Pyruvate kinase and phosphofructokinase isozymes in childhood cancers

A critical review of the role of M2PYK in the Warburg effect

It is becoming generally accepted in recent literature that the Warburg effect in cancer depends on inhibition of M₂PYK, the pyruvate kinase isozyme most commonly expressed in tumors. We remain skeptical. There continues to be a general lack of solid experimental evidence for the underlying idea that a bottle neck in aerobic glycolysis at the level of M₂PYK results in an expanded pool of glycolytic intermediates (which are thought to serve as building blocks necessary for proliferation and growth of cancer cells). If a bottle neck at M₂PYK exists, then the remarkable increase in lactate production by cancer cells is a paradox, particularly since a high percentage of the carbons of lactate originate from glucose. The finding that pyruvate kinase activity is invariantly increased rather than decreased in cancer undermines the logic of the M₂PYK bottle neck, but is consistent with high lactate production. The "inactive" state of M₂PYK in cancer is often described as a dimer (with reduced substrate affinity) that has dissociated from an active tetramer of M₂PYK. Although M₂PYK clearly dissociates easier than other isozymes of pyruvate kinase, it is not clear that dissociation of the tetramer occurs in vivo when ligands are present that promote tetramer formation. Furthermore, it is also not clear whether the dissociated dimer retains any activity at all. A number of non-canonical functions for M₂PYK have been proposed, all of which can be challenged by the finding that not all cancer cell types are dependent on M₂PYK expression. Additional in-depth studies of the Warburg effect and specifically of the possible regulatory role of M₂PYK in the Warburg effect are needed.

Profiling of nuclear extract proteins from human neuroblastoma cell lines: the search for fingerprints

PURPOSE

Neuroblastoma (NB) commonly presents with advanced disease at diagnosis and is associated with poor survival. If identified early, however, survival is improved suggesting a benefit of early detection. The authors have used proteomics technology in an attempt to identify novel markers that permit early detection of NB and characterize its molecular makeup.

METHODS

Three different human NB cell lines SK-N-AS, SK-N-DZ, and SK-N-FI were subjected to series of biochemical fractionation steps to extract nuclear proteins. These proteins were analyzed for differential expression by 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Polypeptides of interest were subsequently identified by liquid chromatography-linked tandem mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

Multiple proteins were identified in these human NB cell lines including SET (a ubiquitous nuclear protein), stathmin (a cytosolic signal transduction protein), and grp94 (a heat shock protein). SET is a putative oncogene associated with the chromosomal translocation (6;9) leading to acute undifferentiated leukemia. Stathmin is an oncogene found in greater abundance in leukemic cells compared to nonleukemic cells. A total of 94-kDa glucose-regulated protein has been shown to be protective in human breast cancer cells in vitro and related with the occurrence, differentiation, and progression of human lung cancer. The first protein has not been previously associated with NB.

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of these 3 previously unrecognized cancer-related potential biomarkers in human NB cell lines may prove useful in developing diagnostic tests. The proteomic methodology of 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/mass spectrometry also provides an improved opportunity to understand the natural history of NB and develop novel chemotherapeutic agents for this prevalent childhood malignancy with a dismal outcome.

Comparison of pyruvate kinase variants from breast tumor and normal breast

BACKGROUND

Pyruvate kinase isozymes in human breast tumor tissue were compared in this study with normal human breast tissue. Two forms of pyruvate kinase present in normal and tumor human breast were purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, gel filtration, ion exchange, and affinity chromatography. Molecular weight of the native enzyme was determined.

METHODS

Presence of pyruvate kinase activity was examined in normal and tumor breast tissues. Pyruvate kinase was purified with Sephadex DEAE-50, Sepharyl S-200, and Blue Sepharose CL-6B chromatography. Spectrophotometric methods were used to determine activities of pyruvate kinase.

RESULTS

Molecular weights of fractions I and II as determined by gel filtration on Sepharyl S-200 were 135,000 Da, 260,000 Da in normal breast tissue, and 72,000 Da, 250,000 Da in tumor breast tissue, respectively. Fractions I and II of pyruvate kinase may be purified approximately 1,591-fold, 636.4-fold in normal breast tissue and 219-fold, 318-fold in tumor breast tissue, respectively. Pyruvate kinase activity in tumor tissue was found higher than in normal tissue. Only tumor fraction II showed tumor-specific sensitivity to L-cysteine. L-phenylalanine inhibited both fractions I and II of normal breast and fraction I of tumor breast, but not fraction II of pyruvate from tumor. ATP inhibited normal and tumor fraction I of pyruvate kinase. The influence of ATP on enzyme activity from normal and tumor fraction II depended upon its concentration.

CONCLUSIONS

It was thought that isozymes of pyruvate kinase from human breast tissue might be M1 and M2 isozymes when compared with those of other tissue pyruvate kinase isoenzymes. Fraction II from breast tumor represented different sensitivity to L-cysteine, L-phenylalanine, and specific activity in comparison with fraction II from normal breast. Different kinetic behavior of fractions in the human breast tumors may support the concept of an isozyme shift.

Oxidative stress and gene regulation

Reactive oxygen species are produced by all aerobic cells and are widely believed to play a pivotal role in aging as well as a number of degenerative diseases. The consequences of the generation of oxidants in cells does not appear to be limited to promotion of deleterious effects. Alterations in oxidative metabolism have long been known to occur during differentiation and development. Experimental perturbations in cellular redox state have been shown to exert a strong impact on these processes. The discovery of specific genes and pathways affected by oxidants led to the hypothesis that reactive oxygen species serve as subcellular messengers in gene regulatory and signal transduction pathways. Additionally, antioxidants can activate numerous genes and pathways. The burgeoning growth in the number of pathways shown to be dependent on oxidation or antioxidation has accelerated during the last decade. In the discussion presented here, we provide a tabular summary of many of the redox effects on gene expression and signaling pathways that are currently known to exist.

Pyruvate kinase activity and isozyme composition in normal fibrous tissue and fibroblastic proliferations

Pyruvate kinase (PK) was studied in 57 fibroblastic and fibrohistiocytic proliferations and normal fibrous tissue (n = 10). The specific activity was significantly increased in malignant tumors (1.67 +/- 0.25) compared with normal tissue (0.26 +/- 0.04; P less than 0.001) and benign proliferations (0.52 +/- 0.05; P less than 0.005). Although an overlap exists between aggressive fibromatosis and the benign group, high values of PK activity are indicative of Grade 2 and 3 malignancy. Significant shifts in isozyme pattern, favoring the expression of K-type subunits were found in tumors with a metastasizing potential and aggressive fibromatosis. These changes in the isozyme pattern of PK in aggressive fibromatosis may act as another argument to place them in the category of malignant fibroblastic tumors.

Expression of pyruvate kinase in astrocytes induced to differentiate in vitro

Astrocytes maintained in a chemically defined media undergo differentiation and a parallel increase in pyruvate kinase specific activity. These changes are accompanied by a shift in the isoelectrofocusing pattern, but not by expression of pyruvate kinase M4, the characteristic adult rat brain isozyme. Thus, this chemically defined media lacks a substance required to induce pyruvate kinase M synthesis and this function can be uncoupled from other aspects of cellular differentiation. The uncoupling of pyruvate kinase maturation from cellular differentiation and the observation of only a single, 2.3 kilobase, pyruvate kinase mRNA molecule at different stages of the postnatal development of rat brain support the concept that the K- to M-isoform transformation is a post-transcriptional event. The effect of the individual components of this chemically defined medium on pyruvate kinase specific activity was studied by eliminating one component at a time. The increase in activity was found to be completely dependent upon fibroblastic growth factor and prostaglandin F2 alpha and was partially dependent on the simultaneous presence of insulin.

Tumors of skeletal muscle

The most common tumors arising in muscle are soft tissue sarcomas, fibromatoses, and hemangiomas. Rhabdomyosarcoma is primarily a tumor of childhood and adolescence and arises most commonly in extramuscular sites. Most intramuscular rhabdomyosarcomas are alveolar. Increased diagnostic accuracy and the recognition of malignant fibrous histiocytoma have changed understanding of adult, intramuscular, pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma. Immunohistochemistry is playing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma, and the correlation between the histologic features and clinical behavior of rhabdomyosarcoma is under investigation. Because of their diversity and overlapping histologic features, muscle tumors are a challenge for the pathologist and require intensive study by current techniques.

Blood group antigen expression in nephroblastoma

The histological distribution of A, B, H, Lewis, Pr, i and I blood group antigens (BGA) was studied in 19 nephroblastomas and one mesoblastic nephroma by means of the indirect immunofluorescence technique. In addition to general conclusions about the relatively limited BGA expression in the tumour cells, their histological distribution was found to be related to the differentiation level of these renal embryonic tumours. By comparison with normal embryonic, fetal and adult kidney it was shown that the nephroblastoma differentiation level is not higher than that of a 3-month fetal kidney. Furthermore, i antigen appears to be a non-specific marker of the histiocytic macrophage cells of the nephroblastoma stroma.

Glycolytic enzymes from human neuroectodermal tumors of childhood

In this study pyruvate kinase, hexokinase and aldolase are investigated in two types of embryonal tumors, neuroblastomas and medulloblastomas; the results are compared with similar studies in gliomas. The activities of hexokinase and pyruvate kinase are significantly decreased in neuroblastomas. In neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma all five forms of pyruvate kinase (K4, K3M, K2M2, KM3 and M4) are present. In contrast, the gliomas investigated are characterized by the presence of mainly K4 and a little K3M. In neuroblastomas, medulloblastomas and gliomas, hexokinase type I is present; in addition, hexokinase type II is present in two medulloblastomas. Aldolase A is the predominant isozyme in all tumors investigated; this is in contrast with normal nervous tissue. It can be concluded that the isozyme characteristics especially of pyruvate kinase from neuroblastomas and medulloblastomas are comparable with similar findings in retinoblastoma; these findings support the hypothesis that these three tumors have a common embryonic origin.