[PDF][PDF] Inhibiting glutamine-dependent mTORC1 activation ameliorates liver cancers driven by β-catenin mutations

AOA Michael, S Ko, J Tao, A Moghe, H Yang, M Xu… - Cell metabolism, 2019 - cell.com
AOA Michael, S Ko, J Tao, A Moghe, H Yang, M Xu, JO Russell, T Pradhan-Sundd, S Liu
Cell metabolism, 2019cell.com
Based on their lobule location, hepatocytes display differential gene expression, including
pericentral hepatocytes that surround the central vein, which are marked by Wnt-β-catenin
signaling. Activating β-catenin mutations occur in a variety of liver tumors, including
hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but no specific therapies are available to treat these tumor
subsets. Here, we identify a positive relationship between β-catenin activation, its
transcriptional target glutamine synthetase (GS), and p-mTOR-S2448, an indicator of …
Summary
Based on their lobule location, hepatocytes display differential gene expression, including pericentral hepatocytes that surround the central vein, which are marked by Wnt-β-catenin signaling. Activating β-catenin mutations occur in a variety of liver tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but no specific therapies are available to treat these tumor subsets. Here, we identify a positive relationship between β-catenin activation, its transcriptional target glutamine synthetase (GS), and p-mTOR-S2448, an indicator of mTORC1 activation. In normal livers of mice and humans, pericentral hepatocytes were simultaneously GS and p-mTOR-S2448 positive, as were β-catenin-mutated liver tumors. Genetic disruption of β-catenin signaling or GS prevented p-mTOR-S2448 expression, while its forced expression in β-catenin-deficient livers led to ectopic p-mTOR-S2448 expression. Further, we found notable therapeutic benefit of mTORC1 inhibition in mutant-β-catenin-driven HCC through suppression of cell proliferation and survival. Thus, mTORC1 inhibitors could be highly relevant in the treatment of liver tumors that are β-catenin mutated and GS positive.
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