MicroRNAs and Oncogenic Transcriptional Regulatory Networks Controlling Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancers

Publication date: Available online 4 June 2016 Source:Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal Author(s): Pannapa Pinweha, Khanti Rattanapornsompong, Varodom Charoensawan, Sarawut Jitrapakdee Altered cellular metabolism is a fundamental adaptation of cancer during rapid proliferation as a result of growth factor overstimulation. We review different pathways involving metabolic alterations in cancers including aerobic glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, de novo fatty acid synthesis, and serine and glycine metabolism. Although oncoproteins, c-MYC, HIF1α and p53 are the major drivers of this metabolic reprogramming, post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs (miR) also plays an important role in finely adjusting the requirement of the key metabolic enzymes underlying this metabolic reprogramming. We also combine the literature data on the miRNAs that potentially regulate 40 metabolic enzymes responsible for metabolic reprogramming in cancers, with additional miRs from computational prediction. Our analyses show that: (1) a metabolic enzyme is frequently regulated by multiple miRs, (2) confidence scores from prediction algorithms might be useful to help narrow down functional miR-mRNA interaction, which might be worth further experimental validation. By combining known and predicted interactions of oncogenic transcription factors (TFs) (c-MYC, HIF1α and p53), sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), 40 metabolic enzymes, and regulatory mi...

Source: Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal - June 3, 2016 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: research