Biological significance of MYC and CEBPD coamplification in urothelial carcinoma: Multilayered genomic, transcriptional and posttranscriptional positive feedback loops enhance oncogenic glycolysis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

The aim of this study is to decipher the underlying mechanisms of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (CEBPD)-enhanced glycolysis as well as the biological significance of CEBPD and MYC coamplification in urothelial carcinoma (UC).

METHODS:

In vitro analyses were conducted to examine the effects of altered CEBPD or MYC expression on UC cells. The in vivo effects of CEBPD overexpression in a high-glucose environment on tumour growth were investigated in xenografted induced diabetic severe combined immunodeficiency/beige mice. Data mining was used to cross-validate the associations between CEBPD and MYC copy number and transcriptional expression, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, chromogenic in situ hybridization, and in situ hybridization targeting microRNA were performed on 635 UC patient samples and xenograft samples. UC patient survival in relation to diabetes was validated by using the National Health Insurance Research Database.

RESULTS:

CEBPD and MYC coamplification (29.6%) occurred at a high frequency, MYC expression promoted chromosomal instability, facilitating CEBPD copy number gain and expression. CEBPD promoted glucose uptake and lactate production by upregulating SLC2A1 and HK2, leading to mitochondrial fission, increased extracellular acidification rate and decreased oxygen consumption rate to fuel cell growth. CEBPD upregulated HK2 expression through multiple regulation pathways including MYC stabilization, suppression of FBXW7 transactivation and MYC-independent transcriptional suppression of hsa-miR-429. Clinical and xenografted experiments confirmed the growth advantage of CEBPD in relation to glucose metabolic dysregulation and the significant correlations between the expression of these genes.

CONCLUSIONS:

We confirmed that CEBPD has an oncogenic role in UC by activating AKT signalling and initiating metabolic reprogramming from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis to satisfy glucose addiction. These novel CEBPD- and MYC-centric multilayered positive feedback loops enhance cancer growth that could complement theranostic approaches.

• Authors: Ti-Chun Chan, Yi-Ting Chen, Kien Thiam Tan, Chia-Ling Wu, Wen-Jeng Wu, Wei-Ming Li, Ju-Ming Wang, Yow-Ling Shiue, Chien-Feng Li
• Journal: Clinical and translational medicine (Clin Transl Med) Vol. 11 Issue 12 Pg. e674 (12 2021) ISSN: 2001-1326 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34954904 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics.

Chemical References

• CEBPD protein, human
• CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-delta

Topics

• Animals
• CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-delta (drug effects)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Feedback, Physiological (drug effects, physiology)
• Genes, myc (drug effects)
• Mice
• Urinary Bladder Neoplasms (genetics)
• Urothelium (abnormalities, physiopathology)
• Warburg Effect, Oncologic