Wenlong Jia, Guanxing Yu, Shenqi Han, Zhibo Ma, Junnan Liang, Wei Yan, Xinling Zhang, Chenglong Zeng, Lin Xue, Feng Xia, Ganxun Li, Ran Tao, Peixiang Lan, Wei Yan, Wanguang Zhang, Huifang Liang, Xiaoping Chen, Zhao Huang, Bixiang Zhang
Tumor cells often evade immune pressure via metabolic reprogramming, yet the key metabolic regulators orchestrating this process remain incompletely defined. Here, using in vivo metabolic CRISPR screening under distinct immune pressures, we identified tumor cell-intrinsic solute carrier family 1 member 5 (SLC1A5) as a metabolic node that sustains an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. SLC1A5-mediated glutamine metabolism in tumor cells modulated CD8 T cell infiltration and effector function, reshaping tumor responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Glucose deprivation up-regulated SLC1A5 isoforms in tumor cells, enhancing glutamine uptake and glutathione synthesis. This adaptation limited mitochondrial oxidative stress and cytosolic mitochondrial DNA release, thereby suppressing cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) activation, interferon-β production, and CD8 T cell antitumor responses. These findings define a glutamine-fueled metabolic program as a barrier to tumor immunogenicity, positioning SLC1A5 as a tumor-intrinsic metabolic regulator with potential therapeutic relevance.