GLYATL1 is associated with metabolic and epigenetic changes and with endocrine resistance in luminal breast cancer

Janina Müller; Emre Sofyalı; Luisa E. Schwarzmüller; Yael Aylon; Eviatar Weizman; Lisa Schlicker; Katherine Kelly; Simone Borgoni; Simin Oz; Cole Stocker; Sara Burmester; Angelika Wörner; Sabine Karolus; Birgitta E. Michels; Daniela Heiss; Rainer D. Will; Veronica Rodrigues de Melo Costa; Pavlo Lutsik; Dieter Weichenhan; Ilse Hofmann; Nishanth Belugali Nataraj; Yosef Yarden; Luca Magnani; Christoph Plass; Almut Schulze; Cindy Körner; Moshe Oren; Stefan Wiemann

doi:10.1186/s13148-026-02133-w

Cancer BiologyClinical EpigeneticsApr 29, 2026

Peer-reviewed journal article

GLYATL1 is associated with metabolic and epigenetic changes and with endocrine resistance in luminal breast cancer

Janina Müller iD, Emre Sofyalı iD, Luisa E. Schwarzmüller iD, Yael Aylon iD, Eviatar Weizman iD, Lisa Schlicker iD, Katherine Kelly, Simone Borgoni iD, Simin Oz, Cole Stocker iD, Sara Burmester, Angelika Wörner, Sabine Karolus, Birgitta E. Michels iD, Daniela Heiss, Rainer D. Will iD, Veronica Rodrigues de Melo Costa, Pavlo Lutsik iD, Dieter Weichenhan iD, Ilse Hofmann iD, Nishanth Belugali Nataraj iD, Yosef Yarden iD, Luca Magnani iD, Christoph Plass iD, Almut Schulze iD, , Stefan Wiemann iD

Abstract

Estrogen receptor alpha (ER)-positive luminal breast cancer is commonly treated with aromatase inhibitors (AI) to block estrogen signaling; however, resistance frequently develops, limiting therapy success. We observed that GLYATL1 (Glycine-N-Acyltransferase Like 1) expression is upregulated in AI-resistant breast cancer cell models and in patients undergoing AI therapy, correlating with poorer survival. Here we demonstrate that GLYATL1 promotes resistance to estrogen deprivation by elevating succinate levels and altering epigenetic histone marks associated with active transcription. Knockdown or knockout of GLYATL1 reverses these effects and reduces proliferation under estrogen-deprived conditions. Notably, GLYATL1 expression is positively regulated by estrogen receptor alpha signaling independently of estrogen. These findings reveal GLYATL1 as a metabolic and epigenetic mediator of endocrine therapy resistance, suggesting it as a potential target to overcome AI resistance in luminal breast cancer.

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