Cited by 98Cancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismAmino Acid Enzymes and MetabolismCancer, Lipids, and Metabolism

ATF3 promotes the serine synthesis pathway and tumor growth under dietary serine restriction

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Li, Xingyao, Gracilla, Daniel, Cai, Lun, Zhang, Mingyi, Yu, Xiaolin, Chen, Xiaoguang, Zhang, Junran, Long, Xiaochun +2 more·2021·Cell Reports

Abstract

The serine synthesis pathway (SSP) involving metabolic enzymes phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1), and phosphoserine phosphatase (PSPH) drives intracellular serine biosynthesis and is indispensable for cancer cells to grow in serine-limiting environments. However, how SSP is regulated is not well understood. Here, we report that activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is crucial for transcriptional activation of SSP upon serine deprivation. ATF3 is rapidly induced by serine deprivation via a mechanism dependent on ATF4, which in turn binds to ATF4 and increases the stability of this master regulator of SSP. ATF3 also binds to the enhancers/promoters of PHGDH, PSAT1, and PSPH and recruits p300 to promote expression of these SSP genes. As a result, loss of ATF3 expression impairs serine biosynthesis and the growth of cancer cells in the serine-deprived medium or in mice fed with a serine/glycine-free diet. Interestingly, ATF3 expression positively correlates with PHGDH expression in a subset of TCGA cancer samples.

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Authors
Li, X., Gracilla, D., Cai, L., Zhang, M., Yu, X., Chen, X., Zhang, J., Long, X., Ding, H.-F., & Yan, C.
Affiliations
  • Augusta University (US)
  • Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CN)
  • The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (US)
Corresponding author
Yan, Chunhong
Venue
Cell Reports
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-09
Volume
36
Issue
12
Pages
109706
ISSN
2211-1247 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3199501069
Cited by
98
References
67
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 7
FWCI
5.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (R01CA139107, R01CA190429, R01CA236890, R01CA240966, R01HL122686, R01HL139794)
  • U.S. Department of Defense (W81XWH1910587)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Amino Acid Enzymes and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism
Keywords
ATF3, serine synthesis pathway, serine biosynthesis, PHGDH, PSAT1, phosphoserine phosphatase, ATF4, P300, transcriptional regulation, tumor growth, cancer metabolism, protein stability
MeSH terms
Transaminases, Animals, Humans, Male, Mice, Nude, Neoplasms, Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Protein Binding, Serine, Transplantation, Heterologous, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Cell Line, Tumor, Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase, p300-CBP Transcription Factors, Mice, Activating Transcription Factor 3, Activating Transcription Factor 4, Biosynthetic Pathways, Protein Stability

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