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Mitochondrial metabolism and ROS generation are essential for Kras-mediated tumorigenicity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010 May 11;107(19):8788-93

Date

04/28/2010

Pubmed ID

20421486

Pubmed Central ID

PMC2889315

DOI

10.1073/pnas.1003428107

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-77952737658 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   1413 Citations

Abstract

Otto Warburg's theory on the origins of cancer postulates that tumor cells have defects in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and therefore rely on high levels of aerobic glycolysis as the major source of ATP to fuel cellular proliferation (the Warburg effect). This is in contrast to normal cells, which primarily utilize oxidative phosphorylation for growth and survival. Here we report that the major function of glucose metabolism for Kras-induced anchorage-independent growth, a hallmark of transformed cells, is to support the pentose phosphate pathway. The major function of glycolytic ATP is to support growth under hypoxic conditions. Glutamine conversion into the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate alpha-ketoglutarate through glutaminase and alanine aminotransferase is essential for Kras-induced anchorage-independent growth. Mitochondrial metabolism allows for the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are required for Kras-induced anchorage-independent growth through regulation of the ERK MAPK signaling pathway. We show that the major source of ROS generation required for anchorage-independent growth is the Q(o) site of mitochondrial complex III. Furthermore, disruption of mitochondrial function by loss of the mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) gene reduced tumorigenesis in an oncogenic Kras-driven mouse model of lung cancer. These results demonstrate that mitochondrial metabolism and mitochondrial ROS generation are essential for Kras-induced cell proliferation and tumorigenesis.

Author List

Weinberg F, Hamanaka R, Wheaton WW, Weinberg S, Joseph J, Lopez M, Kalyanaraman B, Mutlu GM, Budinger GR, Chandel NS

Author

Balaraman Kalyanaraman PhD Professor in the Biophysics department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aerobiosis
Animals
Cell Adhesion
Cell Proliferation
Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
Electron Transport Complex III
Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
Glutamine
Glycolysis
HCT116 Cells
Humans
Lung Neoplasms
Mice
Mitochondria
Oxidative Phosphorylation
Pentose Phosphate Pathway
Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
Reactive Oxygen Species