Activation of AMPK promotes thyroid cancer cell migration through its interaction with PKM2 and β-catenin

Malignant Hepatoblast-Like Cells Sustain Stemness via IGF2-Dependent Cholesterol Accumulation in Hepatoblastoma

Hepatoblastoma, the most aggressive childhood liver tumor, poses significant challenges due to limited knowledge of its pathogenesis, particularly in poorly differentiated advanced tumors where the prognosis is dismal. Single-cell sequencing provides an in-depth exploration at the single-cell level and offers a deep understanding of tumor heterogeneity. Herein, single-cell transcriptomics analysis is used to identify a unique malignant-hepatoblast (HB)-like cell subpopulation as the possible origin of poorly differentiated hepatoblastoma. These cells are associated with an unfavorable clinical prognosis in hepatoblastoma patients. The malignant-HB-like cell subpopulation generated insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) to sustain stem-like features by promoting abnormal cholesterol accumulation via SREBF2. IGF2 also stimulated fibroblast 2 to secrete collagen 1, intensifying tumor malignancy via the collagen 1/integrin α1 signaling pathway. This suggests that targeting malignant HB-like cells by inhibiting IGF2-induced pathways can lead to promising treatments for hepatoblastoma. Additionally, serum IGF2 levels may serve as a diagnostic biomarker for advanced hepatoblastoma. In summary, these findings provide valuable insight into the genesis and malignancy of hepatoblastoma and a foundation for more effective diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies for this challenging disease.

Reprogramming of Thyroid Cancer Metabolism: from Mechanism to Therapeutic Strategy

Thyroid cancer as one of the most prevalent malignancies of endocrine system, has raised public concern and more research on its mechanism and treatment. And metabolism-based therapies have advanced rapidly, for the exclusive metabolic profiling of thyroid cancer. In thyroid cancer cells, plenty of metabolic pathways are reprogrammed to accommodate tumor microenvironment. In this review, we initiatively summarize recent progress in the full-scale thyroid cancer metabolic rewiring and the interconnection of various metabolites. We also discuss the efficacy and prospect of metabolic targeted detection as well as therapy. Comprehending metabolic mechanism and characteristics of thyroid cancer roundly will be highly beneficial to managing individual patients.

Unveiling the anticancer potential of plumbagin: targeting pyruvate kinase M2 to induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in hepatoma cells

Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), a crucial enzyme in the glycolysis pathway, is commonly documented as being overexpressed in cancer cells. Inhibiting PKM2, a strategy to mitigate cancer cell-dependent glycolysis, has demonstrated efficacy in anticancer treatment. In this study, plumbagin, which was originally extracted from the plant Plumbago zeylanica L., was discovered as a novel PKM2 inhibitor and it could bind to PKM2 to inhibit the enzymatic activity. Treatment with plumbagin in HepG2 cells resulted in the decrease of PKM2 expression, which in turn reduced the protein kinase function. The mRNA levels of its downstream genes, such as LDHA and MYC, were suppressed. Additionally, plumbagin downregulated the expression of intracellular antioxidant proteins, which induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage, ultimately triggering apoptosis. Moreover, plumbagin also reduced the migration and proliferation of HepG2 cells. This study offered valuable insights into the molecular mechanism of plumbagin and advocated for the exploration of PKM2 inhibitors as viable possibilities for anticancer therapeutics.

PKM2 promotes glioma progression by mediating CTNNB1 expression

BACKGROUND

Glioma is a common intracranial tumor, exhibiting a high degree of aggressiveness and invasiveness. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) is overexpressed in glioma tissues. However, the biological role of PKM2 in glioma is unclear.

METHODS

The qRT-PCR, CCK-8, Transwell, flow cytometry detection, western blot assays, ELISA assay, and pyruvate kinase activity assays were performed in glioma cells transfected with PKM2 shRNA to explore the function of PKM2 in glioma progression. Then, STRING website was used to predict the proteins that interacted with PKM2, and Co-IP assay was conducted to further validate their interaction. Subsequently, the above experiments were performed again to find the effect of catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1) overexpression on PKM2-deficient glioma cells. The transplanted tumor models were also established to further validate our findings.

RESULTS

PKM2 was up-regulated in glioma cells and tissues. After inhibiting PKM2, the proliferation, migration, glycolysis, and EMT of glioma cells were significantly decreased, and the proportion of apoptosis was increased. The prediction results of STRING website showed that CTNNB1 and PKM2 had the highest interaction score. The correlation between CTNNB1 and PKM2 was further confirmed by Co-IP test. PKM2 knockdown suppressed glioma cell proliferation, migration, glycolysis, and EMT, while CTNNB1 overexpression rescued these inhibitory effects. Correspondingly, PKM2 knockdown inhibited glioma growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

In summary, these findings indicated that PKM2 promotes glioma progression by mediating CTNNB1 expression, providing a possible molecular marker for the clinical management of gliomas.

PKM2 induces mitophagy through the AMPK-mTOR pathway promoting CSFV proliferation

Viruses exploit the host cell's energy metabolism system to support their replication. Mitochondria, known as the powerhouse of the cell, play a critical role in regulating cell survival and virus replication. Our prior research indicated that the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) alters mitochondrial dynamics and triggers glycolytic metabolic reprogramming. However, the role and mechanism of PKM2, a key regulatory enzyme of glycolytic metabolism, in CSFV replication remain unclear. In this study, we discovered that CSFV enhances PKM2 expression and utilizes PKM2 to inhibit pyruvate production. Using an affinity purification coupled mass spectrometry system, we successfully identified PKM as a novel interaction partner of the CSFV non-structural protein NS4A. Furthermore, we validated the interaction between PKM2 and both CSFV NS4A and NS5A through co-immunoprecipitation and confocal analysis. PKM2 was found to promote the expression of both NS4A and NS5A. Moreover, we observed that PKM2 induces mitophagy by activating the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway, thereby facilitating CSFV proliferation. In summary, our data reveal a novel mechanism whereby PKM2, a metabolic enzyme, promotes CSFV proliferation by inducing mitophagy. These findings offer a new avenue for developing antiviral strategies.

IMPORTANCE

Viruses rely on the host cell's material-energy metabolic system for replication, inducing host metabolic disorders and subsequent immunosuppression-a major contributor to persistent viral infections. Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is no exception. Classical swine fever is a severe acute infectious disease caused by CSFV, resulting in significant economic losses to the global pig industry. While the role of the metabolic enzyme PKM2 (pyruvate dehydrogenase) in the glycolytic pathway of tumor cells has been extensively studied, its involvement in viral infection remains relatively unknown. Our data unveil a new mechanism by which the metabolic enzyme PKM2 mediates CSFV infection, offering novel avenues for the development of antiviral strategies.

MARK2 potentiate aerobic glycolysis-mediated cell growth in breast cancer through regulating mTOR/HIF-1α and p53 pathways

The microtubule-affinity regulating kinases (MARKs) family plays a crucial role in regulating breast cancer development and progression. However, its precise function and the relevant molecular mechanism in breast cancer have not yet been elucidated. In this study, analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data revealed that MARK2 expression was markedly upregulated in breast cancer tissues, and high expression of MARK2 was correlated with poor survival. Functional assays showed that MARK2 deletion or inhibition suppressed aerobic glycolysis and cell growth as well as induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, MARK2 stimulates mTOR-mediated hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) transcription activity and represses p53-transcription activity in breast cancer cells. TCGA data revealed that MARK2 expression was positively correlated with mTOR, Raptor, S6K1, glucose transporter 1, lactate dehydrogenase, HIF-1α, and 4E-BP1 expression, whereas negatively correlated with p53, p21, and Bax in breast cancer tissue. Conclusively, our study demonstrated that MARK2 promotes breast cancer aerobic glycolysis and cell proliferation, and inhibits apoptosis, in part, through regulating mTOR/HIF-1α and p53 signaling pathways. Overall, these findings point to the potential of targeting MARK2 for breast cancer treatment.

Metabolic Reprogramming of Thyroid Cancer Cells and Crosstalk in Their Microenvironment

Metabolism differs significantly between tumor and normal cells. Metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells and metabolic interplay in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are important for tumor formation and progression. Tumor cells show changes in both catabolism and anabolism. Altered aerobic glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect, is a well-recognized characteristic of tumor cell energy metabolism. Compared with normal cells, tumor cells consume more glucose and glutamine. The enhanced anabolism in tumor cells includes de novo lipid synthesis as well as protein and nucleic acid synthesis. Although these forms of energy supply are uneconomical, they are required for the functioning of cancer cells, including those in thyroid cancer (TC). Increasing attention has recently focused on alterations of the TME. Understanding the metabolic changes governing the intricate relationship between TC cells and the TME may provide novel ideas for the treatment of TC.

Targeting pyruvate kinase muscle isoform 2 (PKM2) in cancer: What do we know so far?

Cancer is a leading cause of death globally. Cancer cell transformation is the result of intricate crosstalk between intracellular components and proteins. A characteristic feature of cancer cells is the ability to reprogram their metabolic pathways to ensure their infinite proliferative potential. Pyruvate kinase muscle isoform 2 (PKM2) is a glycolytic enzyme that plays crucial roles in cancer, apart from carrying out its metabolic roles. PKM2 is involved in all the major events associated with cancer growth. Modulation of PKM2 activity (dimer inhibition or tetramer activation) has been successful in controlling cancer. However, recent studies provide contrary evidences regarding the oncogenic functions of PKM2. Moreover, several studies have highlighted the cancerous roles of PKM1 isoform in certain contexts. The present review aims at providing the current updates regarding PKM2 targeting in cancer. Further, the review discusses the contradictory results that suggest that both the isoforms of PKM can lead to cancer growth. In conclusion, the review emphasizes revisiting the approaches to target cancer metabolism through PKM to find novel and effective targets for anticancer therapy.

The Role of PKM2 in Metabolic Reprogramming: Insights into the Regulatory Roles of Non-Coding RNAs

Pyruvate kinase is a key regulator in glycolysis through the conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) into pyruvate. Pyruvate kinase exists in various isoforms that can exhibit diverse biological functions and outcomes. The pyruvate kinase isoenzyme type M2 (PKM2) controls cell progression and survival through the regulation of key signaling pathways. In cancer cells, the dimer form of PKM2 predominates and plays an integral role in cancer metabolism. This predominance of the inactive dimeric form promotes the accumulation of phosphometabolites, allowing cancer cells to engage in high levels of synthetic processing to enhance their proliferative capacity. PKM2 has been recognized for its role in regulating gene expression and transcription factors critical for health and disease. This role enables PKM2 to exert profound regulatory effects that promote cancer cell metabolism, proliferation, and migration. In addition to its role in cancer, PKM2 regulates aspects essential to cellular homeostasis in non-cancer tissues and, in some cases, promotes tissue-specific pathways in health and diseases. In pursuit of understanding the diverse tissue-specific roles of PKM2, investigations targeting tissues such as the kidney, liver, adipose, and pancreas have been conducted. Findings from these studies enhance our understanding of PKM2 functions in various diseases beyond cancer. Therefore, there is substantial interest in PKM2 modulation as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of multiple conditions. Indeed, a vast plethora of research has focused on identifying therapeutic strategies for targeting PKM2. Recently, targeting PKM2 through its regulatory microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) has gathered increasing interest. Thus, the goal of this review is to highlight recent advancements in PKM2 research, with a focus on PKM2 regulatory microRNAs and lncRNAs and their subsequent physiological significance.

Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Promote Bone Regeneration by Altering MicroRNA Profiles

The role and underlying mechanism of exosomes derived from human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSC) in osteogenesis are unclear. In the present study, we identified the exosomes derived from PDLSCs and found that osteogenic induction can enhance the osteogenic ability of PDLSC-derived exosomes in promoting the osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs). To investigate the underlying mechanism, we analyzed the exosomal miRNA expression profiles of undifferentiated and osteogenic differentiated PDLSCs by RNA sequencing. The results showed that seventy-two miRNAs were upregulated and thirty-five miRNAs were downregulated after osteogenic induction. The results of Gene Ontology analysis and pathway analysis demonstrated that the target genes of differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs participate in the regulation of a variety of biological processes, such as catalytic activity, protein binding, metabolic processes, cell development, and differentiation, and are enriched in osteogenic differentiation-related pathways, such as MAPK signaling, AMPK signaling, and insulin signaling pathways. Our results reveal for the first time that the exosomal miRNAs derived from osteogenic differentiated PDLSCs may promote the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, which provides a basis for further research on the regulatory function of exosomal miRNA of PDLSCs during osteogenesis.

ETV2 (Ets Variant Transcription Factor 2)-Rhoj Cascade Regulates Endothelial Progenitor Cell Migration During Embryogenesis

OBJECTIVE

Endothelial progenitors migrate early during embryogenesis to form the primary vascular plexus. The regulatory mechanisms that govern their migration are not completely defined. Here, we describe a novel role for ETV2 (Ets variant transcription factor 2) in cell migration and provide evidence for an ETV2-Rhoj network as a mechanism responsible for this process. Approach and Results: Analysis of RNAseq datasets showed robust enrichment of migratory/motility pathways following overexpression of ETV2 during mesodermal differentiation. We then analyzed ETV2 chromatin immunoprecipitation-seq and assay for transposase accessible chromatin-seq datasets, which showed enrichment of chromatin immunoprecipitation-seq peaks with increased chromatin accessibility in migratory genes following overexpression of ETV2. Migratory assays showed that overexpression of ETV2 enhanced cell migration in mouse embryonic stem cells, embryoid bodies, and mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Knockout of Etv2 led to migratory defects of Etv2-EYFP⁺ angioblasts to their predefined regions of developing embryos relative to wild-type controls at embryonic day (E) 8.5, supporting its role during migration. Mechanistically, we showed that ETV2 binds the promoter region of Rhoj serving as an upstream regulator of cell migration. Single-cell RNAseq analysis of Etv2-EYFP⁺ sorted cells revealed coexpression of Etv2 and Rhoj in endothelial progenitors at E7.75 and E8.25. Overexpression of ETV2 led to a robust increase in Rhoj in both embryoid bodies and mouse embryonic fibroblasts, whereas, its expression was abolished in the Etv2 knockout embryoid bodies. Finally, shRNA-mediated knockdown of Rhoj resulted in migration defects, which were partially rescued by overexpression of ETV2.

CONCLUSIONS

These results define an ETV2-Rhoj cascade, which is important for the regulation of endothelial progenitor cell migration.

Mammalian cold-inducible RNA-binding protein facilitates wound healing through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase

The skin is usually maintained within a temperature range that induces cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (Cirp). To determine whether Cirp plays a role in barrier function of the skin, we analyzed the skin wound healing in cirp-knockout (KO) mice. They exhibited delayed wound healing compared with wild-type littermates in the absence as well as presence of skin contraction. Dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes from cirp-KO mice migrated slower than those from wild-type mice. When expression of Cirp was downregulated in cultured cells, migration rate was decreased. Cirp bound liver-kinase-B1 (LKB1) in the nucleus and was suggested to enhance its translocation to the cytoplasm, resulting in enhanced phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and cell motility. Stimulation of AMPK ameliorated the delayed wound healing in cirp-KO mice. These findings suggest that Cirp facilitates skin wound healing by enhancing cell migration via AMPK, indicating roles for Cirp in linking skin temperature with metabolism and defense mechanism.