The impact of food availability on tumorigenesis is evolutionarily conserved.
Sophie Tissot, Lena Guimard, Jordan Meliani, Justine Boutry, Antoine M Dujon, Jean-Pascal Capp, Jácint Tökölyi, Peter A Biro, Christa Beckmann, Laura Fontenille, Nam Do Khoa, Rodrigo Hamede, Benjamin Roche, Beata Ujvari, Aurora M Nedelcu, Frédéric Thomas
Author Information
Sophie Tissot: CREEC/MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France. sophie.tissot@ird.fr.
Lena Guimard: CREEC/MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France.
Jordan Meliani: CREEC/MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France.
Justine Boutry: CREEC/MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France.
Antoine M Dujon: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia.
Jean-Pascal Capp: Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, University of Toulouse, INSA, CNRS, INRAE, Toulouse, France.
Jácint Tökölyi: MTA-DE "Momentum" Ecology, Evolution and Developmental Biology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary.
Peter A Biro: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia.
Christa Beckmann: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia.
Laura Fontenille: AZELEAD, 377 Rue du Professeur Blayac, 34080, Montpellier, France.
Nam Do Khoa: AZELEAD, 377 Rue du Professeur Blayac, 34080, Montpellier, France.
Rodrigo Hamede: School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
Benjamin Roche: CREEC/MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France.
Beata Ujvari: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia.
Aurora M Nedelcu: Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada.
Frédéric Thomas: CREEC/MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France.
The inability to control cell proliferation results in the formation of tumors in many multicellular lineages. Nonetheless, little is known about the extent of conservation of the biological traits and ecological factors that promote or inhibit tumorigenesis across the metazoan tree. Particularly, changes in food availability have been linked to increased cancer incidence in humans, as an outcome of evolutionary mismatch. Here, we apply evolutionary oncology principles to test whether food availability, regardless of the multicellular lineage considered, has an impact on tumorigenesis. We used two phylogenetically unrelated model systems, the cnidarian Hydra oligactis and the fish Danio rerio, to investigate the impact of resource availability on tumor occurrence and progression. Individuals from healthy and tumor-prone lines were placed on four diets that differed in feeding frequency and quantity. For both models, frequent overfeeding favored tumor emergence, while lean diets appeared more protective. In terms of tumor progression, high food availability promoted it, whereas low resources controlled it, but without having a curative effect. We discuss our results in light of current ideas about the possible conservation of basic processes governing cancer in metazoans (including ancestral life history trade-offs at the cell level) and in the framework of evolutionary medicine.
References
Semin Cancer Biol. 2021 Aug;73:30-44
[PMID: 32977005]
