Summary Glioblastomas display hierarchies with self-renewing cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). RNA sequencing and enhancer mapping revealed regulatory programs unique to CSCs causing upregulation of the iron transporter transferrin, the top differentially expressed gene compared to tissue-specific progenitors. Direct interrogation of iron uptake demonstrated CSCs potently extract iron from the microenvironment more effectively than other tumor cells. Systematic interrogation of iron flux determined that CSCs preferentially require transferrin receptor and ferritin - two core iron regulators - to propagate and form tumors in vivo. Depleting ferritin disrupted CSC mitotic progression, through the STAT3-FoxM1 regulatory axis, revealing an iron-regulated CSC pathway. Iron is a unique, primordial metal fundamental for earliest life forms, and on which CSCs have an epigenetically programmed, targetable dependence.

Highlights d Lactobacillus species sense intestinal iron levels and attenuate host iron absorption d Microbial metabolites DAP and reuterin are novel HIF-2a inhibitors d Gut microbial metabolites regulate intestinal iron storage via ferritin regulation d Gut microbiota can be therapeutically targeted for ironrelated disorders

No abstract

Intracellular pathogens employ several strategies for iron acquisition from host macrophages for survival and growth, whereas macrophage resists infection by actively sequestering iron. Here, we show that instead of allowing macrophage to sequester iron, protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani (LD) uses a novel strategy to manipulate iron uptake mechanisms of the host and utilizes the taken up iron for its intracellular growth. To do so, intracellular LD directly scavenges iron from labile iron pool of macrophages. Depleted labile iron pool activates iron sensors iron-regulatory proteins IRP1 and IRP2. IRPs then bind to iron-responsive elements present in the 3′ UTR of iron uptake gene transferrin receptor 1 by a post-transcriptional mRNA stability mechanism. Increased iron-responsive element–IRP interaction and transferrin receptor 1 expressions in spleen-derived macrophages from LD-infected mice confirm that LD employs similar mechanism to acquire iron during infection into mammalian hosts. Increased intracellular LD growth by holo-transferrin supplementation and inhibited growth by iron chelator treatment confirm the significance of this modulated iron uptake pathway of host in favour of the parasite.

Cancer metabolism is rewired to support cell survival in response to intrinsic and environmental stressors. Identification of strategies to target these adaptions is an area of active research. We previously described a cytosolic aspartate aminotransaminase (GOT1)-driven pathway in pancreatic cancer used to maintain redox balance. Here, we sought to identify metabolic dependencies following GOT1 inhibition to exploit this feature of pancreatic cancer and to provide additional insight into regulation of redox metabolism. Using pharmacological methods, we identify cysteine, glutathione, and lipid antioxidant function as metabolic vulnerabilities following GOT1 withdrawal. We demonstrate that targeting any of these pathways triggers ferroptosis, an oxidative, iron-dependent form of cell death, in GOT1 knockdown cells. Mechanistically, we reveal that GOT1 inhibition represses mitochondrial metabolism and promotes a catabolic state. Consequently, we find that this enhances labile iron availability through autophagy, which potentiates the activity of ferroptotic stimuli. Overall, our study identifies a biochemical connection between GOT1, iron regulation, and ferroptosis.