miR-495 mediates metabolic shift in glioma cells via targeting Glut1

Cancer cell metabolism is often characterized by a shift from an oxidative to a glycolytic bioenergetics pathway, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. Whether the deregulation of microRNAs contributes to the Warburg effect remains largely unknown. Here, we show that miR-495 expression is decreased and thus induces a metabolic shift in glioma cells. miR-495 performs this function by increasing the expression of Glut1, leading to the increase of glucose uptake and lactate production. The altered metabolism induced by miR-495 results in the rapid growth of cancer cells. These results identify miR-495 as a molecular switch involved in the orchestration of the Warburg effect in glioma cells via targeting the expression of Glut1.