Modulatory roles of glycolytic enzymes in cell death

Cancer cells depend on an altered energy metabolism characterized by increased rates of both glycolysis and glutaminolysis. Accordingly, corresponding key metabolic enzymes are overexpressed or hyperactivated. As a result, this newly acquired metabolic profile determines most other cancer hallmarks including resistance to cell death. Recent findings highlighted metabolic enzymes as direct modulators of cell death pathways. Conversely, key mediators of cell death mechanisms are emerging as new binding partners of glycolytic actors; moreover, there is evidence that metabolic regulators re-localize to specific subcellular compartments or organelles to modulate various types of cell demise. The final outcome is the resistance against cell death programs. Current findings give a new meaning to metabolic pathways and allow understanding how they affect cancer-specific pathological alterations. Furthermore, they shed light on potentially targetable functions of metabolic actors to restore susceptibility of cancer cells to death. Here, we discuss an emerging interplay between cell metabolism and cell death, focusing on interactions that may offer new options of targeted therapies in cancer treatment involving more specifically hexokinases and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.