Transsulfuration, minor player or crucial for cysteine homeostasis in cancer

Cysteine, a thiol-containing amino acid, is crucial for the synthesis of sulfur -con-taining biomolecules that control multiple essential cellular activities. Altered cysteine metabolism has been linked to numerous driver oncoproteins and tumor suppressors, as well as to malignant traits in cancer. Cysteine can be ac-quired from extracellular sources or synthesized de novo via the transsulfuration (TSS) pathway. Limited availability of cystine in tumor interstitial fluids raises the possible dependency on de novo cysteine synthesis via TSS. However, the con-tribution of TSS to cancer metabolism remains highly contentious. Based on re-cent findings, we provide new perspectives on this crucial but understudied metabolic pathway in cancer.

Automated summary

Cysteine, an important amino acid involved in multiple cellular activities, has been linked to cancer development. This article provides new perspectives on cysteine metabolism in cancer.