A hexokinase isoenzyme switch in human liver cancer cells promotes lipogenesis and enhances innate immunity.

ABSTRACT: During the cancerous transformation of normal hepatocytes into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the enzyme catalyzing the first rate-limiting step of glycolysis, namely the glucokinase (GCK), is replaced by the higher affinity isoenzyme, hexokinase 2 (HK2). Here, we show that in HCC tumors the highest expression level of HK2 is inversely correlated to GCK expression, and is associated to poor prognosis for patient survival. To further explore functional consequences of the GCK-to-HK2 isoenzyme switch occurring during carcinogenesis, HK2 was knocked-out in the HCC cell line Huh7 and replaced by GCK, to generate the Huh7-GCK⁺/HK2^- cell line. HK2 knockdown and GCK expression rewired central carbon metabolism, stimulated mitochondrial respiration and restored essential met

SUBMITTER: Perrin-Cocon L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7886870 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature