MITF-Mediated lncRNA CCDC183-As1 Promotes the Tumorigenic Properties and Aerobic Glycolysis of Bladder Cancer via Upregulating TCF7L2

Regulatory function of glycolysis-related lncRNAs in tumor progression: Mechanism, facts, and perspectives

Altered metabolism is a hallmark of cancer, and reprogramming of energy metabolism, known as the "Warburg effect", has long been associated with cancer. Cancer cells use the process of glycolysis to quickly manufacture energy from glucose, pyruvic acid, and lactate, which in turn accelerates the growth of cancer and glycolysis becomes a key target for anti-cancer therapies. Recent groundbreaking discoveries regarding long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have opened a new chapter in the mechanism of cancer occurrence. It is widely recognized that lncRNAs regulate energy metabolism through glycolysis in cancer cells. LncRNAs have been demonstrated to engage in several cancer processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and chemoresistance, whereas glycolysis is enhanced or inhibited by the dysregulation of lncRNAs. As a result, cancer survival and development are influenced by different signaling pathways. In this review, we summarize the roles of lncRNAs in a variety of cancers and describe the mechanisms underlying their role in glycolysis. Additionally, the predictive potential of glycolysis and lncRNAs in cancer therapy is discussed.

Significant and Various Effects of ML329-Induced MITF Suppression in the Melanoma Cell Line

To study the inhibitory effects on microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF)-related biological aspects in malignant melanomas (MMs) in the presence or absence of the low-molecular MITF specific inhibitor ML329, cell viability, cellular metabolic functions, and three-dimensional (3D) spheroid formation efficacy were compared among MM cell lines including SK-mel-24, A375, dabrafenib- and trametinib-resistant A375 (A375DT), and WM266-4. Upon exposure to 2 or 10 μM of ML329, cell viability was significantly decreased in WM266-4, SK-mel-24, and A375DT cells, but not A375 cells, in a dose-dependent manner, and these toxic effects of ML329 were most evident in WM266-4 cells. Extracellular flux assays conducted using a Seahorse bioanalyzer revealed that treatment with ML329 increased basal respiration, ATP-linked respiration, proton leakage, and non-mitochondrial respiration in WM266-4 cells and decreased glycolytic function in SK-mel-24 cells, whereas there were no marked effects of ML329 on A375 and A375DT cells. A glycolytic stress assay under conditions of high glucose concentrations also demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of ML329 on the glycolytic function of WM266-4 cells was dose-dependent. In addition, ML329 significantly decreased 3D-spheroid-forming ability, though the effects of ML329 were variable among the MM cell lines. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of selected genes, including STAT3 as a possible regulator of 3D spheroid formation, KRAS and SOX2 as oncogenic-signaling-related factors, PCG1a as the main regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, and HIF1a as a major hypoxia transcriptional regulator, fluctuated among the MM cell lines, possibly supporting the diverse ML329 effects mentioned above. The findings of diverse ML329 effects on various MM cell lines suggest that MITF-associated biological activities are different among various types of MM.

Molecular profile of non-coding RNA-mediated glycolysis control in human cancers

The glycolysis is a common characteristic of cancer and it is responsible for providing enough energy to ensure growth. The glycolysis suppression is beneficial in tumor growth reduction. The stimulation/inhibition of glycolysis in cancer is tightly regulated by ncRNAs. The regulation of glycolysis by ncRNAs can influence proliferation and therapy response of tumor. The miRNAs are capable of inactivating enzymes responsible for glycolysis and suppressing signaling networks resulting in glycolysis induction. By regulation of glycolysis, miRNAs can affect therapy response. The lncRNAs and circRNAs follow a same pathway and by targeting glycolysis, they affect progression and therapy response of tumor. Noteworthy, lncRNAs and circRNAs sponge miRNAs in glycolysis mechanism control in tumor cells. Furthermore, ncRNA-mediated regulation of glycolysis mechanism can influence metastasis to organs of body. The ncRNAs regulating glycolysis are reliable biomarkers in cancer patients and more importantly, exosomal ncRNAs due to their presence in body fluids, are minimally-invasive biomarkers.