RESUMO
Aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect) facilitates tumor growth, and drugs targeting aerobic glycolysis are being developed. However, how the Warburg effect is directly regulated is largely unknown. Here we show that transcription factor SIX1 directly increases the expression of many glycolytic genes, promoting the Warburg effect and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. SIX1 regulates glycolysis through HBO1 and AIB1 histone acetyltransferases. Cancer-related SIX1 mutation increases its ability to promote aerobic glycolysis and tumor growth. SIX1 glycolytic function is directly repressed by microRNA-548a-3p, which is downregulated, inversely correlates with SIX1, and is a good predictor of prognosis in breast cancer patients. Thus, the microRNA-548a-3p/SIX1 axis strongly links aerobic glycolysis to carcinogenesis and may become a promising cancer therapeutic target.
Assuntos
Proliferação de Células/genética , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/genética , Glicólise/genética , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/genética , Neoplasias da Mama/genética , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Regulação para Baixo , Humanos , MicroRNAs/genéticaRESUMO
Dysregulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) promotes cancer cell growth, invasion and metastasis. However, its relevant downstream effectors are still limited. Here, we show that EGFR promotes breast tumor growth and metastasis by downregulating the tumor suppressor micoRNA-338-3p (miR-338-3p) and activating the EYA2 (EYA transcriptional coactivator and phosphatase 2) oncoprotein. EGFR represses miR-338-3p expression largely through HIF1α transcription factor. miR-338-3p inhibits EYA2 expression by binding to the 3'-untranslated region of EYA2. EGFR increases EYA2 expression via HIF1α repression of miR-338-3p. Through the miR-338-3p/EYA2 pathway, EGFR increases breast cancer cell growth, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, migration, invasion and lung metastasis in vitro and in a allograft tumor mouse model in vivo. In breast cancer patients, miR-338-3p expression negatively correlates with the expression of EGFR and EYA2, EGFR status positively associates with EYA2 expression, and miR-338-3p and EYA2 predict breast cancer lung metastasis when expressed in primary breast cancers. These data suggest that the miR-338-3p/EYA2 axis contributes to EGFR-mediated tumor growth and lung metastasis and that miR-338-3p activation or EYA2 inhibition or combination therapy targeting EGFR/miR-338-3p/EYA2 axis may be a promising way to treat patients with metastatic cancer.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Receptores ErbB/metabolismo , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intracelular/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Proteínas Tirosina Fosfatases/metabolismo , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Animais , Neoplasias da Mama/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Regulação para Baixo/efeitos dos fármacos , Transição Epitelial-Mesenquimal/efeitos dos fármacos , Receptores ErbB/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptores ErbB/genética , Feminino , Gefitinibe , Humanos , Subunidade alfa do Fator 1 Induzível por Hipóxia/antagonistas & inibidores , Subunidade alfa do Fator 1 Induzível por Hipóxia/genética , Subunidade alfa do Fator 1 Induzível por Hipóxia/metabolismo , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intracelular/antagonistas & inibidores , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intracelular/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/secundário , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , MicroRNAs/antagonistas & inibidores , MicroRNAs/genética , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Proteínas Nucleares/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Proteínas Tirosina Fosfatases/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas Tirosina Fosfatases/genética , Quinazolinas/toxicidade , Transdução de Sinais , Transplante HomólogoRESUMO
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Paclitaxel, either as monotherapy or combined with other agents, is the standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer. However, both de novo and acquired resistance against paclitaxel frequently occurs and represents a huge clinical problem. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly characterized. Here, by comparing microRNA (miRNA) expression levels using miRNA arrays, we observed differential expression of miR-30a-5p in two independent lung cancer cell pairs (paclitaxel-resistant vs paclitaxel-sensitive A549 cell lines). Overexpression of miR-30a-5p sensitizes NSCLC cells to paclitaxel both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, miR-30a-5p increases paclitaxel sensitivity by promoting chemotherapy-induced apoptosis via downregulating BCL-2, a key apoptosis regulator. High miR-30a-5p expression is positively correlated with enhanced responsiveness to paclitaxel and predicts a more favorable clinical outcome in NSCLC patients. Moreover, miR-30a-5p expression is negatively correlated with BCL-2 expression in NSCLC tissues. These data indicate that miR-30a-5p may be useful to treat paclitaxel-resistant lung cancer and may also provide a biomarker to predict paclitaxel responsiveness in lung cancer. KEY MESSAGES: BCL-2 is a novel direct target of miR-30a-5p. miR-30a-5p enhances NSCLC paclitaxel sensitivity in vitro and in vivo. miR-30a-5p sensitizes NSCLC cells to paclitaxel by inducing apoptosis through BCL-2 inhibition. miR-30a-5p negatively correlates with BCL-2 and predicts a favorable clinical outcome in NSCLC patients.
