Cancer cells often require glutamine for growth, thereby distinguishing them from most normal cells. Here we show that PIK3CA mutations reprogram glutamine metabolism by upregulating glutamate pyruvate transaminase 2 (GPT2) in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, making them more dependent on glutamine. Compared with isogenic wild-type (WT) cells, PIK3CA mutant CRCs convert substantially more glutamine to α-ketoglutarate to replenish the tricarboxylic acid cycle and generate ATP. Mutant p110α upregulates GPT2 gene expression through an AKT-independent, PDK1–RSK2–ATF4 signalling axis. Moreover, aminooxyacetate, which inhibits the enzymatic activity of aminotransferases including GPT2, suppresses xenograft tumour growth of CRCs with PIK3CA mutations, but not with WT PIK3CA. Together, these data establish oncogenic PIK3CA mutations as a cause of glutamine dependency in CRCs and suggest that targeting glutamine metabolism may be an effective approach to treat CRC patients harbouring PIK3CA mutations.

Aberrant activation of the Wnt signaling pathway is an important step in the initiation and progression of tumor development in diverse cancers. The central effector of canonical Wnt signaling, β-catenin (CTNNB1), is a multifunctional protein, and has been extensively studied with respect to its roles in cell-cell adhesion and in regulation of Wnt-driven transcription. Here, a novel mass spectrometry-based proteomics technique in colorectal cancer cells expressing stabilized β-catenin, was used to identify a protein-protein interaction between β-catenin and DNA methyltransferase I (Dnmt1) protein, the primary regulator of DNA methylation patterns in mammalian cells. Dnmt1 and β-catenin strongly co-localized in the nuclei of colorectal cancer cells, and the interaction is mediated by the central domain of the Dnmt1 protein. Dnmt1 protein abundance is dependent upon the levels of β-catenin, and is increased in cells expressing stabilized mutant β-catenin. Conversely, the Dnmt1 regulates the levels of nuclear β-catenin and β-catenin/TCF driven transcription. In addition, lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1/KDM1A), a regulator of DNMT1 stability, was identified as a component of the Dnmt1/β-catenin protein complex and perturbation of the Dnmt1/β-catenin interaction altered DNA methylation. In summary, a functional protein-protein interaction was identified between two critically important oncoproteins, in turn revealing a link between Wnt signaling and downstream nuclear functions mediated by Dnmt1.

To develop effective anti-lung cancer vaccines, we directly mixed mycobacterial heat shock protein 65 (MHSP65) and tumor cell lysate (TCL) from Lewis lung cancer cells in vitro and tested its efficacy on stimulating anti-tumor immunity. Our results showed that MHSP65-TCL immunization significantly inhibited the growth of lung cancer in mice and prolonged the survival of lung cancer bearing mice. In vivo and in vitro data suggest that MHSP65-TCL could induce specific CTL responses and non-specific immunity, both of which could contribute to the tumor inhibition. Thus, this report provides an easy approach to prepare an efficient TCL based tumor vaccine.