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Label-Free Imaging of Lipid Storage Dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy
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Methionine-MAT2A-SAM axis controls lipid levels by regulating ACSL4
1Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of New Technologies and Applications for Targeted Therapy of Major Diseases, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, P.R. China.
Oncology Letters
|October 13, 2025
Summary
Methionine deprivation impairs cellular lipid metabolism by affecting fatty acid uptake. The methionine-methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A)-S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) axis regulates ACSL4 expression, impacting lipid accumulation.
Area of Science:
- Cellular metabolism
- Biochemistry
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Cellular metabolism involves interconnected pathways like amino acid and lipid metabolism.
- The regulatory links between amino acid and lipid metabolism are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the regulatory mechanisms between amino acid and lipid metabolism.
- To elucidate the role of the methionine metabolic axis in cellular lipid accumulation and fatty acid uptake.
Main Methods:
- Establishment of an essential amino acid-deficient culture medium.
- Cell culture and analysis using flow cytometry.
- Mechanistic investigations employing western blotting.
Main Results:
- Methionine deprivation reduced cellular lipid accumulation and impaired fatty acid uptake.
- The methionine-methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A)-S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) axis was identified to regulate ACSL4 protein expression.
- SAM appears to regulate MAT2A protein expression via feedback, maintaining metabolic homeostasis.
Conclusions:
- The methionine-MAT2A-SAM axis plays a crucial role in modulating lipid metabolism.
- Regulation of ACSL4 expression and function by this axis impacts cellular lipid metabolism.
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