New Insights into Cellular Survival Mechanisms in Nutrient-Deficient Conditions

Researchers at UCLA have revealed a remarkable strategy that cells, including cancer cells, employ to survive in environments with limited nutrients. Their study, recently published in Cancer & Metabolism, demonstrates that when amino acids—the building blocks for proteins and cell growth—are scarce, cells activate a key growth regulator called MYC. Simultaneously, they modify the chromatin structure by reducing a specific chemical mark known as H4K20me1 that typically covers active genes. These dual changes prepare the cell’s machinery for rapid protein synthesis once nutrients become available again, effectively priming the cell for recovery.

This adaptive mechanism partly explains how MYC-driven cancers, which often exhibit overactivation of the MYC gene, manage to survive and proliferate under metabolic stress. The team conducted experiments on human cells with and without amino acids, utilizing advanced molecular techniques to assess changes in gene expression and protein production. They found that reduced amino acid levels lead to a reprogramming of gene activity, especially in regions supporting protein synthesis.

Understanding this chromatin-based priming process opens new avenues for targeting cancer metabolism. By disrupting these adaptive strategies, it might be possible to develop therapies that make cancer cells more vulnerable when nutrients are scarce. Dr. Siavash Kurdistani, senior author of the study, emphasizes that recognizing how cells prepare for recovery under nutrient stress could help design new interventions for MYC-associated cancers and other diseases influenced by metabolic conditions.

This discovery highlights the resilience of cancer cells and underscores the importance of epigenetic regulation in cellular adaptation, paving the way for innovative treatments based on metabolic and chromatin remodeling mechanisms.

Source: Medical Xpress