A splicing switch from ketohexokinase-C to ketohexokinase-A drives hepatocellular carcinoma formation

Dietary fructose is primarily metabolized in the liver. Here we demonstrate that, compared with normal hepatocytes, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells markedly reduce the rate of fructose metabolism and the level of reactive oxygen species, as a result of a c-Myc-dependent and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) H1- and H2-mediated switch from expression of the high-activity fructokinase (KHK)-C to the low-activity KHK-A isoform. Importantly, KHK-A acts as a protein kinase, phosphorylating and activating phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase 1 (PRPS1) to promote pentose phosphate pathway-dependent de novo nucleic acid synthesis and HCC formation. Furthermore, c-Myc, hnRNPH1/2 and KHK-A expression levels and PRPS1 Thr225 phosphorylation levels correlate with each other in HCC specimens and are associated with poor prognosis for HCC. These findings reveal a pivotal mechanism underlying the distinct fructose metabolism between HCC cells and normal hepatocytes and highlight the instrumental role of KHK-A protein kinase activity in promoting de novo nucleic acid synthesis and HCC development.