Non-canonical functions of enzymes facilitate cross-talk between cell metabolic and regulatory pathways

Abstract

Cancer: Linking cancer signaling and metabolism Further investigations into how multifunctional metabolic enzymes affect cancer development is vital to fully understand and treat the disease. Certain cancer molecules can tap into and ‘rewire’ the body’s metabolic system, allowing cancer cells to proliferate and feed off the body’s nutrients and oxygen supply. Recent insights suggest that ‘moonlighting’ metabolic enzymes can also regulate cell signaling to encourage or suppress tumor growth. Marteinn Snaebjornsson and Almut Schulze at the University of Würzburg, Germany, reviewed recent research into several of these multifunctional metabolic enzymes. Pyruvate kinase, for example, is frequently upregulated in cancers and can also double as a protein kinase, working to modify other proteins and influence cancer proliferation. Uncovering these non-metabolic processes, often based on individual protein-protein interactions, adds extra complexity to developing effective cancer therapies.