)
Review
Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) belongs to the nuclear receptors' superfamily and mainly functions as a xenobiotic sensor activated by a variety of ligands. PXR is widely expressed in normal and malignant tissues. Drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters are also under PXR's regulation. Antineoplastic agents are of particular interest since cancer patients are characterized by significant intra-variability to treatment response and severe toxicities. Various PXR polymorphisms may alter the function of the protein and are linked with significant effects on the pharmacokinetics of chemotherapeutic agents and clinical outcome variability. The purpose of this review is to summarize the roles of PXR polymorphisms in the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of chemotherapeutic drugs. It is also expected that this review will highlight the importance of PXR polymorphisms in selection of chemotherapy, prediction of adverse effects and personalized medicine.
Topics: Acetylation; Antineoplastic Agents; Biotransformation; Gene Expression; Humans; Inactivation, Metabolic; Neoplasms; Phosphorylation; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Precision Medicine; Pregnane X Receptor; Protein Domains; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Sumoylation; Treatment Outcome; Ubiquitination
PubMed: 34439808
DOI: 10.3390/biom11081142 -
EMBO Reports Jul 2021In eukaryotic cells, DNA is tightly packed with the help of histone proteins into chromatin. Chromatin architecture can be modified by various post-translational... (Review)
Review
In eukaryotic cells, DNA is tightly packed with the help of histone proteins into chromatin. Chromatin architecture can be modified by various post-translational modifications of histone proteins. For almost 60 years now, studies on histone lysine acetylation have unraveled the contribution of this acylation to an open chromatin state with increased DNA accessibility, permissive for gene expression. Additional complexity emerged from the discovery of other types of histone lysine acylations. The acyl group donors are products of cellular metabolism, and distinct histone acylations can link the metabolic state of a cell with chromatin architecture and contribute to cellular adaptation through changes in gene expression. Currently, various technical challenges limit our full understanding of the actual impact of most histone acylations on chromatin dynamics and of their biological relevance. In this review, we summarize the state of the art and provide an overview of approaches to overcome these challenges. We further discuss the concept of subnuclear metabolic niches that could regulate local CoA availability and thus couple cellular metabolisms with the epigenome.
Topics: Acetylation; Acylation; Chromatin; Histones; Protein Processing, Post-Translational
PubMed: 34159701
DOI: 10.15252/embr.202152774 -
Annual Review of Physiology Feb 2019The lung is often overlooked as a metabolically active organ, yet biochemical studies have long demonstrated that glucose utilization surpasses that of many other... (Review)
Review
The lung is often overlooked as a metabolically active organ, yet biochemical studies have long demonstrated that glucose utilization surpasses that of many other organs, including the heart, kidney, and brain. For most cells in the lung, energy consumption is relegated to performing common cellular tasks, like mRNA transcription and protein translation. However, certain lung cell populations engage in more specialized types of energy-consuming behaviors, such as the beating of cilia or the production of surfactant. While many extrapulmonary diseases are now linked to abnormalities in cellular metabolism, the pulmonary community has only recently embraced the concept of metabolic dysfunction as a driver of respiratory pathology. Herein, we provide an overview of the major metabolic pathways in the lung and discuss how cells sense and adapt to low-energy states. Moreover, we review some of the emerging evidence that links alterations in cellular metabolism to the pathobiology of several common respiratory diseases.
Topics: Animals; Energy Metabolism; Glycolysis; Humans; Lung; Lung Diseases; Mitochondria; Oxidative Phosphorylation
PubMed: 30485759
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-020518-114640