Tumor growth of neurofibromin-deficient cells is driven by decreased respiration and hampered by NAD + and SIRT3.

Neurofibromin loss drives neoplastic growth and a rewiring of mitochondrial metabolism. Here we report that neurofibromin ablation dampens expression and activity of NADH dehydrogenase, the respiratory chain complex I, in an ERK-dependent fashion, decreasing both respiration and intracellular NAD + . Expression of the alternative NADH dehydrogenase NDI1 raises NAD + /NADH ratio, enhances the activity of the NAD + -dependent deacetylase SIRT3 and interferes with tumorigenicity in neurofibromin-deficient cells. The antineoplastic effect of NDI1 is mimicked by administration of NAD + precursors or by rising expression of the NAD + deacetylase SIRT3 and is synergistic with ablation of the mitochondrial chaperone TRAP1, which augments succinate dehydrogenase activity further contributing to block pro-neoplastic metabolic changes. These findings shed light on bioenergetic adaptations of tumors lacking neurofibromin, linking complex I inhibition to mitochondrial NAD + /NADH unbalance and SIRT3 inhibition, as well as to down-regulation of succinate dehydrogenase. This metabolic rewiring could unveil attractive therapeutic targets for neoplasms related to neurofibromin loss.