MUC1-C oncoprotein regulates glycolysis and pyruvate kinase M2 activity in cancer cells

PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e28234. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028234. Epub 2011 Nov 28.

Abstract

Aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells is regulated by multiple effectors that include Akt and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2). Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein that is aberrantly overexpressed by human breast and other carcinomas. Here we show that transformation of rat fibroblasts by the oncogenic MUC1-C subunit is associated with Akt-mediated increases in glucose uptake and lactate production, consistent with the stimulation of glycolysis. The results also demonstrate that the MUC1-C cytoplasmic domain binds directly to PKM2 at the B- and C-domains. Interaction between the MUC1-C cytoplasmic domain Cys-3 and the PKM2 C-domain Cys-474 was found to stimulate PKM2 activity. Conversely, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated phosphorylation of the MUC1-C cytoplasmic domain on Tyr-46 conferred binding to PKM2 Lys-433 and inhibited PKM2 activity. In human breast cancer cells, silencing MUC1-C was associated with decreases in glucose uptake and lactate production, confirming involvement of MUC1-C in the regulation of glycolysis. In addition, EGFR-mediated phosphorylation of MUC1-C in breast cancer cells was associated with decreases in PKM2 activity. These findings indicate that the MUC1-C subunit regulates glycolysis and that this response is conferred in part by PKM2. Thus, the overexpression of MUC1-C oncoprotein in diverse human carcinomas could be of importance to the Warburg effect of aerobic glycolysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Aerobiosis
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cysteine / metabolism
  • Down-Regulation / genetics
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism
  • Gene Silencing
  • Glycolysis*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mucin-1 / chemistry
  • Mucin-1 / metabolism*
  • Mutant Proteins / metabolism
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Neoplasms / enzymology*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Phosphorylation
  • Phosphotyrosine / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism*
  • Pyruvate Kinase / metabolism*
  • Rats

Substances

  • Mucin-1
  • Mutant Proteins
  • Protein Subunits
  • Phosphotyrosine
  • Pyruvate Kinase
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Cysteine