A Pharmacological Probe Identifies Cystathionine β-synthase As a New Negative Regulator for Ferroptosis

Overview

Journal Cell Death Dis

Specialties Cell Biology
General Medicine

Date 2018 Sep 28

PMID 30258181

Citations 69

Authors

Li Wang

Hao Cai

Youtian Hu

Fan Liu

Shengshuo Huang

Yueyang Zhou

Jing Yu

Jinyi Xu

Fang Wu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) is responsible for the first enzymatic reaction in the transsulfuration pathway of sulfur amino acids. The molecular function and mechanism of CBS as well as that of transsulfuration pathway remain ill-defined in cell proliferation and death. In the present study, we designed, synthesized and obtained a bioactive inhibitor CH004 for human CBS, which functions in vitro and in vivo. CH004 inhibits CBS activity, elevated the cellular homocysteine and suppressed the production of hydrogen sulfide in a dose-dependent manner in cells or in vivo. Chemical or genetic inhibition of CBS demonstrates that endogenous CBS is closely coupled with cell proliferation and cell cycle. Moreover, CH004 substantially retarded in vivo tumor growth in a xenograft mice model of liver cancer. Importantly, inhibition of CBS triggers ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Overall, the study provides several clues for studying the interplays amongst transsulfuration pathway, ferroptosis and liver cancer.

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