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BNIP3 contributes to the glutamine-driven aggressive behavior of melanoma cells
Monica Vara-Perez1, Hannelore Maes1, Sarah Van Dingenen1
1Cell Death Research and Therapy (CDRT) Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, O&N1 Building from Campus Gasthuisberg, KU Leuven University of Leuven, Herenstraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Aerobic glycolysis ('Warburg effect') is used by cancer cells to fuel tumor growth. Interestingly, metastatic melanoma cells rely on glutaminolysis rather than aerobic glycolysis for their bioenergetic needs through the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Here, we compared the effects of glucose or glutamine on melanoma cell proliferation, migration and oxidative phosphorylation in vitro. We found that glutamine-driven melanoma cell's aggressive traits positively correlated with increased expression of HIF1α and its pro-autophagic target BNIP3. BNIP3 silencing reduced glutamine-mediated effects on melanoma cell growth, migration and bioenergetics. Hence, BNIP3 is a vital component of the mitochondria quality control required for glutamine-driven melanoma aggressiveness.
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