Enzyme decrease triggers cancer metastasis (IMAGE)

University of California - Berkeley

Enzyme decrease triggers cancer metastasis

Caption

UC Berkeley and Columbia University scientists have found that pancreatic cancer cells (left) readily metastasize because these tumors suppress levels of an enzyme, MSRA, that pulls oxygen atoms off amino acids called methionine. As MSRA levels decrease, methionines on proteins become more oxidized. This causes one particular protein to rev up energy production in the tumor, promoting the migration of cancer cells to other organs. Metastatic tumors on the liver (right) lead to rapid death.

Credit

Christopher Chang, UC Berkeley, and Christine Chio, Columbia

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