Deletion of epithelial HKDC1 decelerates cellular proliferation and impairs mitochondrial function of tumorous epithelial cells thereby protecting from intestinal carcinogenesis

A metabolic switch favoring glycolysis over aerobic oxidative phosphorylation, termed the “Warburg effect”, is a hallmark of cancer cells. Hexokinase (HK) catalyzes the first and irreversible step of glycolysis, thereby limiting overall glycolytic activity. Mammals encode five HK family members: HK1-4 and HKDC1 (HK domain containing1). HKDC1 has an exceptionally low glucose affinity and,
therefore, low hexokinase activity under physiological conditions, raising questions about its function. A recent study indicated that HKDC1 functions as a glucose
sensor within the tumor microenvironment, and its dysregulated expression has been associated with chronic inflammation and various cancers. Notably, HKDC1
promotes tumor immune evasion during immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, and blocking HKDC1 prevents disease progression in hepatic car-
cinoma, T cell lymphoma, and lung adenocarcinoma.

Rights

Use and reproduction:


CC BY 4.0

Please note that individual components of the publication may be subject to other licensing or copyright conditions.

Cite

Citation style:
Could not load citation form.