Transketolase promotes colorectal cancer metastasis through regulating AKT phosphorylation

• Published in: Cell death & disease Vol. 13; no. 2; p. 99
• Main Authors: Li, Minle, Zhao, Xue, Yong, Hongmei, Xu, Jian, Qu, Pengfei, Qiao, Shuxi, Hou, Pingfu, Li, Zhongwei, Chu, Sufang, Zheng, Junnian, Bai, Jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.02.2022; Springer Nature B.V; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13/105; 631/67; 631/80; 82/51; AKT protein; Antibodies; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell Biology; Cell Culture; Cell growth; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal carcinoma; Colorectal Neoplasms - metabolism; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Drug development; Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP - metabolism; Female; Glycolysis; Humans; Immunology; Life Sciences; Liver cancer; Male; Metastases; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Pentose phosphate pathway; Phosphorylation; Prognosis; Protein Binding; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism; Ribose; Transketolase; Transketolase - metabolism; Tumors
• ISSN: 2041-4889; 2041-4889
• DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04575-5

Transketolase (TKT) which is an important metabolic enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) participates in maintaining ribose 5-phosphate levels. TKT is necessary for maintaining cell growth. However, we found that in addition to this, TKT can also affect tumor progression through other ways. Our previous study indicate that TKT could promote the development of liver cancer by affecting bile acid metabolism. And in this study, we discovered that TKT expression was remarkably upregulated in colorectal cancer, abnormal high expression of TKT is associated with poor prognosis of colorectal cancer. Additionally, TKT promoted colorectal cancer cell growth and metastasis. Further study demonstrated that TKT interacted with GRP78 and promoted colorectal cancer cell glycolysis through increasing AKT phosphorylation, thereby enhancing colorectal cancer cell metastasis. Thus, TKT is expected to become an indicator for judging the prognosis of colorectal cancer, and provide a theoretical basis for drug development of new treatment targets for colorectal cancer.