Oncometabolite lactate enhances breast cancer progression by orchestrating histone lactylation-dependent c-Myc expression

Highlights

• •

  Metabolic state of breast cancer cells affects the transcriptome.

• •

  High glycolytic rate promotes H3K18la-mediated c-Myc upregulation.

• •

  c-Myc modulates SRSF10 expression in response to intracellular lactate levels.

• •

  Attenuating glycolytic rate impedes c-Myc-SRSF10 axis.

Abstract

Due to the enhanced glycolytic rate, cancer cells generate lactate copiously, subsequently promoting the lactylation of histones. While previous studies have explored the impact of histone lactylation in modulating gene expression, the precise role of this epigenetic modification in regulating oncogenes is largely unchartered. In this study, using breast cancer cell lines and their mutants exhibiting lactate-deficient metabolome, we have identified that an enhanced rate of aerobic glycolysis supports c-Myc expression via promoter-level histone lactylation. Interestingly, c-Myc further transcriptionally upregulates serine/arginine splicing factor 10 ( SRSF10) to drive alternative splicing of MDM4 and Bcl-x in breast cancer cells. Moreover, our results reveal that restricting the activity of critical glycolytic enzymes affects the c-Myc-SRSF10 axis to subside the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Our findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms by which aerobic glycolysis influences alternative splicing processes that collectively contribute to breast tumorigenesis. Furthermore, we also envisage that chemotherapeutic interventions attenuating glycolytic rate can restrict breast cancer progression by impeding the c-Myc-SRSF10 axis.

Graphical abstract