Plectalibertellenone A suppresses colorectal cancer cell motility and glucose metabolism by targeting TGF-β/Smad and Wnt pathways.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related death and represents a serious worldwide health problem. CRC metastasis decreases the survival rate of cancer patients, underscoring the need to identify novel anticancer agents and therapeutic targets. Here, we introduce Plectalibertellenone A (B) as a promising agent for the inhibition of CRC cell motility and glucose metabolism and explore its mechanism of action in CRC cells. Plectalibertellenone A suppressed TGF-β gene expression and the activation of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, leading to reverse epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) by modulating the expressions of EMT markers and transcriptional factors such as E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, Slug, Snail, Twist, and ZEB1/2. Furthermore, disruption of Wnt signaling inhibited CRC motility and glucose metabolism including glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, primarily affecting glycolytic enzymes, GLUT1, HK2, PKM2, LDHA, and HIF-1α under hypoxic condition. Therefore, Plectalibertellenone A is a potential drug candidate that can be developed into a promising anticancer treatment to prevent CRC metastasis and inhibit glucose metabolism.