Abstract
PRCC-TFE3 rearrangement renal cell carcinoma (rRCC) is an independent subtype of rRCC caused by chromosomal translocation and rearrangement. Previous studies have revealed that nicotinamide riboside kinase 2 (NMRK2), which is transcriptionally upregulated by PRCC-TFE3 fusion protein, as a pivotal molecule in the energy metabolism remodeling of PRCC-TFE3 rRCC. However, the molecular mechanism by which NMRK2-mediated enhancement of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) synthesis contributes to tumor progression in PRCC-TFE3 rRCC remains unclear. In this study, utilizing immune system-humanized mice model and in vitro cell models, we demonstrated that elevated expression of NMRK2 impaired the cytotoxic functions of CD8+T cells, leading to the emergence of immune-ignorant phenotypes in PRCC-TFE3 rRCC. Furthermore, it was shown that the increased NAD+ metabolism driven by NMRK2 enhanced the stability of CD38 protein through SIRT1-mediated deacetylation, which underlines impairment of CD8+T cells and the development of an immunosuppressive state in PRCC-TFE3 rRCC. Our findings not only elucidated a mechanism underlying immunological ignorance in PRCC-TFE3 rRCC but also propose potential therapeutic targets.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 50 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $5.18 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout









Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
References
Moch H, Amin MB, Berney DM, Comperat EM, Gill AJ, Hartmann A, et al. The 2022 World Health Organization classification of tumours of the urinary system and male genital organs-part a: renal, penile, and testicular tumours. Eur Urol. 2022;82:458–68.
Sukov WR, Hodge JC, Lohse CM, Leibovich BC, Thompson RH, Pearce KE, et al. TFE3 rearrangements in adult renal cell carcinoma: clinical and pathologic features with outcome in a large series of consecutively treated patients. Am J Surg Pathol. 2012;36:663–70.
Lin J, Tang Z, Zhang C, Dong W, Liu Y, Huang H, et al. TFE3 gene rearrangement and protein expression contribute to a poor prognosis of renal cell carcinoma. Heliyon. 2023;9:e16076.
Lee HJ, Shin DH, Kim SY, Hwang CS, Lee JH, Park WY, et al. TFE3 translocation and protein expression in renal cell carcinoma are correlated with poor prognosis. Histopathology. 2018;73:758–66.
van der Beek JN, Hol JA, Coulomb-L’Hermine A, Graf N, van Tinteren H, Pritchard-Jones K, et al. Characteristics and outcome of pediatric renal cell carcinoma patients registered in the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) 93-01, 2001 and UK-IMPORT database: a report of the SIOP-Renal Tumor Study Group. Int J Cancer. 2021;148:2724–35.
van der Beek JN, Geller JI, de Krijger RR, Graf N, Pritchard-Jones K, Drost J, et al. Characteristics and outcome of children with renal cell carcinoma: a narrative review. Cancers. 2020;12:1776.
Lu Y, Zhu Y, Ma W, Liu N, Dong X, Shi Q, et al. Estrogen associates with female predominance in Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma. Sci Rep. 2023;13:6141.
Zhuang W, Liu N, Guo H, Zhang C, Gan W. Gender difference analysis of Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinomas’s attack rate: a meta-analysis and systematic review. BMC Urol. 2020;20:130.
Sun G, Chen J, Liang J, Yin X, Zhang M, Yao J, et al. Integrated exome and RNA sequencing of TFE3-translocation renal cell carcinoma. Nat Commun. 2021;12:5262.
Qu Y, Wu X, Anwaier A, Feng J, Xu W, Pei X, et al. Proteogenomic characterization of MiT family translocation renal cell carcinoma. Nat Commun. 2022;13:7494.
Wang B, Gan W, Han X, Li D. PRCC-TFE3 regulates migration and invasion of translocation renal cell carcinomas via activation of Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission. Cell Biol Int. 2020;44:1727–33.
Wang B, Yin X, Gan W, Pan F, Li S, Xiang Z, et al. PRCC-TFE3 fusion-mediated PRKN/parkin-dependent mitophagy promotes cell survival and proliferation in PRCC-TFE3 translocation renal cell carcinoma. Autophagy. 2021;17:2475–93.
Sidhar SK, Clark J, Gill S, Hamoudi R, Crew AJ, Gwilliam R, et al. The t(X;1)(p11.2;q21.2) translocation in papillary renal cell carcinoma fuses a novel gene PRCC to the TFE3 transcription factor gene. Hum Mol Genet. 1996;5:1333–8.
Skalsky YM, Ajuh PM, Parker C, Lamond AI, Goodwin G, Cooper CS. PRCC, the commonest TFE3 fusion partner in papillary renal carcinoma is associated with pre-mRNA splicing factors. Oncogene. 2001;20:178–87.
Yin X, Wang B, Gan W, Zhuang W, Xiang Z, Han X, et al. TFE3 fusions escape from controlling of mTOR signaling pathway and accumulate in the nucleus promoting genes expression in Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinomas. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2019;38:119.
Chen Y, Yang L, Lu Y, Liu N, Ma W, Fan H, et al. Up-regulation of NMRK2 mediated by TFE3 fusions is the key for energy metabolism adaption of Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma. Cancer Lett. 2022;538:215689.
Covarrubias AJ, Perrone R, Grozio A, Verdin E. NAD(+) metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2021;22:119–41.
Amjad S, Nisar S, Bhat AA, Shah AR, Frenneaux MP, Fakhro K, et al. Role of NAD(+) in regulating cellular and metabolic signaling pathways. Mol Metab. 2021;49:101195.
Garten A, Schuster S, Penke M, Gorski T, de Giorgis T, Kiess W. Physiological and pathophysiological roles of NAMPT and NAD metabolism. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2015;11:535–46.
Jokinen R, Pirnes-Karhu S, Pietilainen KH, Pirinen E. Adipose tissue NAD(+)-homeostasis, sirtuins and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases -important players in mitochondrial metabolism and metabolic health. Redox Biol. 2017;12:246–63.
Canto C, Menzies KJ, Auwerx J. NAD(+) metabolism and the control of energy homeostasis: a balancing act between mitochondria and the nucleus. Cell Metab. 2015;22:31–53.
Munk SHN, Merchut-Maya JM, Adelantado Rubio A, Hall A, Pappas G, Milletti G, et al. NAD(+) regulates nucleotide metabolism and genomic DNA replication. Nat Cell Biol. 2023;25:1774–86.
Guldenpfennig A, Hopp AK, Muskalla L, Manetsch P, Raith F, Hellweg L, et al. Absence of mitochondrial SLC25A51 enhances PARP1-dependent DNA repair by increasing nuclear NAD+ levels. Nucleic Acids Res. 2023;51:9248–65.
Chini CCS, Zeidler JD, Kashyap S, Warner G, Chini EN. Evolving concepts in NAD(+) metabolism. Cell Metab. 2021;33:1076–87.
Damgaard MV, Treebak JT. What is really known about the effects of nicotinamide riboside supplementation in humans. Sci Adv. 2023;9:eadi4862.
Lv H, Lv G, Chen C, Zong Q, Jiang G, Ye D, et al. NAD(+) metabolism maintains inducible PD-L1 expression to drive tumor immune evasion. Cell Metab. 2021;33:110–27.e115.
Li M, Kirtane AR, Kiyokawa J, Nagashima H, Lopes A, Tirmizi ZA, et al. Local targeting of NAD(+) salvage pathway alters the immune tumor microenvironment and enhances checkpoint immunotherapy in glioblastoma. Cancer Res. 2021;81:1922.
Wan J, Cheng C, Hu J, Huang H, Han Q, Jie Z, et al. De novo NAD(+) synthesis contributes to CD8(+) T cell metabolic fitness and antitumor function. Cell Rep. 2023;42:113518.
Wang Y, Wang F, Wang L, Qiu S, Yao Y, Yan C, et al. NAD(+) supplement potentiates tumor-killing function by rescuing defective TUB-mediated NAMPT transcription in tumor-infiltrated T cells. Cell Rep. 2021;36:109516.
Chatterjee S, Daenthanasanmak A, Chakraborty P, Wyatt MW, Dhar P, Selvam SP, et al. CD38-NAD(+)axis regulates immunotherapeutic anti-tumor T cell response. Cell Metab. 2018;27:85–100.e108.
Rudloff MW, Zumbo P, Favret NR, Roetman JJ, Detres Roman CR, Erwin MM, et al. Hallmarks of CD8(+) T cell dysfunction are established within hours of tumor antigen encounter before cell division. Nat Immunol. 2023;24:1527–39.
Chen L, Diao L, Yang Y, Yi X, Rodriguez BL, Li Y, et al. CD38-mediated immunosuppression as a mechanism of tumor cell escape from PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Cancer Discov. 2018;8:1156–75.
Horenstein AL, Chillemi A, Zaccarello G, Bruzzone S, Quarona V, Zito A, et al. A CD38/CD203a/CD73 ectoenzymatic pathway independent of CD39 drives a novel adenosinergic loop in human T lymphocytes. Oncoimmunology. 2013;2:e26246.
Yegutkin GG, Boison D. ATP and adenosine metabolism in cancer: exploitation for therapeutic gain. Pharmacol Rev. 2022;74:797–822.
Zhang C, Wang K, Wang H. Adenosine in cancer immunotherapy: taking off on a new plane. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer. 2023;1878:189005.
Aksoy P, Escande C, White TA, Thompson M, Soares S, Benech JC, et al. Regulation of SIRT 1 mediated NAD-dependent deacetylation: a novel role for the multifunctional enzyme CD38. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2006;349:353–9.
Barbosa MT, Soares SM, Novak CM, Sinclair D, Levine JA, Aksoy P, et al. The enzyme CD38 (a NAD glycohydrolase, EC 3.2.2.5) is necessary for the development of diet-induced obesity. FASEB J. 2007;21:3629–39.
van de Donk N, Richardson PG, Malavasi F. CD38 antibodies in multiple myeloma: back to the future. Blood. 2018;131:13–29.
Green DJ, O’Steen S, Lin Y, Comstock ML, Kenoyer AL, Hamlin DK, et al. CD38-bispecific antibody pretargeted radioimmunotherapy for multiple myeloma and other B-cell malignancies. Blood. 2018;131:611–20.
Carretero-Iglesia L, Hall OJ, Berret J, Pais D, Estoppey C, Chimen M, et al. ISB 2001 trispecific T cell engager shows strong tumor cytotoxicity and overcomes immune escape mechanisms of multiple myeloma cells. Nat Cancer. 2024;5:1494–514.
Feng X, Zhang L, Acharya C, An G, Wen K, Qiu L, et al. Targeting CD38 suppresses induction and function of T regulatory cells to mitigate immunosuppression in multiple myeloma. Clin Cancer Res. 2017;23:4290–4300.
Holmgaard RB, Zamarin D, Li Y, Gasmi B, Munn DH, Allison JP, et al. Tumor-expressed IDO recruits and activates MDSCs in a Treg-dependent manner. Cell Rep. 2015;13:412–24.
Favia A, Desideri M, Gambara G, D’Alessio A, Ruas M, Esposito B, et al. VEGF-induced neoangiogenesis is mediated by NAADP and two-pore channel-2-dependent Ca2+ signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014;111:E4706–15.
Favia A, Pafumi I, Desideri M, Padula F, Montesano C, Passeri D, et al. NAADP-dependent Ca(2+) signaling controls melanoma progression, metastatic dissemination and neoangiogenesis. Sci Rep. 2016;6:18925.
Pepper C, Lin TT, Pratt G, Hewamana S, Brennan P, Hiller L, et al. Mcl-1 expression has in vitro and in vivo significance in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and is associated with other poor prognostic markers. Blood. 2008;112:3807–17.
Ludwig N, Yerneni SS, Azambuja JH, Gillespie DG, Menshikova EV, Jackson EK, et al. Tumor-derived exosomes promote angiogenesis via adenosine A(2B) receptor signaling. Angiogenesis. 2020;23:599–610.
Vijayan VV, Nair PG, Gujar S. Multiprong CD38 targeting to enhance anti-PD1 immune checkpoint blockade efficacy. Oncoimmunology. 2024;13:2400429.
Mastelic-Gavillet B, Navarro Rodrigo B, Decombaz L, Wang H, Ercolano G, Ahmed R, et al. Adenosine mediates functional and metabolic suppression of peripheral and tumor-infiltrating CD8(+) T cells. J Immunother Cancer. 2019;7:257.
Chen S, Akdemir I, Fan J, Linden J, Zhang B, Cekic C. The expression of adenosine A2b receptor on antigen-presenting cells suppresses CD8(+) T-cell responses and promotes tumor growth. Cancer Immunol Res. 2020;8:1064–74.
Bai Y, Zhang X, Zheng J, Liu Z, Yang Z, Zhang X. Overcoming high level adenosine-mediated immunosuppression by DZD2269, a potent and selective A2aR antagonist. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2022;41:302.
Chan MK, Chung JY, Tang PC, Chan AS, Ho JY, Lin TP, et al. TGF-beta signaling networks in the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Lett. 2022;550:215925.
Laine A, Labiad O, Hernandez-Vargas H, This S, Sanlaville A, Leon S, et al. Regulatory T cells promote cancer immune-escape through integrin alphavbeta8-mediated TGF-beta activation. Nat Commun. 2021;12:6228.
Ferrante CJ, Pinhal-Enfield G, Elson G, Cronstein BN, Hasko G, Outram S, et al. The adenosine-dependent angiogenic switch of macrophages to an M2-like phenotype is independent of interleukin-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Ralpha) signaling. Inflammation. 2013;36:921–31.
Wen ZF, Liu H, Gao R, Zhou M, Ma J, Zhang Y, et al. Tumor cell-released autophagosomes (TRAPs) promote immunosuppression through induction of M2-like macrophages with increased expression of PD-L1. J Immunother Cancer. 2018;6:151.
Park JE, Dutta B, Tse SW, Gupta N, Tan CF, Low JK, et al. Hypoxia-induced tumor exosomes promote M2-like macrophage polarization of infiltrating myeloid cells and microRNA-mediated metabolic shift. Oncogene. 2019;38:5158–73.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Prof. Xiaodong Han for providing necessary reagents and suggestions about experiments. UOK cell lines derived from patients were from Dr. Marston Linehan’s lab, Urologic Oncology Branch, Tumor Cell Line Repository, NCI. We would like to sincerely thank Dr. W. Marston Linehan from the National Cancer Institute in America for giving us the UOK109 and UOK120 cell lines. We thank The Translational Medicine Core Facilities, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China, for providing the experimental equipment. We thank Dr. Dazhi Yang from AcroGenic biotechnologies for providing us with AccuraMatrix and giving us guidance in establishing 3D cell culture. We would like to thank Home for Research editorial team (www.home-for-researchers.com).
Funding
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82503947), the Medical Research Project of Jiangsu Province Health Commission (No. ZD2022013), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82303942), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20221444), and Beijing Ronghe Medical Development Foundation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
YC and XWTL conceived the study, designed the experiments, and wrote the original draft. YC (same first author) also curated the data and prepared all figures. MMW verified the analytical methods, cleaned the raw data, and co-wrote the Results. XD assembled the datasets, performed the statistical analyses, and helped write the Methods section. WLM compiled the literature review and co-wrote the Introduction and Discussion. FF edited the manuscript for scientific content and revised the statistical reporting. YBD and PD polished the language and ensured compliance with journal's style. WDD checked the references and managed the response-to-reviewers documents. LQZ proofread the final text and coordinated submission logistics. DML provided the clinical samples and laboratory reagents. WDG supervised the data-collection protocol and obtained ethical approvals. NL acquired the funding, administered the project, and critically reviewed all versions of the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
The present study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Medical School of Nanjing University.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary information
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Chen, Y., Liu, X., Wu, M. et al. NMRK2 leads to the depletion of CD8+T cells by mediating the enhancement of NAD+-SIRT1-CD38 axis in PRCC-TFE3 rRCC. Oncogene (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-025-03577-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-025-03577-9