The miR-873/NDFIP1 axis promotes hepatocellular carcinoma growth and metastasis through the AKT/mTOR-mediated Warburg effect.

ABSTRACT: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression depends on cellular metabolic reprogramming as both direct and indirect consequence of oncogenic lesions. However, the underlying mechanisms are still understood poorly. Here, we report that miR-873 promotes Warburg effect in HCC cells by increasing glucose uptake, extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), lactate production, and ATP generation, and decreasing oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in HCC cells. Mechanistically, we show that miR-873 activates the key glycolytic proteins AKT/mTOR via targeting NDFIP1 which triggers metabolic shift. We further demonstrate that enhanced glycolysis is essential for the role of miR-873 to drive HCC progression. By using immunohistochemistry analysis, we show a link between the aberrant expression of miR-873, NDF

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6556606 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature