Transcriptional Regulation of the Warburg Effect in Cancer by SIX1

Publication date: Available online 15 February 2018
Source:Cancer Cell
Author(s): Ling Li, Yingchun Liang, Lei Kang, Yang Liu, Shan Gao, Siyu Chen, Ying Li, Wenye You, Qian Dong, Tian Hong, Zhifeng Yan, Shuai Jin, Tao Wang, Wei Zhao, Haixing Mai, Jun Huang, Xiao Han, Quanbo Ji, Qi Song, Chao Yang, Shixin Zhao, Xiaojie Xu, Qinong Ye
Aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect) facilitates tumor growth, and drugs targeting aerobic glycolysis are being developed. However, how the Warburg effect is directly regulated is largely unknown. Here we show that transcription factor SIX1 directly increases the expression of many glycolytic genes, promoting the Warburg effect and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. SIX1 regulates glycolysis through HBO1 and AIB1 histone acetyltransferases. Cancer-related SIX1 mutation increases its ability to promote aerobic glycolysis and tumor growth. SIX1 glycolytic function is directly repressed by microRNA-548a-3p, which is downregulated, inversely correlates with SIX1, and is a good predictor of prognosis in breast cancer patients. Thus, the microRNA-548a-3p/SIX1 axis strongly links aerobic glycolysis to carcinogenesis and may become a promising cancer therapeutic target.

Graphical abstract

Teaser

Li et al. show that transcription factor SIX1 regulates aerobic glycolysis in cancer by binding promoters and recruiting HBO1 and AIB1 to induce the expression of glycolytic genes. SIX1 is negatively regulated by miR-548a-3p, and modulation of components of this pathway affects tumor metabolism and growth.


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