Type Iγ phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase promotes tumor growth by facilitating Warburg effect in colorectal cancer

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that metabolic alterations are a hallmark of Cancer cells and contribute to tumor initiation and development. Cancer cells primarily utilize aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect) to produce energy and support anabolic growth. The type Iγ phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase (PIPKIγ) is profoundly implicated in tumorigenesis, however, little is known about its role in reprogrammed energy metabolism.

Methods: Loss- and gain-of-function studies were applied to determine the oncogenic roles of PIPKIγ in colorectal Cancer. Transcriptome analysis, real-time qPCR, immunohistochemical staining, Western blotting, and metabolic analysis were carried out to uncover the cellular mechanism of PIPKIγ.

Findings: In this study, we showed that PIPKIγ was frequently upregulated in colorectal Cancer and predicted a poor prognosis. Genetic silencing of pan-PIPKIγ suppressed cell proliferation and aerobic glycolysis of colorectal Cancer. In contrast, the opposite effects were observed by overexpression of PIPKIγ_i2. Importantly, PIPKIγ-induced prolific effect was largely glycolysis-dependent. Mechanistically, PIPKIγ facilitated activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways to upregulate c-Myc and HIF1α levels, which regulate expression of glycolytic enzymes to enhance glycolysis. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition by PIPKIγ activity with the specific inhibitor UNC3230 significantly inhibited colorectal Cancer glycolysis and tumor growth.

Interpretation: Our findings reveal a new regulatory role of PIPKIγ in Warburg effect and provide a key contributor in colorectal Cancer metabolism with potential therapeutic potentials. FUND: National Key Research and Development Program of China, Outstanding Clinical Discipline Project of Shanghai Pudong, Natural Science Foundation of China, and Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality.