Renal coenzyme A (CoA) production from VB5 fuels stem cell proliferation and tumor growth

Abstract

Abstract Coenzyme A (CoA), derived from Vitamin B5 (VB5; also called pantothenate), is essential for lipid metabolism, energy production, and cell proliferation. While the intracellular functions of CoA are well-characterized, much less is known about its tissue‑specific regulation and systemic physiological roles. Here, using Drosophila melanogaster , we uncover a gut-renal circuit in which dietary VB5 fuels CoA biosynthesis specifically in the Malpighian tubules (MTs, the fly kidney), non‑autonomously impacting gut homeostasis. We show that, in the MTs, Myc boosts renal CoA production by directly upregulating the pantothenate kinase Fbl (human PANK1-3 ortholog) and downregulating CG5828 , which we characterize as the functional ortholog of the metabolite phosphatase and CoA synthesis suppressor PANK4 ( dPANK4 ). Elevated CoA biosynthesis enhances mevalonate-isoprenoid pathway activity in the gut, promoting intestinal stem cell proliferation. We further demonstrate that renal CoA production is required for gut tumor growth in a fly model. Consistently, MYC and genes within the CoA-isoprenoid axis display strong association with clinical outcomes in human cancers. Together, our findings establish that Myc-driven CoA metabolism generates an inter‑organ signal that couples VB5 availability to stem cell control and tumor growth, and identify the CoA-isoprenoid axis as a targetable metabolic vulnerability in cancer.