Lysosomal cystine governs ferroptosis sensitivity in cancer via nuclear cysteine response

The amino acid cysteine and its oxidized dimeric form cystine are commonly believed to be synonymous in metabolic functions. Cyst(e)ine depletion not only induces amino acid response, but also triggers ferroptosis, a non-apoptotic cell death. Here we report that, unlike general amino acid starvation, cyst(e)ine deprivation triggers ATF4 induction at the transcriptional level. Unexpectedly, it is the shortage of lysosomal cystine, but not the cytosolic cysteine, that elicits the adaptative ATF4 response. The lysosome-nucleus signaling pathway involves the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) that senses lysosomal cystine via the kynurenine pathway. A blockade of lysosomal cystine efflux attenuates ATF4 induction and sensitizes ferroptosis. To potentiate ferroptosis in cancer, we develop a synthetic mRNA reagent CysRx that converts cytosolic cysteine to lysosomal cystine. CysRx maximizes cancer cell ferroptosis and effectively suppresses tumor growth in vivo. Thus, intracellular nutrient reprogramming has the potential to induce selective ferroptosis in cancer without systematic perturbation. Overall design: RNA-seq of MEF cells with no treatment, cyteine starvation, full amino acid starvation, cyteamine treatment, transfected with sh-CTNS, transfected with sh-CTNS and CTNS plasmid.