Tumor cell‐derived angiopoietin‐like protein 2 establishes a preference for glycolytic metabolism in lung cancer cells

• Published in: Cancer science 2020-04, Vol.111 (4), p.1241-1253
• Main Authors: Osumi, Hironobu, Horiguchi, Haruki, Kadomatsu, Tsuyoshi, Tashiro, Kyosei, Morinaga, Jun, Takahashi, Takashi, Ikeda, Koei, Ito, Takaaki, Suzuki, Makoto, Endo, Motoyoshi, Oike, Yuichi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Angiopoietin; Angiopoietin-like Proteins - genetics; ANGPTL2; Autocrine Communication - genetics; Autocrine signalling; Biotechnology; cancer metabolism; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement - genetics; Cell Proliferation - genetics; Dehydrogenases; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition - genetics; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - genetics; Glucose; Glucose transporter; Glucose Transporter Type 3 - genetics; GLUT3; Glycolysis; Glycolysis - genetics; Homeobox; Humans; Integrin alpha5beta1 - genetics; Invasiveness; Kinases; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - genetics; Lung Neoplasms - metabolism; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Mesenchyme; Metabolism; Metastases; Metastasis; Neoplasm Invasiveness - genetics; Neoplasm Invasiveness - pathology; Neoplasm Metastasis; Original; Paracrine Communication - genetics; Paracrine signalling; Proteins; Software; Thoracic surgery; Transforming Growth Factor beta - genetics; Transforming growth factor-b; Transforming growth factor-b1; Tumor cells; Tumors; ZEB1; Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1 - genetics; Zinc finger proteins
• ISSN: 1347-9032; 1349-7006
• DOI: 10.1111/cas.14337

We previously revealed that tumor cell‐derived angiopoietin‐like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) accelerates the metastatic capacity of tumors in an autocrine/paracrine manner by activating tumor cell motility and invasiveness and the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition. However, the effects of ANGPTL2 on cancer cell glycolytic metabolism, which is a hallmark of tumor cells, are unknown. Here we report evidence supporting a role for tumor cell‐derived ANGPTL2 in establishing a preference for glycolytic metabolism. We report that a highly metastatic lung cancer cell subline expressing abundant ANGPTL2 showed upregulated expression of the glucose transporter GLUT3 as well as enhanced glycolytic metabolism relative to a less metastatic parental line. Most notably, ANGPTL2 overexpression in the less metastatic line activated glycolytic metabolism by increasing GLUT3 expression. Moreover, ANGPTL2 signaling through integrin α5β1 increased GLUT3 expression by increasing transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) signaling and expression of the downstream transcription factor zinc finger E‐box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1). Conversely, ANGPTL2 knockdown in the highly metastatic subline decreased TGF‐β1, ZEB1, and GLUT3 expression and antagonized glycolytic metabolism. In primary tumor cells from patients with lung cancer, ANGPTL2 expression levels correlated with GLUT3 expression. Overall, this work suggests that tumor cell‐derived ANGPTL2 accelerates activities associated with glycolytic metabolism in lung cancer cells by activating TGF‐β‐ZEB1‐GLUT3 signaling. Tumor cell‐derived angiopoietin‐like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) accelerates metastatic capacity of tumors in an autocrine/paracrine manner by activating tumor cell motility and invasiveness and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition. Here we report evidence supporting a role for tumor cell‐derived ANGPTL2 in establishing a preference for glycolytic metabolism. Overall, this work suggests that tumor cell‐derived ANGPTL2 accelerates activities associated with glycolytic metabolism in lung cancer cells by activating TGF‐β‐ZEB1‐GLUT3 signaling.