Quantification of the inputs and outputs of serine and glycine metabolism in cancer cells

IF 3.8 3区生物学 Q2 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Archives of biochemistry and biophysics Pub Date : 2025-03-01 DOI:10.1016/j.abb.2025.110367

Yuqi Wang , Hao Wu , Xun Hu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

The significance of serine and glycine metabolism in cancer cells is increasingly acknowledged, yet the quantification of their metabolic flux remains incomplete, impeding a comprehensive understanding. This study aimed to quantify the metabolic flux of serine and glycine in cancer cells, focusing on their inputs and outputs, by means of Combinations of C-13 Isotopes Tracing and mathematical delineation, alongside Isotopically Nonstationary Metabolic Flux Analysis.

Results

In HeLa cells, serine uptake, the serine synthesis pathway (SSP), and other sources (e.g., protein degradation) contribute 71.2 %, 24.0 %, and 5.7 %, respectively, to serine inputs. Conversely, glycine inputs stem from uptake (45.6 %), conversion from serine (45.1 %), and other sources (9.4 %). Serine input flux surpasses glycine by 7.3-fold. Serine predominantly directs a major fraction (94.7 %) to phospholipid, sphingolipid, and protein synthesis, with only a minor fraction (5.3 %) directing towards one-carbon unit and glycine production. Glycine mainly supports protein and nucleotide synthesis (100 %), without conversion back to serine. Serine output rate exceeds glycine output rate by 7.3-fold. Serine deprivation mainly impairs output to synthesis of phospholipid and sphingolipid, crucial for cell growth, while other outputs unaffected. AGS cells exhibit comparable serine and glycine flux to HeLa cells, albeit lacking SSP activity. Serine deprivation in AGS cells halts output flux to phospholipid, sphingolipid, protein synthesis, completely inhibiting cell growth.

Conclusions

By providing quantitative insights into serine and glycine metabolism, this study delineates the association of serine flux to different metabolic pathway with cancer cell growth and offers potential targets for therapeutic intervention, highlighting the importance of serine flux to pathway for the synthesis of phospholipids and sphingolipids in cancer cells growth.

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来源期刊

Archives of biochemistry and biophysics 生物-生化与分子生物学

CiteScore

7.40

自引率

0.00%

发文量

245

审稿时长

26 days

期刊介绍： Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics publishes quality original articles and reviews in the developing areas of biochemistry and biophysics. Research Areas Include: • Enzyme and protein structure, function, regulation. Folding, turnover, and post-translational processing • Biological oxidations, free radical reactions, redox signaling, oxygenases, P450 reactions • Signal transduction, receptors, membrane transport, intracellular signals. Cellular and integrated metabolism.