Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase maintains redox homeostasis and biosynthesis in LKB1-deficient KRAS-driven lung cancer

Abstract

Cancer cells depend on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) to combat oxidative stress and support reductive biosynthesis. One major NADPH production route is the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (committed step: glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, G6PD). Alternatives exist and can compensate in some tumors. Here, using genetically-engineered lung cancer mouse models, we show that G6PD ablation significantly suppresses Kras^G12D/+;Lkb1^-/- (KL) but not Kras^G12D/+;P53^-/- (KP) lung tumorigenesis. In vivo isotope tracing and metabolomics reveal that G6PD ablation significantly impairs NADPH generation, redox balance, and de novo lipogenesis in KL but not KP lung tumors. Mechanistically, in KL tumors, G6PD ablation activates p53, suppressing tumor growth. As tumors progress, G6PD-deficient KL tumors increase an alternative NADPH source from serine-driven one carbon metabolism, rendering associated tumor-derived cell lines sensitive to serine/glycine depletion. Thus, oncogenic driver mutations determine lung cancer dependence on G6PD, whose targeting is a potential therapeutic strategy for tumors harboring KRAS and LKB1 co-mutations.

Cancer cells rely on NADPH to manage oxidative stress and support biosynthesis. Here, the authors show that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) ablation suppresses KRAS-driven lung tumours with LKB1 deficiency, but not with P53 deficiency, by impairing NADPH production, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy.