Characterizing cancer metabolism from bulk and single-cell RNA-seq data using METAFlux

Abstract Cells often alter metabolic strategies under nutrient-deprived conditions to support their survival and growth. Characterizing metabolic reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is of emerging importance in cancer research and patient care. However, recent technologies only measure...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yuefan Huang, Vakul Mohanty, Merve Dede, Kyle Tsai, May Daher, Li Li, Katayoun Rezvani, Ken Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2023-08-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40457-w
_version_ 1827710111952404480
author Yuefan Huang
Vakul Mohanty
Merve Dede
Kyle Tsai
May Daher
Li Li
Katayoun Rezvani
Ken Chen
author_facet Yuefan Huang
Vakul Mohanty
Merve Dede
Kyle Tsai
May Daher
Li Li
Katayoun Rezvani
Ken Chen
author_sort Yuefan Huang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cells often alter metabolic strategies under nutrient-deprived conditions to support their survival and growth. Characterizing metabolic reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is of emerging importance in cancer research and patient care. However, recent technologies only measure a subset of metabolites and cannot provide in situ measurements. Computational methods such as flux balance analysis (FBA) have been developed to estimate metabolic flux from bulk RNA-seq data and can potentially be extended to single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data. However, it is unclear how reliable current methods are, particularly in TME characterization. Here, we present a computational framework METAFlux (METAbolic Flux balance analysis) to infer metabolic fluxes from bulk or single-cell transcriptomic data. Large-scale experiments using cell-lines, the cancer genome atlas (TCGA), and scRNA-seq data obtained from diverse cancer and immunotherapeutic contexts, including CAR-NK cell therapy, have validated METAFlux’s capability to characterize metabolic heterogeneity and metabolic interaction amongst cell types.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T17:33:38Z
format Article
id doaj.art-6eae94f5d4744f51821d2e6c20abee2c
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2041-1723
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T17:33:38Z
publishDate 2023-08-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj.art-6eae94f5d4744f51821d2e6c20abee2c2023-11-20T09:57:03ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-08-0114111610.1038/s41467-023-40457-wCharacterizing cancer metabolism from bulk and single-cell RNA-seq data using METAFluxYuefan Huang0Vakul Mohanty1Merve Dede2Kyle Tsai3May Daher4Li Li5Katayoun Rezvani6Ken Chen7Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterDepartment of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterDepartment of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterDepartment of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterDepartment of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterDepartment of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterDepartment of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterDepartment of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterAbstract Cells often alter metabolic strategies under nutrient-deprived conditions to support their survival and growth. Characterizing metabolic reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is of emerging importance in cancer research and patient care. However, recent technologies only measure a subset of metabolites and cannot provide in situ measurements. Computational methods such as flux balance analysis (FBA) have been developed to estimate metabolic flux from bulk RNA-seq data and can potentially be extended to single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data. However, it is unclear how reliable current methods are, particularly in TME characterization. Here, we present a computational framework METAFlux (METAbolic Flux balance analysis) to infer metabolic fluxes from bulk or single-cell transcriptomic data. Large-scale experiments using cell-lines, the cancer genome atlas (TCGA), and scRNA-seq data obtained from diverse cancer and immunotherapeutic contexts, including CAR-NK cell therapy, have validated METAFlux’s capability to characterize metabolic heterogeneity and metabolic interaction amongst cell types.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40457-w
spellingShingle Yuefan Huang
Vakul Mohanty
Merve Dede
Kyle Tsai
May Daher
Li Li
Katayoun Rezvani
Ken Chen
Characterizing cancer metabolism from bulk and single-cell RNA-seq data using METAFlux
Nature Communications
title Characterizing cancer metabolism from bulk and single-cell RNA-seq data using METAFlux
title_full Characterizing cancer metabolism from bulk and single-cell RNA-seq data using METAFlux
title_fullStr Characterizing cancer metabolism from bulk and single-cell RNA-seq data using METAFlux
title_full_unstemmed Characterizing cancer metabolism from bulk and single-cell RNA-seq data using METAFlux
title_short Characterizing cancer metabolism from bulk and single-cell RNA-seq data using METAFlux
title_sort characterizing cancer metabolism from bulk and single cell rna seq data using metaflux
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40457-w
work_keys_str_mv AT yuefanhuang characterizingcancermetabolismfrombulkandsinglecellrnaseqdatausingmetaflux
AT vakulmohanty characterizingcancermetabolismfrombulkandsinglecellrnaseqdatausingmetaflux
AT mervedede characterizingcancermetabolismfrombulkandsinglecellrnaseqdatausingmetaflux
AT kyletsai characterizingcancermetabolismfrombulkandsinglecellrnaseqdatausingmetaflux
AT maydaher characterizingcancermetabolismfrombulkandsinglecellrnaseqdatausingmetaflux
AT lili characterizingcancermetabolismfrombulkandsinglecellrnaseqdatausingmetaflux
AT katayounrezvani characterizingcancermetabolismfrombulkandsinglecellrnaseqdatausingmetaflux
AT kenchen characterizingcancermetabolismfrombulkandsinglecellrnaseqdatausingmetaflux