Lactylation-driven stabilization of the S100A11/ANXA2 complex promotes pancreatic cancer metastasis

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a pronounced Warburg effect and high lactate levels. While lysine lactylation (Kla) is an emerging post-translational modification, its role in regulating the S100A11/ANXA2 complex-a critical driver of membrane repair and metastasis-remains unexplored. In this study, we identified that S100A11 (K3, K55) and ANXA2 (K49) are significantly lactylated in PDAC tissues. Lactate-induced lactylation of S100A11 at K3 and K55 inhibits FBXW11-mediated ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation, thereby stabilizing the protein. This stabilized S100A11 subsequently shields ANXA2 from TRIM21-mediated degradation. Reciprocally, lactylation of ANXA2 at K49 enhances its capacity to recruit S100A11 to the plasma membrane. Functional assays demonstrated that this lactylation-driven interdependent regulatory axis promotes PDAC cell migration, invasion, and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Clinical analysis of TCGA data revealed that low expression of both S100A11 and ANXA2 predicts significantly improved progression-free and overall survival in PDAC patients. In summary, our findings establish a novel link between metabolic reprogramming and the post-translational regulation of the membrane repair machinery. Lactylation of the S100A11/ANXA2 axis is a key driver of PDAC progression and serves as a promising prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target.