Epigenetic Reprogramming of the Glucose Metabolic Pathways by the Chromatin Effectors During Cancer

Abstract

Glucose metabolism plays a vital role in regulating cellular homeostasis as it acts as the central axis for energy metabolism, alteration in which may lead to serious consequences like metabolic disorders to life-threatening diseases like cancer. Malignant cells, on the other hand, help in tumor progression through abrupt cell proliferation by adapting to the changed metabolic milieu. Metabolic intermediates also vary from normal cells to cancerous ones to help the tumor manifestation. However, metabolic reprogramming is an important phenomenon of cells through which they try to maintain the balance between normal and carcinogenic outcomes. In this process, transcription factors and chromatin modifiers play an essential role to modify the chromatin landscape of important genes related directly or indirectly to metabolism. Our chapter surmises the importance of glucose metabolism and the role of metabolic intermediates in the cell. Also, we summarize the influence of histone effectors in reprogramming the cancer cell metabolism. An interesting aspect of this chapter includes the detailed methods to detect the aberrant metabolic flux, which can be instrumental for the therapeutic regimen of cancer.

Keywords: Epigenetic reader; Extracellular flux analysis; Gluconeogenesis; Glucose metabolism; Glycolysis; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Histone modification; Hypoxia; Metabolic intermediates; OXPHOS; TCA cycle; Techniques to measure; Warburg effect.