title: Metabolic profiling of breast cancer: Differences in central metabolism between subtypes of breast cancer cell lines.
abstract: Although the concept of aerobic glycolysis in cancer was already reported in the 1930s by Otto Warburg, the understanding of metabolic pathways remains challenging especially due to the heterogeneity of cancer. In consideration of four different time points (1, 2, 4, and 7 days of incubation), GC-MS profiling of metabolites was performed on cell extracts and supernatants of breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, -453, BT-474) with different sub classification and the breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A. To the exclusion of trypsinization, direct methanolic extraction, cell scraping and cell disruption was executed to obtain central metabolites. Major differences in biochemical pathways have been observed in the breast cancer cell lines compared to the breast epithelial cell line, as well as between the breast cancer cell lines themselves. Characteristics of breast cancer subtypes could be correlated to their individual metabolic profiles. PLS-DA revealed the discrimination of breast cancer cell lines from MCF-10A based on elevated amino acid levels. The observed metabolic signatures have great potential as biomarker for breast cancer as well as an improved understanding of subtype specific phenomenons of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biological Systems Analysis ZBSA, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Institute of Biology II, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: lucas.willmann@mail.zbsa.uni-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Willmann
authors.affiliation: Center for Biological Systems Analysis ZBSA, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: manuel.schlimpert@pluto.uni-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlimpert
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Institute for Biology III, Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Germany; Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: Sebastian.Halbach@sgbm.uni-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Halbach
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: thalia.erbes@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Thalia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erbes
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: elmar.stickeler@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stickeler
authors.affiliation: Center for Biological Systems Analysis ZBSA, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: Bernd.Kammerer@zbsa.uni-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kammerer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D055442:Metabolome / Q000502:physiology*; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Breast cancer; GC–EI–MS; Metabolic profiling; Metabolomics