Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 22, 2025
08:09
Author Spotlight: Extended Oxygen Consumption Measurement in Retinal Pigment Epithelium Using Resipher
Published on: August 16, 2024
5.2K
Cysteine Boosts Fitness Under Hypoxia-Mimicked Conditions in Ovarian Cancer by Metabolic Reprogramming
Sofia C Nunes1,2, Cristiano Ramos1,2, Inês Santos1,2
1Centro de Estudos de Doenças Crónicas, NOVA Medical School/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
|August 30, 2021
Summary
Cysteine fuels ovarian cancer adaptation to low oxygen by reprogramming cellular metabolism and energy production, highlighting its role beyond hydrogen sulfide synthesis.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of gynecologic cancer death, often diagnosed late and resistant to therapy.
- Tumor hypoxia drives cancer progression and chemoresistance, necessitating understanding of cellular adaptation mechanisms.
- Cysteine's protective role in hypoxia-induced death in ovarian cancer requires elucidation of its underlying mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how cysteine contributes to ovarian cancer cell adaptation to hypoxia.
- To determine if cysteine's protective effects involve cellular metabolism reprogramming and energy production.
- To explore the specific roles of cysteine metabolism and related enzymes in cellular bioenergetics under hypoxic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized enzyme inhibition (CBS, CSE, MpST, CAT) to assess cysteine's role in ATP production under normoxia and hypoxia.
- Employed Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to analyze cellular metabolism rewiring.
- Investigated cysteine's contribution to biosynthesis and bioenergetics.
Main Results:
- Cysteine metabolism, not hydrogen sulfide (H2S) alone, is crucial for energy production via the xCT symporter.
- The CAT + MpST pathway is vital for cysteine-sustained ATP production in normoxia.
- In hypoxia, combined inhibition of CBS and CSE significantly impacted ATP synthesis, suggesting a role for their H2S or persulfide products.
- NMR confirmed cysteine's role in global metabolic reprogramming under hypoxia.
- Cysteine serves as a key source for biosynthesis and bioenergetics in cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- Cysteine metabolism reprogramming is central to ovarian cancer cell adaptation to hypoxic microenvironments.
- Cysteine acts as a significant carbon source, supporting both biosynthesis and energy production.
- Understanding cysteine's metabolic role offers potential therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer treatment.
Related Concept Videos
02:53Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
6.0K
Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
6.0K
02:49Cancer Therapies
8.6K
Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
8.6K
02:07Oogenesis
66.9K
In human women, oogenesis produces one mature egg cell or ovum for every precursor cell that enters meiosis. This process differs in two unique ways from the equivalent procedure of spermatogenesis in males. First, meiotic divisions during oogenesis are asymmetric, meaning that a large oocyte (containing most of the cytoplasm) and minor polar body are produced as a result of meiosis I, and again following meiosis II. Since only oocytes will go on to form embryos if fertilized, this unequal...
66.9K
01:46Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II
15.4K
The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is the main energy generation system in the eukaryotic cells. However, mitochondria also produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to the large electron flow during oxidative phosphorylation. While Complex I is one of the primary sources of superoxide radicals, ROS production by Complex II is uncommon and may only be observed in cancer cells with mutated complexes.
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
15.4K
01:23Hypoxia
1.4K
Hypoxia is a medical condition characterized by an inadequate oxygen supply to body tissues. It typically manifests as a bluish discoloration of the skin and mucosae, especially in fair-skinned individuals, when hemoglobin (Hb) saturation drops below 75%.
Types of Hypoxia
There are four primary types of hypoxia, each resulting from a different cause:
1. Anemic hypoxia: This type occurs due to insufficient oxygen delivery caused by a lack of red blood cells (RBCs) or RBCs with abnormal or...
Types of Hypoxia
There are four primary types of hypoxia, each resulting from a different cause:
1. Anemic hypoxia: This type occurs due to insufficient oxygen delivery caused by a lack of red blood cells (RBCs) or RBCs with abnormal or...
1.4K
01:30Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle
5.1K
The ovarian cycle is meticulously regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. This cycle orchestrates the release of a mature oocyte, essential for reproduction.
Before puberty, the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a low frequency, low amplitude pulsatile manner. This along with the immature hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, results in low estrogen levels and the absence of a fully functional ovarian cycle. At puberty, GnRH secretion increases in both frequency and...
Before puberty, the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a low frequency, low amplitude pulsatile manner. This along with the immature hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, results in low estrogen levels and the absence of a fully functional ovarian cycle. At puberty, GnRH secretion increases in both frequency and...
5.1K