Clarifying the significance of the shift to aerobic glycolysis and the role of mitochondrial function in kidney cancer development

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K14370
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Laboratory animal science
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Baba Masaya 熊本大学, 国際先端医学研究機構, 准教授 (10347304)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SETOU MITSUTOSHI 浜松医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (20302664)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 腎細胞癌 / 糖代謝 / ミトコンドリア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Aerobic glycolysis predominates over mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in cancer. Cancer cells utilize this metabolic shift to aerobic glycolysis to drive proliferation and progression. However, the significance of this metabolic shift and the role of mitochondrial function during cancer development remains to be determined. Previously, we reported that mitochondrial biogenesis was upregulated with increased transcriptional activity of TFE3 in a rare type of hereditary renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This research aims to clarify the significance of the shift to aerobic glycolysis and the role of mitochondrial function in TFE3 translocation RCC, in which TFE3 transcriptional activity is constitutively activated by translocation. We have generated and analyzed a variety of TFE3-inducible stable cell lines and a mouse model of TFE3 translocation RCC, and found a potential function of ATP produced in the mitochondria as a signaling molecule which may contribute to cancer development.

Free Research Field

泌尿器科学