Targeting ACSS2 with a Transition-State Mimetic Inhibits Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Growth.

Acetyl-CoA is a vitally important and versatile metabolite used for many cellular processes including fatty acid synthesis, ATP production, and protein acetylation. Recent studies have shown that cancer cells upregulate acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2), an enzyme that converts acetate to acetyl-CoA, in response to stresses such as low nutrient availability and hypoxia. Stressed cancer cells use ACSS2 as a means to exploit acetate as an alternative nutrient source.

MYC regulates fatty acid metabolism through a multigenic program in claudin-low triple negative breast cancer.

Background: Recent studies have suggested that fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is a key metabolic pathway for the growth of triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs), particularly those that have high expression of MYC. However, the underlying mechanism by which MYC promotes FAO remains poorly understood.

Methods: We used a combination of metabolomics, transcriptomics, bioinformatics, and microscopy to elucidate a potential mechanism by which MYC regulates FAO in TNBC.

A broad investigation of the HBV-mediated changes to primary hepatocyte physiology reveals HBV significantly alters metabolic pathways.

Objective: As the leading risk factor for the development of liver cancer, chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) represents a significant global health concern. Although an effective HBV vaccine exists, at least 240 million people are chronically infected with HBV worldwide. Therapeutic options for the treatment of chronic HBV remain limited, and none achieve an absolute cure.

Hepatitis B virus X protein modulates cytosolic Ca signaling in primary human hepatocytes.

Worldwide, approximately 240 million people are chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV); chronic HBV infection is associated with the development of life-threatening liver diseases. The HBV HBx protein alters hepatocyte physiology to promote HBV replication. We previously reported that HBx modulates calcium signaling to stimulate HBV replication in human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells and primary rat hepatocytes.

Hepatitis B virus modulates store-operated calcium entry to enhance viral replication in primary hepatocytes.

Many viruses modulate calcium (Ca2+) signaling to create a cellular environment that is more permissive to viral replication, but for most viruses that regulate Ca2+ signaling, the mechanism underlying this regulation is not well understood. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) HBx protein modulates cytosolic Ca2+ levels to stimulate HBV replication in some liver cell lines. A chronic HBV infection is associated with life-threatening liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and HBx modulation of cytosolic Ca2+ levels could have an important role in HBV pathogenesis.

Measuring Changes in Cytosolic Calcium Levels in HBV- and HBx-Expressing Cultured Primary Hepatocytes.

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major worldwide health concern and is the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HBV X protein (HBx) is the only regulatory protein encoded in the HBV genome; HBx stimulates HBV replication in vivo and in vitro. HBx also regulates cytosolic Ca signaling, and altered Ca signaling is associated with the development of many diseases, including HCC.

Intrinsic hepatocyte dedifferentiation is accompanied by upregulation of mesenchymal markers, protein sialylation and core alpha 1,6 linked fucosylation.

Alterations in N-linked glycosylation have long been associated with cancer but for the most part, the reasons why have remained poorly understood. Here we show that increased core fucosylation is associated with de-differentiation of primary hepatocytes and with the appearance of markers indicative of a transition of cells from an epithelial to a mesenchymal state. This increase in core fucosylation was associated with increased levels of two enzymes involved in α-1,6 linked fucosylation, GDP-mannose 4, 6-dehydratase (Gmds) and to a lesser extent fucosyltransferase 8 (Fut8).

Protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of Pah1p phosphatidate phosphatase functions in conjunction with the Pho85p-Pho80p and Cdc28p-cyclin B kinases to regulate lipid synthesis in yeast.

Pah1p, which functions as phosphatidate phosphatase (PAP) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, plays a crucial role in lipid homeostasis by controlling the relative proportions of its substrate phosphatidate and its product diacylglycerol. The diacylglycerol produced by PAP is used for the synthesis of triacylglycerol as well as for the synthesis of phospholipids via the Kennedy pathway. Pah1p is a highly phosphorylated protein in vivo and has been previously shown to be phosphorylated by the protein kinases Pho85p-Pho80p and Cdc28p-cyclin B.