Rong Zeyin, Xu Jin, Yang Jianhui, Wang Wei, Tang Rong, Zhang Zifeng, Tan Zhen, Meng Qingcai, Hua Jie, Liu Jiang, Zhang Bo, Liang Chen, Yu Xianjun, Shi Si
Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Cancer Res. 2024 Dec 16;84(24):4246-4263. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-23-3596.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal tumor with limited treatment options and poor patient survival. Circular RNAs (circRNA) play crucial regulatory roles in the occurrence and development of various cancers, including PDAC. In this study, using circRNA sequencing of diverse PDAC samples, we identified circRREB1 as an oncogenic circRNA that is significantly upregulated in PDAC and is correlated with an unfavorable patient prognosis. Functionally, loss of circRREB1 markedly inhibited glycolysis and stemness, whereas elevated circRREB1 elicited the opposite effects. Mechanistically, circRREB1 interacted with PGK1, disrupting the association between PTEN and PGK1 and increasing PGK1 phosphorylation to activate glycolytic flux. Moreover, circRREB1 promoted WNT7B transcription by directly interacting with YBX1 and facilitating its nuclear translocation, consequently activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to maintain PDAC stemness. Overall, these results highlight circRREB1 as a key regulator of metabolic and stemness properties of PDAC. Significance: CircRREB1 stimulates PGK1 to induce glycolysis and activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to maintain stemness in pancreatic cancer, indicating the potential of circRREB1 as a biomarker and therapeutic target.
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