Targeting the METTL3/YTHDF3/m6A/PGK1 axis to combat Choriocarcinoma progression

Choriocarcinoma (CC) is a highly aggressive trophoblastic tumor characterized by rapid progression and early metastasis. Glycolysis, a crucial metabolic pathway in cancer, is essential for tumor growth, yet its specific role in CC is not well understood. Phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), an important enzyme in glycolysis, along with N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation, a common modification of mRNA, are both associated with tumorigenesis. However, the role of m6A-modified PGK1 in CC has not been investigated. In this study, bioinformatics analysis has identified PGK1 as a key regulator in the progression of CC and glycolysis. PGK1 was found to be upregulated in CC cell lines BeWo and JEG-3 cells. Functional experiments indicated that PGK1 knockdown suppressed proliferation and glycolysis of tumor cells, and inhibited tumor growth in xenograft mouse models. Mechanistically, the m6A modification of PGK1 mRNA, mediated by methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), increased its stability, while YTH domain-containing family protein 3 (YTHDF3) promoted its translation in an m6A-dependent manner. Silencing PGK1 diminished tumor progression, while the overexpression of METTL3 or YTHDF3 partially mitigated these effects by restoring PGK1 expression and glycolytic function. Overall, the METTL3/YTHDF3 axis enhanced CC progression by stabilizing PGK1 mRNA through m6A modification. These results position PGK1 as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target, indicating that targeting the METTL3/YTHDF3/m6A/PGK1 pathway may provide innovative strategies for the treatment of CC.