Cited by 582Cancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismCancer, Lipids, and MetabolismAmino Acid Enzymes and Metabolism

Tissue of origin dictates branched-chain amino acid metabolism in mutant Kras -driven cancers

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Mayers, Jared R., Torrence, Margaret E., Danai, Laura V., Papagiannakopoulos, Thales, Davidson, Shawn M., Bauer, Matthew R., Lau, Allison N., Ji, Brian W. +9 more·2016·Science

Abstract

Tumor genetics guides patient selection for many new therapies, and cell culture studies have demonstrated that specific mutations can promote metabolic phenotypes. However, whether tissue context defines cancer dependence on specific metabolic pathways is unknown. Kras activation and Trp53 deletion in the pancreas or the lung result in pancreatic ductal adenocarinoma (PDAC) or non–small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), respectively, but despite the same initiating events, these tumors use branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) differently. NSCLC tumors incorporate free BCAAs into tissue protein and use BCAAs as a nitrogen source, whereas PDAC tumors have decreased BCAA uptake. These differences are reflected in expression levels of BCAA catabolic enzymes in both mice and humans. Loss of Bcat1 and Bcat2, the enzymes responsible for BCAA use, impairs NSCLC tumor formation, but these enzymes are not required for PDAC tumor formation, arguing that tissue of origin is an important determinant of how cancers satisfy their metabolic requirements.

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  • Lung tumors support their nitrogen requirement by catabolizing free branched chain amino acids, whereas pancreatic tumors expressing the same driver mutation do not.

    “Lung tumors support their nitrogen requirement by catabolizing free branched chain amino acids (BCAA), whereas pancreatic tumors expressing the same driver mutation do not.”

    From Targeting Metabolism for Cancer Therapy (2017) · cites this paper as Mayers et al., 2016

  • Mouse lung and pancreatic tumors exhibit differences in amino acid metabolism even when they harbor the same genetic lesion.

    “Recently, it has been determined that mouse lung and pancreatic tumors exhibit differences in amino acid metabolism, even when harboring the same genetic lesion.”

    From Targeting Metabolism for Cancer Therapy (2017) · cites this paper as Mayers et al., 2016

  • Targeting BCAA transaminases inhibits lung tumor formation better than pancreatic tumor formation, suggesting that dependence on BCAA catabolism is determined by cell lineage rather than tumor site.

    “Targeting BCAA transaminases inhibits lung tumor formation better than pancreatic tumor formation, suggesting that dependence on branched chain amino acid catabolism is determined by cell lineage rather than tumor site (Mayers et al., 2016).”

    From Targeting Metabolism for Cancer Therapy (2017) · cites this paper as Mayers et al., 2016

  • The tissue of origin dictates dependency on BCAA catabolism in normal physiology and in cancer.

    “The tissue of origin dictates dependency on BCAA catabolism in normal physiology and in cancer.45”

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Authors
Mayers, J. R., Torrence, M. E., Danai, L. V., Papagiannakopoulos, T., Davidson, S. M., Bauer, M. R., Lau, A. N., Ji, B. W., Dixit, P. D., Hosios, A. M., Muir, A., Chin, C. R., Freinkman, E., Jacks, T., Wolpin, B. M., Vitkup, D., & Vander Heiden, M. G.
Affiliations
  • Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research At MIT (US)
  • Columbia University (US)
  • Broad Institute (US)
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US)
  • Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Venue
Science
Published
2016-09-09
Volume
353
Issue
6304
Pages
1161-1165
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W2513280988
Cited by
582
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 35 · 2025: 53 · 2024: 52 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 64 · 2021: 90 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 58 · 2018: 55 · 2017: 51 · 2016: 7
FWCI
23.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PMC
Funders
  • NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) (F30CA183474)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32GM007753)
  • Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (DRG-2241-15)
  • NCI (P30CA1405141, R01CA168653, R01CA201276)
  • Burroughs Wellcome Fund
  • Eisen and Chang Families
  • Ludwig Center at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Stand Up To Cancer
  • Lustgarten Foundation
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Amino Acid Enzymes and Metabolism
Keywords
branched-chain amino acids, KRAS mutation, Trp53 deletion, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, tissue of origin, cancer metabolism, BCAA catabolism, BCAT1, BCAT2, amino acid uptake, nitrogen source
MeSH terms
Amino Acids, Branched-Chain, Transaminases, Animals, Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung, Humans, Lung Neoplasms, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mutation, Nitrogen, Organ Specificity, Pancreatic Neoplasms, Pregnancy Proteins, Minor Histocompatibility Antigens, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras), Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal, Mice, Metabolic Networks and Pathways

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