1H NMR based metabolites analysis of murine melanoma cells and primary melanocytes

Abstract

Melanoma is one of the most life-threatening skin cancer characterized by ineffective therapies and rising incidence. Here we applied 1H NMR to acquire details of metabolic rewiring between primary melanocytes and murine melanoma cells. A total of 29 metabolites were assigned and identified. The principal component analysis (PCA) illustrated a distinct separation along the first component. A constructed orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant (OPLS-DA) model obtained intrinsic variations as PCA analysis did. The corresponding S-plot and loading plot revealed some significant variations of metabolites in melanoma compared with the control group, including the obvious increases of isoleucine, leucine, valine, 3-hydroxybutyrate, lactate, alanine, 2-oxoglutarate, glutathione, creatine, glycine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, histidine and remarkable decreases of lysine, acetate, n-acetyl-CH3, n-acetyl cysteine, glutamine, glutamate, methionine, choline, taurine, glucose and formate. The down regulation of glucose and the accumulated lactate indicated enhanced aerobic glycolysis for energy requirements in melanoma cells. Decreased taurine acted to fight against reactive oxygen species, as evidenced by an active glutathione system in melanoma cells. Amino acid profiles altered different from any other cancer cells. Tumor-related amino acids identified by NMR might be helping advance the field of therapeutic intervention in melanoma.

Keywords: melanocytes, melanoma, NMR, multivariate analysis, pathway

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/15-1-01

Publication date: January 30th 2025