MTR4 drives liver tumorigenesis by promoting cancer metabolic switch through alternative splicing

Nat Commun. 2020 Feb 5;11(1):708. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14437-3.

Abstract

The metabolic switch from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis is required for tumorigenesis in order to provide cancer cells with energy and substrates of biosynthesis. Therefore, it is important to elucidate mechanisms controlling the cancer metabolic switch. MTR4 is a RNA helicase associated with a nuclear exosome that plays key roles in RNA processing and surveillance. We demonstrate that MTR4 is frequently overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is an independent diagnostic marker predicting the poor prognosis of HCC patients. MTR4 drives cancer metabolism by ensuring correct alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs of critical glycolytic genes such as GLUT1 and PKM2. c-Myc binds to the promoter of the MTR4 gene and is important for MTR4 expression in HCC cells, indicating that MTR4 is a mediator of the functions of c-Myc in cancer metabolism. These findings reveal important roles of MTR4 in the cancer metabolic switch and present MTR4 as a promising therapeutic target for treating HCC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alternative Splicing*
  • Animals
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Genes, myc
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1 / genetics
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1 / metabolism
  • Glycolysis / physiology
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins / genetics
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / genetics
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms / mortality
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice, SCID
  • Middle Aged
  • Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein / genetics
  • Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • RNA Helicases / genetics*
  • RNA Helicases / metabolism
  • Thyroid Hormone-Binding Proteins
  • Thyroid Hormones / genetics
  • Thyroid Hormones / metabolism

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • PTBP1 protein, human
  • SLC2A1 protein, human
  • Thyroid Hormones
  • Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein
  • MTREX protein, human
  • RNA Helicases