Asymmetric cell division of ALDH1-positive cancer stem cells generates glycolytic metabolically diverse cell populations.

ABSTRACT: Metabolic heterogeneity in various cancer cells within a tumor causes resistance to medical therapies and promotes tumor recurrence and metastasis. However, the mechanisms by which tumors acquire metabolic heterogeneity are poorly understood. Here, we revealed that PKCλ-dependent asymmetric division of ALDH1-positive cancer stem cells (CSCs) led to an uneven distribution of glycolytic capacity, which is crucial for understanding metabolic heterogeneity within a tumor. The rate-limiting enzyme PFKP and the metabolic probe CDG in glycolysis codistributed with the ALDH1A3 protein during the post-cell division phase, highlighting a mechanism for acquiring metabolic diversity. PKCλ deficiency reduced the asymmetric distribution of these proteins in ALDH1^high cells with high ALDH1 act

SUBMITTER: Tamori S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12015440 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature