TAMI-80. CELLULAR METABOLISM IN DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMA

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is an aggressive form of brain tumor in children, comprising >10% of all pediatric brain tumors. The median survival after diagnosis is < 1 year. Since DIPG tumors infiltrate brainstem and pons, they are inoperable. Currently radiotherapy is the mainstay of treatment, and there is a great need for novel therapies for the treatment of DIPG. Cellular metabolism plays a key role in carcinogenesis, unravelling active metabolic pathways in DIPG would help in developing targeted therapies. Glucose and glutamine are the two major nutrients necessary for the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. In this study, we have investigated the glucose and glutamine metabolism in SF8628 DIPG cells using 1H/13C NMR and GC-MS based metabolic flux analysis. SF8628 cells were grown in DMEM containing 11.0 mM glucose, supplemented with 10% FBS, and 2.0 mM glutamine at 37 °C under humidified air and 5% CO2. When cells reached confluency (replicates = 4), treated with 11.0 mM [U-13C]glucose or 4.0 mM glutamine in DMEM (supplemented with 10% FBS). After 24 h, cells were harvested for NMR/GC-MS analysis. The 13C-isotopomer analysis revealed that SF8628 cells produced 25.26 ± 10.63% acetyl-CoA from [U-13C]glucose which is ~3.7 times higher than that produced from GBM cells (6.83 ± 0.76%; our previous work), suggesting that DIPGs are metabolically very active. [U-13C]glutamine metabolism showed that DIPG cells also have an active TCA cycle metabolism (citrate M+4; 40.07 ± 1.06%) and moderately active reductive carboxylation pathway (citrate M+5; 10.59 ± 1.13%). Inhibition of both glycolytic and glutaminolysis pathways will be valuable in developing treatment strategies for DIPGs and these studies are in progress.

TAMI-13. MODULATION OF REDUCTIVE CARBOXYLATION FLUX OF GLUTAMINE IN GLIOBLASTOMA CELLS BY USING OSCILLATING MAGNETIC FIELD

Increased cell proliferation in glioblastoma (GBM) leads to hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment. This is a major concern in GBM patients as it promotes tumor invasion. Glutaminolysis is a hallmark of cancer cells and under hypoxic conditions glutamine metabolism proceeds through reductive carboxylation pathway. Recently, we have shown that oscillating magnetic field (OMF) produces oncolytic effects which can influence cellular metabolism. Here, we have explored the effect of OMF on glutamine metabolism in GBM cells. Patient-derived GBM cells were grown in high glucose (25 mM) DMEM supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 2.0 mM glutamine and 1.0 mM pyruvate at 37 °C under humidified air and 5% CO2. Cells were divided into 2 groups (Test and Sham; n = 4 each group). When reached confluency (~2.0×106 cells/mL), cells in both groups were treated with 4.0 mM of [U-13C]glutamine in DMEM (supplemented with 20% FBS, and 1.0 mM pyruvate). The “Test” group was subjected to OMF for 3 hours, and the “Sham” group was treated similar to the “Test” group but with non-magnetic rods of the same dimensions as the magnets in the Test group. After 3 h, cells were harvested in 50% methanol analyzed by GC-MS. The 13C-isotopomer analysis showed that glutamine metabolism in GBM cells proceeds through reduction carboxylation, confirmed by the higher levels of M+5 citrate (15.42 ± 1.28 % ) than M+4 citrate (2.05 ± 0.28 %). When GBM cells were treated with OMF, a statistically significant decrease in the citrate M+5 was observed, compared to the “Sham” treated group (15.42 ± 1.28 % vs. 8.89 ± 1.30 %; p = 0.0003). This decrease in M+5 citrate upon OMF treatment clearly indicates that the OMF decreases the reductive carboxylation flux of glutamine in GBM cells which would have therapeutic value in treating GBM patients.

Experimental and Computational Studies of CO2 Addition Reactions Relevant to Copper-Catalyzed Boracarboxylation of Vinyl Arenes: Evidence for a Phosphine-Promoted Mechanism

An experimental and computational mechanistic investigation of the key carboxylation step in copper(I)-catalyzed boracarboxylation of vinyl arenes is presented here. Catalytically relevant intermediates, including a series of Cu^I-spiroboralactonate complexes, with electronically differentiated vinyl arenes and stabilized by the NHC ligand IPr (IPr = 1,3-Bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidine), were isolated and characterized. In situ ¹H NMR timecourse studies and subsequent Hammett analysis (<i>_p</i>) of carbon dioxide addition to (β-borylbenzyl)copper(I) complexes (benzyl = CH₂Ar^p-X) revealed a linear correlation with a negative rho (<i>ρ</i>) value. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations support a direct CO₂ insertion as the primary mechanism for electron-rich benzyl-copper carboxylation. Kinetically sluggish carboxylation of electron-poor trifluoromethyl-substituted benzyl-copper complex (benzyl = CH₂Ar^p-CF³) was accelerated upon addition of exogenous PPh₃. Conversely, the additive inhibited reactions of electron-rich tert-butyl-substituted benzyl-copper complex (benzyl = CH₂Ar^p-tBu). These kinetic observations implied that a second carboxylation pathway was likely operative. DFT analysis demonstrated that prior binding of the electron-rich phosphine additive at (β-borylbenzyl)copper(I) yields a meta-stable intermediate that precedes an S<i>_E</i>-carboxylation mechanism, which is kinetically favorable for electron-deficient benzyl-copper species and circumvents the kinetically challenging direct insertion mechanism. The mechanistic picture that emerges from this complementary experimental/computational study highlights the kinetic complexities and multiple pathways involved in copper-based carboxylation chemistry.

Experimental and Computational Studies of CO2 Addition Reactions Relevant to Copper-Catalyzed Boracarboxylation of Vinyl Arenes: Evidence for a Phosphine-Promoted Mechanism

An experimental and computational mechanistic investigation of the key carboxylation step in copper(I)-catalyzed boracarboxylation of vinyl arenes is presented here. Catalytically relevant intermediates, including a series of Cu^I-spiroboralactonate complexes, with electronically differentiated vinyl arenes and stabilized by the NHC ligand IPr (IPr = 1,3-Bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidine), were isolated and characterized. In situ ¹H NMR timecourse studies and subsequent Hammett analysis (<i>_p</i>) of carbon dioxide addition to (β-borylbenzyl)copper(I) complexes (benzyl = CH₂Ar^p-X) revealed a linear correlation with a negative rho (<i>ρ</i>) value. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations support a direct CO₂ insertion as the primary mechanism for electron-rich benzyl-copper carboxylation. Kinetically sluggish carboxylation of electron-poor trifluoromethyl-substituted benzyl-copper complex (benzyl = CH₂Ar^p-CF³) was accelerated upon addition of exogenous PPh₃. Conversely, the additive inhibited reactions of electron-rich tert-butyl-substituted benzyl-copper complex (benzyl = CH₂Ar^p-tBu). These kinetic observations implied that a second carboxylation pathway was likely operative. DFT analysis demonstrated that prior binding of the electron-rich phosphine additive at (β-borylbenzyl)copper(I) yields a meta-stable intermediate that precedes an S<i>_E</i>-carboxylation mechanism, which is kinetically favorable for electron-deficient benzyl-copper species and circumvents the kinetically challenging direct insertion mechanism. The mechanistic picture that emerges from this complementary experimental/computational study highlights the kinetic complexities and multiple pathways involved in copper-based carboxylation chemistry.

Cancer cells depend on environmental lipids for proliferation when electron acceptors are limited

It is not well understood how physiological environmental conditions and nutrient availability influence cancer cell proliferation. Production of oxidized biomass, which requires regeneration of the cofactor NAD+, can limit cancer cell proliferation1-5. However, it is currently unclear which specific metabolic processes are constrained by electron acceptor availability, and how they affect cell proliferation. Here, we use computational and experimental approaches to demonstrate that de novo lipid biosynthesis can impose an increased demand for NAD+ in proliferating cancer cells. While some cancer cells and tumors synthesize a substantial fraction of their lipids de novo6, we find that environmental lipids are crucial for proliferation in hypoxia or when the mitochondrial electron transport chain is inhibited. Surprisingly, we also find that even the reductive glutamine carboxylation pathway to produce fatty acids is impaired when cancer cells are limited for NAD+. Furthermore, gene expression analysis of 34 heterogeneous tumor types shows that lipid biosynthesis is strongly and consistently negatively correlated with hypoxia, whereas expression of genes involved in lipid uptake is positively correlated with hypoxia. These results demonstrate that electron acceptor availability and access to environmental lipids can play an important role in determining whether cancer cells engage in de novo lipogenesis to support proliferation.

CBMT-49. OXALOACETATE ALTERS GLUCOSE METABOLISM IN GLIOBLASTOMA: 13C ISOTOPOMER STUDY

Anhydrous enol-oxaloacetate (AEO) has demonstrated the ability to enhance neuronal cell bioenergetics and activate brain mitochondrial biogenesis. Since oxaloacetate has demonstrated positive effects on brain bioenergetics in neurodegenerative diseases we have begun to investigate whether AEO may also have a positive effect on the altered cellular metabolism found in cancer cells, particularly Glioblastoma multiforme. The “Warburg effect” describes an abnormal metabolic state in cancer, distinct from normal tissue, in which energy is generated through enhanced conversion of pyruvate to lactate even in the presence of oxygen during glycolysis. Oxaloacetate (OAA) is a key anaplerotic substrate that is required to maintain TCA cycle flux. The role of oxaloacetate supplementation on the energy metabolism is not known in cancer cells. Goal of this study is to investigate the changes in metabolic fluxes in glucose metabolism with and without the presence of OAA in patient-derived GBM cells. We use GC-MS based 13C isotopomer analysis for this study. GBM cells are grown in 15mM glucose containing DMEM medium supplemented with 2mM oxaloacetate for 10 days. 6 hours prior to harvesting, [U-13C]glucose is introduced to the medium. 13C isotopomer analysis of GC-MS data showed that OAA supplementation for 10 days drastically decreased Warburg glycolysis by reducing 13C labeling (M+3) by 19.7% and 48.8% in pyruvate and lactate pools respectively in comparison with cells not treated with OAA. M+3 13C labeled pyruvate entered TCA cycle via acetyl-CoA, where we also observed reduced levels of M+2 13C labeled citrate (20.5%) and glutamate (23.9%) isotopomers. Pyruvate can also enter TCA cycle via pyruvate carboxylation pathway and this activity was also found to be slightly decreased in the OAA treated cells. All the differences were statistically significant. These results indicate that OAA can be used to alter bioenergetics of GBM cells, specifically glucose oxidation.

Glutamate Metabolism is Impaired in Transgenic Mice with Tau Hyperphosphorylation

In neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia, the protein tau is hyperphosphorylated and eventually aggregates to develop neurofibrillary tangles. Here, the consequences of tau hyperphosphorylation on both neuronal and astrocytic metabolism and amino-acid neurotransmitter homeostasis were assessed in transgenic mice expressing the pathogenic mutation P301L in the human tau gene (pR5 mice) compared with nontransgenic littermate controls. Mice were injected with the neuronal and astrocytic substrate [1-13C]glucose and the astrocytic substrate [1,2-13C]acetate. Hippocampus and cerebral cortex extracts were analyzed using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. The glutamate level was reduced in the hippocampus of pR5 mice, accompanied by reduced incorporation of 13C label derived from [1-13C]glucose in glutamate. In the cerebral cortex, glucose utilization as well as turnover of glutamate, glutamine, and GABA, were increased. This was accompanied by a relative increase in production of glutamate via the pyruvate carboxylation pathway in cortex. Overall, we revealed that astrocytes as well as glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in the cortex of pR5 mice were in a hypermetabolic state, whereas in the hippocampus, where expression levels of mutant human tau are the highest, glutamate homeostasis was impaired.