Small-Molecule Screen Identifies De Novo Nucleotide Synthesis as a Vulnerability of Cells Lacking SIRT3.

Cell Rep
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) is a NAD-dependent deacetylase downregulated in aging and age-associated diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration and in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic disorders. Here, we performed a small-molecule screen and identified an unexpected metabolic vulnerability associated with SIRT3 loss. Azaserine, a glutamine analog, was the top compound that inhibited growth and proliferation of cells lacking SIRT3. Using stable isotope tracing of glutamine, we observed its increased incorporation into de novo nucleotide synthesis in SIRT3 knockout (KO) cells. Furthermore, we found that SIRT3 KO cells upregulated the diversion of glutamine into de novo nucleotide synthesis through hyperactive mTORC1 signaling. Overexpression of SIRT3 suppressed mTORC1 and growth in vivo in a xenograft tumor model of breast cancer. Thus, we have uncovered a metabolic vulnerability of cells with SIRT3 loss by using an unbiased small-molecule screen.

Year of Publication
2018
Journal
Cell Rep
Volume
22
Issue
8
Pages
1945-1955
Date Published
2018 02 20
ISSN
2211-1247
DOI
10.1016/j.celrep.2018.01.076
PubMed ID
29466723
PubMed Central ID
PMC5902027
Links
Grant list
R01 CA213062 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
R01 DK103295 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States
P30 DK034854 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States
P30 DK040561 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States
F31 CA183575 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States