Hexokinase-2 Depletion Inhibits Glycolysis and Induces Oxidative Phosphorylation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Sensitizes to Metformin

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2018 Feb 2

PMID 29386513

Citations 236

Authors

Dannielle DeWaal

Veronique Nogueira

Alexander R Terry

Krushna C Patra

Sang-Min Jeon

Grace Guzman

Jennifer Au

Christopher P Long

Maciek R Antoniewicz

Nissim Hay

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are metabolically distinct from normal hepatocytes by expressing the high-affinity hexokinase (HK2) and suppressing glucokinase (GCK). This is exploited to selectively target HCC. Hepatic HK2 deletion inhibits tumor incidence in a mouse model of hepatocarcinogenesis. Silencing HK2 in human HCC cells inhibits tumorigenesis and increases cell death, which cannot be restored by GCK or mitochondrial binding deficient HK2. Upon HK2 silencing, glucose flux to pyruvate and lactate is inhibited, but TCA fluxes are maintained. Serine uptake and glycine secretion are elevated suggesting increased requirement for one-carbon contribution. Consistently, vulnerability to serine depletion increases. The decrease in glycolysis is coupled to elevated oxidative phosphorylation, which is diminished by metformin, further increasing cell death and inhibiting tumor growth. Neither HK2 silencing nor metformin alone inhibits mTORC1, but their combination inhibits mTORC1 in an AMPK-independent and REDD1-dependent mechanism. Finally, HK2 silencing synergizes with sorafenib to inhibit tumor growth.

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