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Theranostics 2021; 11(7):3359-3375. doi:10.7150/thno.51360 This issue Cite

Research Paper

SAM68 promotes tumorigenesis in lung adenocarcinoma by regulating metabolic conversion via PKM alternative splicing

Song Zhu^1✉#, Weiping Chen^2#, Jizhong Wang^3#, Ling Qi⁴, Huilin Pan¹, Zhengfu Feng¹, Dongbo Tian^2✉

1. Department of Radiotherapy, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan 511518, P. R. China.
2. Department of Respiratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan 511518, P. R. China.
3. Department of Cardiology, Vascular Center, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
4. Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan 511518, P. R. China.
#These authors contributed equally to this work.

✉ Corresponding authors: Prof. Dong-bo Tian, E-mail: 444014503com; Tel.: +86-0763- 3113942; PhD. Song Zhu, E-mail: 870182869com; Tel.: +86-0763- 3397473.

Abstract

Background: A metabolic “switch” from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis provides tumor cells with energy and biosynthetic substrates, thereby promoting tumorigenesis and malignant progression. However, the mechanisms controlling this metabolic switch in tumors is not entirely clear.

Methods: Clinical specimens were used to determine the effect of SAM68 on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tumorigenesis and metastasis, and mouse models and molecular biology assays were performed to elucidate the function and underlying mechanisms in vitro and in vivo.

Results: SAM68 mRNA levels were higher in LUAD tissue than in normal lung tissue, indicating that SAM68 expression is upregulated in LUAD. Patients with LUAD with SAM68^high (n = 257) had a higher frequency of tumor recurrence (p = 0.025) and recurrence-free survival (p = 0.013) than did those with SAM68^low (n = 257). Patients with SAM68^high mRNA levels (n = 257) were at a higher risk for cancer-related death (p = 0.006), and had shorter overall survival (p = 0.044) than did those with SAM68^low. SAM68 promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis of LUAD cells in vitro and in vivo by regulating the cancer metabolic switch. SAM68 drives cancer metabolism by mediating alternative splicing of pyruvate kinase (PKM) pre-mRNAs, and promoting the formation of PKM2. Mechanistically, SAM68 increased the binding of the splicing repressor hnRNP A1 to exon 9 of PKM, thereby enhancing PKM2 isoform formation and PKM2-dependent aerobic glycolysis and tumorigenesis.

Conclusions: SAM68 promotes LUAD cell tumorigenesis and cancer metabolic programming via binding of the 351-443 aa region of SAM68 to the RGG motif of hnRNP A1, driving hnRNP A1-dependent PKM splicing, contributing to increased oncogene PKM2 isoform formation and inhibition of PKM1 isoform formation. SAM68 is therefore a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of LUAD.

Keywords: SAM68, alternative splicing, metabolism conversion, tumorigenesis, lung adenocarcinoma

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