Publication
Title
Molecular mechanisms of nemorosone-induced ferroptosis in cancer cells
Author
Abstract
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death-driven by excessive peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) of membranes. A growing body of evidence suggests the induction of ferroptosis as a cutting-edge strategy in cancer treatment research. Despite the essential role of mitochondria in cellular metabolism, bioenergetics, and cell death, their function in ferroptosis is still poorly understood. Recently, mitochondria were elucidated as an important component in cysteine-deprivation-induced (CDI) ferroptosis, which provides novel targets in the search for new ferroptosis-inducing compounds (FINs). Here, we identified the natural mitochondrial uncoupler nemorosone as a ferroptosis inducer in cancer cells. Interestingly, nemorosone triggers ferroptosis by a double-edged mechanism. In addition to decreasing the glutathione (GSH) levels by blocking the System xc cystine/glutamate antiporter (SLC7A11), nemorosone increases the intracellular labile Fe2+ pool via heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1) induction. Interestingly, a structural variant of nemorosone (O-methylated nemorosone), having lost the capacity to uncouple mitochondrial respiration, does not trigger cell death anymore, suggesting that the mitochondrial bioenergetic disruption via mitochondrial uncoupling is necessary for nemorosone-induced ferroptosis. Our results open novel opportunities for cancer cell killing by mitochondrial uncoupling-induced ferroptosis.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Cells
Publication
2023
ISSN
2073-4409
DOI
10.3390/CELLS12050735
Volume/pages
12 :5 (2023) , p. 1-22
Article Reference
735
ISI
000947361500001
Pubmed ID
36899871
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Investigating the role of ferroptosis in acute liver injury and multiple sclerosis with newly developed chemical tool compounds.
Cell Death Regulation and Role in Infection and Inflammatory Diseases (CD-INFLADIS).
Infla-Med: Fundamental and translational research into targets for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 08.03.2023
Last edited 16.08.2024
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