Research Article
Expression of gamma-glutamyltransferase 1 in glioblastoma cells confers resistance to cystine deprivation–induced ferroptosis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101703Get rights and content
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Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent mode of cell death caused by excessive oxidative damage to lipids. Lipid peroxidation is normally suppressed by glutathione peroxidase 4, which requires reduced glutathione. Cystine is a major resource for glutathione synthesis, especially in cancer cells. Therefore, cystine deprivation or inhibition of cystine uptake promotes ferroptosis in cancer cells. However, the roles of other molecules involved in cysteine deprivation–induced ferroptosis are unexplored. We report here that the expression of gamma-glutamyltransferase 1 (GGT1), an enzyme that cleaves extracellular glutathione, determines the sensitivity of glioblastoma cells to cystine deprivation–induced ferroptosis at high cell density (HD). In glioblastoma cells expressing GGT1, pharmacological inhibition or deletion of GGT1 suppressed the cell density–induced increase in intracellular glutathione levels and cell viability under cystine deprivation, which were restored by the addition of cysteinylglycine, the GGT product of glutathione cleavage. On the other hand, cystine deprivation induced glutathione depletion and ferroptosis in GGT1-deficient glioblastoma cells even at an HD. Exogenous expression of GGT1 in GGT1-deficient glioblastoma cells inhibited cystine deprivation–induced glutathione depletion and ferroptosis at an HD. This suggests that GGT1 plays an important role in glioblastoma cell survival under cystine-limited and HD conditions. We conclude that combining GGT inhibitors with ferroptosis inducers may provide an effective therapeutic approach for treating glioblastoma.

Keywords

cell death
glioblastoma
amino acid
cell surface enzyme
cell metabolism
glutathione

Abbreviations

BSO
l-buthionine sulfoximine
Cys-Gly
l-cysteinylglycine
DFO
deferoxamine
Fer-1
ferrostatin-1
GGT1
gamma-glutamyltransferase 1
GSH
reduced glutathione
GSSG
oxidized glutathione
HD
high cell density
LD
low cell density
LDH
lactate dehydrogenase
sgRNA
single-guide RNA
SSZ
sulfasalazine
TAZ
transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif
YAP
Yes-associated protein

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