Toll-like receptor 3 stimulation triggers metabolic reprogramming in pharyngeal cancer cell line through Myc, MAPK, and HIF.
Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) has a dual role in cancer; its activation can trigger apoptosis as well as stimulate cancer cell survival, proliferation, and progression. We have shown here that TLR3 activation can induce metabolic reprogramming in a pharyngeal cancer cell line, leading to increased aerobic glycolysis, cell migration, elevated levels of reactive oxidative species (ROS), and decreased anti-oxidative response. Key proteins in these signaling pathways are heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNPA1), pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and CD44 variants, which were over-expressed after TLR3 stimulation. TLR3 activation also induced upregulation of different genes involved in cancer progression (VEGF, MMP9, uPAR) and enzymes involved in glycolytic pathway. Most of the observed effects were Myc-dependent; however, some of them were also connected with MAPK and HIF signaling pathways. Since TLR3 agonists are being investigated as potential novel cancer therapy adjuvants and apoptosis inducers, alone or in combination with other therapeutic options, data presented here suggest extreme caution before their introduction into clinical practice. The fact that TLR3 ligands [poly(I:C) and poly(A:U)] can also aid cancer survival and progression, through induction of metabolic reprogramming, emphasizes the need to investigate this particular topic. Our data suggest that the combination of TLR3 ligands with Myc or MAPK inhibitors may be a way to neutralize their undesirable effects while enhancing their anti-tumor effect. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Laboratory for Personalized Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
Tanja
T
Matijevic Glavan
Laboratory for Oxidative Stress, Division of Molecular Medicine, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
Ana
A
Cipak Gasparovic
Institut Gustave Roussy, University Paris-Sud 11, CNRS-UMR 8126, Villejuif, France.|Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Lariboisière Hospital, AP-HP, University Paris-Diderot Paris 7, Paris, France.
Benjamin
B
Vérillaud
Institut Gustave Roussy, University Paris-Sud 11, CNRS-UMR 8126, Villejuif, France.
Pierre
P
Busson
Laboratory for Personalized Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
Jasminka
J
Pavelic
D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D006019:Glycolysis; D006801:Humans; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000378:metabolism; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3 / Q000378:metabolism*
D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C495344:TLR3 protein, human; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3; D011070:Poly I-C
cell migration; metabolism; poly(A:U); poly(I:C); toll-like receptor 3