Fibroblast pyruvate carboxylase is required for collagen production in the tumour microenvironment Journal Article


Authors: Schwörer , S.; Pavlova, N. N.; Cimino, F. V.; King, B.; Cai, X.; Sizemore, G. M.; Thompson, C. B.
Article Title: Fibroblast pyruvate carboxylase is required for collagen production in the tumour microenvironment
Abstract: The aberrant production of collagen by fibroblasts is a hallmark of many solid tumours and can influence cancer progression. How the mesenchymal cells in the tumour microenvironment maintain their production of extracellular matrix proteins as the vascular delivery of glutamine and glucose becomes compromised remains unclear. Here we show that pyruvate carboxylase (PC)-mediated anaplerosis in tumour-associated fibroblasts contributes to tumour fibrosis and growth. Using cultured mesenchymal and cancer cells, as well as mouse allograft models, we provide evidence that extracellular lactate can be utilized by fibroblasts to maintain tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle anaplerosis and non-essential amino acid biosynthesis through PC activity. Furthermore, we show that fibroblast PC is required for collagen production in the tumour microenvironment. These results establish TCA cycle anaplerosis as a determinant of extracellular matrix collagen production, and identify PC as a potential target to inhibit tumour desmoplasia. The aberrant production of collagen by fibroblasts influences cancer progression. TCA cycle anaplerosis determines collagen production through pyruvate carboxylase, which could be targeted to inhibit tumour desmoplasia.
Keywords: cells; growth; myofibroblasts; hallmarks; tca cycle; ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate
Journal Title: Nature Metabolism
Volume: 3
Issue: 11
ISSN: 2522-5812
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group  
Date Published: 2021-11-01
Start Page: 1484
End Page: 1499
Language: English
ACCESSION: WOS:000717425100001
DOI: 10.1038/s42255-021-00480-x
PROVIDER: wos
PMCID: PMC8606002
PUBMED: 34764457
Notes: Article -- Source: Wos
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MSK Authors
  1. Craig Bernie Thompson
    153 Thompson
  2. Natalya Nickolayevna Pavlova
    12 Pavlova
  3. Bryan Christopher King
    11 King
  4. Xin Cai
    5 Cai
  5. Francesco Cimino
    3 Cimino