Glutamine deficiency in solid tumors confers resistance to ribosomal RNA synthesis inhibitors
Pan, M.; Zorbas, C.; Sugaya, M.; Ishiguro, K.; Kato, M.; Nishida, M.; Zhang, H.; Candeias, M. M.; Okamoto, A.; Ishikawa, T.; Soga, T.; Aburatani, H.; Sakai, J.; Matsumura, Y.; Suzuki, T.; Proud, C. G.; Lafontaine, D. L. G.; Osawa, T.
Show abstract
Ribosome biogenesis involves the processing of precursor ribosomal RNAs (pre-rRNAs) and sequential assembly with ribosomal proteins. Here we report that nutrient deprivation severely impairs pre-rRNA processing and leads to the accumulation of unprocessed rRNAs. Upon nutrient restoration, the accumulated pre-rRNAs are processed into mature rRNAs that are utilized for ribosome biogenesis. Failure to accumulate pre-rRNAs under nutrient deprivation leads to perturbed ribosome assembly during nutrient restoration and subsequent apoptosis via uL5/uL18-mediated activation of p53. Restoration of glutamine alone activates p53 by triggering uL5/uL18 translation. Induction of uL5/uL18 protein synthesis by glutamine was dependent on the translation factor eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), which was in turn dependent on Raf/MEK/ERK signalling. Depriving cells of glutamine prevents the activation of p53 by rRNA synthesis inhibitors. Our data reveals a mechanism that cancer cells can exploit to suppress p53-mediated apoptosis during fluctuations in environmental nutrient availability.
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