The oncogene c-Myc coordinates regulation of metabolic networks to enable rapid cell cycle entry.
The c-myc proto-oncogene is rapidly activated by serum and regulates genes involved in metabolism and cell cycle progression. This gene is thereby uniquely poised to coordinate both the metabolic and cell cycle regulatory events required for cell cycle entry. However, this function of Myc has not been evaluated. Using a rat fibroblast model of isogenic cell lines, myc(-/-), myc(+/-), myc(+/+) and myc(-/-) cells with an inducible c-myc transgene (mycER), we show that the Myc protein programs cells to utilize both oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis to drive cell cycle progression. We demonstrate this coordinate regulation of metabolic networks is essential, as specific inhibitors of these pathways block Myc-induced proliferation. Metabolic events temporally correlated with cell cycle entry include increased oxygen consumption, mitochondrial function, pyruvate and lactate production, and ATP generation. Treatment of normal cells with inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation recapitulates the myc(-/-) phenotype, resulting in impaired cell cycle entry and reduced metabolism. Combined with a kinetic expression profiling analysis of genes linked to mitochondrial function, our study indicates that Myc's ability to coordinately regulate the mitochondrial metabolic network transcriptome is required for rapid cell cycle entry. This function of Myc may underlie the pervasive presence of Myc in many human cancers.
Morrish
Fionnuala
F
Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Neretti
Nicola
N
Sedivy
John M
JM
Hockenbery
David M
DM
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006019:Glycolysis / Q000502:physiology; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; C489427:MYC protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species