Abstract
Cancer cells generate large amounts of lactate derived from glucose regardless of the available oxygen level. Cancer cells finely control ATP synthesis by modulating the uptake of substrates and the activity of enzymes involved in aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect), which enables them to adapt to the tumor microenvironment. However, increasing evidence suggests that mitochondrial metabolism, including the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and glutaminolysis, is paradoxically activated in MYCN-amplified malignancies. Unlike non-amplified cells, MYCN-amplified cancer cells significantly promote OXPHOS-dependent ATP synthesis. Furthermore, tumor cells are differentially dependent on fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) according to N-Myc status. Therefore, upregulation of FAO-associated enzymes is positively correlated with both N-Myc expression level and poor clinical outcome. This review explores therapeutic strategies targeting cancer stem-like cells for the treatment of tumors associated with MYCN amplification.
Introduction
N-Myc contains a C-terminal basic region that can bind to DNA and a basic-helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper domain that is responsible for the physical interaction with its counterpart MAX. Myc/MAX heterodimers bind to the DNA sequence 5′-CACGTG-3′, which is termed the consensus E-box (, ). N-Myc represses transglutaminase 2 (TG2) transcription in cooperation with specific protein 1 (SP1) and the subsequent recruitment of histone deacetylase 1 (); however, N-Myc also directly induces the transcription of a specific subset of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter genes. These examples strongly suggest a double-edged sword role for N-Myc in transcriptional regulation according to cell context and tumor microenvironment (). The Myc family is essential for normal development of the central nervous system (), and the expression pattern of Myc changes from N-Myc to c-Myc during differentiation to transit-amplifying progenitors ().
N-Myc is overexpressed in malignant neoplasms of the nervous system, including neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, glioblastoma multiforme, retinoblastoma, and astrocytoma, as well as in non-neuronal tumors, including hematologic malignancies, small cell lung cancer, neuroendocrine prostate cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, and Wilms tumors (). N-Myc is expressed in self-renewing and quiescent hematopoietic stem cells, and expression changes to c-Myc upon differentiation to transit-amplifying progenitors (). This finding suggests that N-Myc plays a role in the activation of stem cell-like properties characterized by self-renewal potential. Consistently, enforced expression of N-Myc, but not c-Myc, in murine bone marrow cells causes rapid development of acute myeloid leukemia in vivo (). This is supported by the effect of N-Myc upregulation on driving the formation of a neuroendocrine tumor type that differs from c-Myc-driven prostate cancer in histology and response to androgen receptor (AR) signaling-targeted therapies (, ). N-Myc suppresses AR signaling and induces polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) target gene repression irrespective of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) status. N-Myc binds to AR enhancers and forms a complex with AR in a manner dependent on its interaction with enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2). Furthermore, the catalytic activity of EZH2 promotes N-Myc/AR/EZH2-PRC2 complex formation (). Thus, N-Myc might play a fundamental role in lineage switching from an epithelial origin to a neuroendocrine prostate carcinoma.
Despite its therapeutic potential, targeting N-Myc directly using small molecules remains challenging. As of this writing, there are very few reports demonstrating the efficacy of any compound targeting the binding between N-Myc and MAX, and effective small molecules capable of interfering with the N-Myc/MAX heterodimer in vivo have not been identified (). Several indirect strategies to target N-Myc-driven malignancy are currently being explored, such as impeding MYCN transcription with inhibitors of bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins such as JQ1; targeting proteins that increase N-Myc stability such as allosteric Aurora-A inhibitors; and exploiting synthetic lethal interactions with agents that deregulate N-Myc such as checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) inhibitors (, , ). CHK1 is involved in DNA repair, which is modulated by c-Myc-induced replicative stress (). CHK1 transcription is markedly elevated in patients with MYCN-amplified neuroblastomas (). In addition, the MRN complex is composed of RAD50, meiotic recombination 11 (also referred to as MRE11), and NBS1 (also known as nibrin). MRN plays a critical role in processing, sensing, and repairing the double-strand breaks of DNA (). Petroni and Giannini reported that N-Myc-dependent proliferation of neuroprogenitor cells is accompanied by DNA replication stress, which is attenuated by the MRN complex, a direct transcriptional target of N-Myc. MRN inhibition via mirin also results in the accumulation of DNA damage response (DDR) markers and replication stress-associated DNA foci in an N-Myc-dependent manner. The functional inactivation of the MRN complex mediated by mirin in N-Myc-expressing neural cells fails to induce CHK1 phosphorylation and S phase arrest, whereas it activates both p53 and ATM to trigger apoptotic cell death (). CCT244747, which is a highly selective and orally active CHK1 inhibitor, has shown therapeutic effects in an N-Myc-driven transgenic murine model of neuroblastoma (). Zirath et al. () demonstrated that the compound 10058-F4, which is thought to disrupt the interaction between c-MYCN-Myc and MAX, impairs respiratory chain and FAO, resulting in apoptosis. A recent study showed in vitro that 10058-F4 is effective against acute promyelocytic leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia with c-Myc overexpression ().
Metabolic Reprogramming through the Regulation of Amino Acid Transporters by N-Myc
Amino acid transporters contribute to metabolic reprogramming and maintain cancer stem-like phenotypes. xCT (SLC7A11) takes up cystine in exchange for glutamine, which is used for the synthesis of reduced glutathione (GSH) (, ), whereas ASCT2 (solute carrier family 1 member 5; SLC1A5) simultaneously takes up glutamine (, ). The heterodimer composed of LAT1 (SLC7A5) and CD98 heavy chain (SLC3A2) is broadly and highly expressed in cancer cells and provides essential amino acids characterized by leucine, thereby activating the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex1 (). Oncogenic c-Myc and hypoxia-induced factor 2α (HIF2α) upregulate LAT1 in a coordinated manner, whereas miR-126 suppresses LAT1 expression (, ). The leucine influx mediated by LAT1 is associated with another amino acid antiporter, ASCT2 (). Pharmacological inhibition of ASCT2 suppresses LAT1-mediated leucine uptake, which leads to mTOR signaling inactivation in malignancy (). Glutamine contributes to the synthesis of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) via its conversion to glutamate, thereby promoting the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and the synthesis of nucleotides required for cellular proliferation (, ). CD44 variant (CD44v)-positive cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) express high levels of xCT and ASCT2, which promote GSH synthesis from cysteine and α-KG from glutamine, respectively (). Because c-Myc regulates amino acid transporters such as ASCT2 (), c-Myc is likely to induce metabolic reprogramming in CD44v-positive CSCs. Collectively, metabolic reprogramming, which is orchestrated by the increased expression and interplay of amino acid transporters, results in glutamine addiction and protects CSCs from redox stress.
Ren et al. () reported that MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells prominently depend on ASCT2 to maintain sufficient level of glutamine to activate TCA cycle. MYCN amplification is present in ~30–40% of high-grade neuroblastoma patients and is a poor prognostic factor (, ). MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells need an efficient machinery to meet the metabolic demands to keep enough amount of glutamine, which is a process which strictly relies on the interaction of specific amino acid transporters. High expression levels of Myc are necessary to maintain the glutaminolytic phenotype and addiction to glutamine as a bioenergetic substrate (, –). Induction of key regulatory genes encoding glutamine transporters, glutaminase, and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A) is important for glutaminolysis correlated with the Myc-induced increase in glutamine uptake and glutaminase flux. Glutamine addiction is associated with the activity of Myc in redirecting glucose carbon utilization away from mitochondria as a result of LDH-A activation (, ). Consequently, Myc-transformed cells become dependent on glutamine anapleurosis to maintain mitochondrial integrity and TCA cycle function. Indeed, MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells display addiction to glutamine metabolism (). Ren et al. () identified a well-conserved N-Myc binding site in the ASCT2 promoter region. Although N-Myc and ATF4 cooperatively transactivate ASCT2, this amino acid transporter is significantly upregulated in response to glucose and/or glutamine deprivation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (Figure 1).
Figure 1
Mitochondrial Metabolic Reprogramming in N-Myc-Driven Cancer Cells
Alptekin et al. proposed an alternative therapeutic strategy against MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. These authors demonstrated that upregulation of genes associated with the serine-glycine-one-carbon (SGOC) metabolic pathway underlies the excessive dependence on glycine decarboxylase (GLDC) (
MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells exhibit enhanced expression of genes and proteins involved in aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect), oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and FAO (
Lipid Metabolic Reprogramming in N-Myc-Driven Tumor Cells
High expression levels of CPT1C, a brain-specific metabolic enzyme, in N-Myc-positive neuroblastoma cells suggest that increased FAO might be an important metabolic feature in this malignancy (
Qin et al. (
Deregulated N-Myc requires MondoA for lipid metabolic reprogramming in Myc-driven tumors (
The Novel Significance of N-Myc in Hepatic Cancer Stem Cells
Qin et al. identified N-Myc as one of the hepatic CSC markers in parallel with α-fetoprotein (AFP), epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), CD90, CD133, delta-like 1 homolog, and glypican 3 (
Figure 2

Metabolic reprogramming in N-Myc-positive hepatic cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) is a potential therapeutic target. (A) According to the Cancer Genome Atlas data from the cBio Cancer Genomics Portal at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center (http://www.cbioportal.org/), ~2.5% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have MYCN amplification. (B) Primary HCC tissues include both EpCAM-positive and EpCAM/N-Myc double-positive hepatic CSCs (left). Treatment with acyclic retinoid selectively eliminates N-Myc-positive CSCs (right) (
Qin et al. investigated the therapeutic effect of acyclic retinoid (ACR), a synthetic retinoid X receptor α-ligand, against hepatic CSCs expressing high levels of N-Myc. Hepatic CSCs with high expression levels of both EpCAM and N-Myc are more susceptible to ACR than non-CSCs negative for N-Myc expression (
Conclusions and Perspectives
N-Myc enables metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells, which cannot be simply explained by constitutive aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect). However, MYCN-amplified cells depend on the TCA cycle and OXPHOS as well as lipid metabolism, rather than the Warburg effect. N-Myc upregulates ASCT2, the amino acid transporter contributing to glutamine addiction. MondoA, a nutrient-sensing transcription factor associated with Myc signaling, plays an important role in maintaining N-Myc-induced glutaminolysis and glutamine-derived lipid biosynthesis. ACR, a leading compound of vitamin A, was recently shown to specifically kill EpCAM-positive liver CSCs expressing high levels of N-Myc. ACR holds much promise for preventing de novo HCC recurrence. Such CSC population is enriched in enzymes necessary for lipid desaturation including FADS1/2 and SCD1. Considering the complexity of mitochondrial metabolism, further investigation is warranted to design novel therapeutic strategies targeting metabolic reprogramming triggered by N-Myc.
Statements
Author contributions
GY searched the articles, wrote the manuscript, and submitted the paper to the journal.
Funding
This review article was financially supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (19K23898).
Conflict of interest
The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
- ACR
acyclic retinoid
- α-KG
α-ketoglutarate
- AMPK
AMP-activated protein kinase
- AR
androgen receptor
- BET
bromodomain and extraterminal
- CD44v
CD44 variant
- CHK1
checkpoint kinase 1
- CPT1C
carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1
- CSCs
cancer stem-like cells
- EpCAM
epithelial cell adhesion molecule
- ER
endoplasmic reticulum
- EZH2
zeste homolog 2
- FAO
fatty acid β-oxidation
- GLDC
glycine decarboxylase
- HCC
hepatocellular carcinoma
- LDH-A
lactate dehydrogenase A
- MCT
monocarboxylate transporter
- mTOR
mammalian target of rapamycin
- NASH
non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
- OXPHOS
oxidative phosphorylation
- PRC2
polycomb repressive complex 2
- PTEN
phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10
- ROS
reactive oxygen species
- SCD1
stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1
- TCA
tricarboxylic acid
- UFA
unsaturated fatty acid.
Abbreviations
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Summary
Keywords
acyclic retinoid, amino acid transporter, cancer stem-like cells, fatty acid β-oxidation, glutaminolysis, mitochondria, N-Myc, TCA cycle
Citation
Yoshida GJ (2020) Beyond the Warburg Effect: N-Myc Contributes to Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer Cells. Front. Oncol. 10:791. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00791
Received
12 February 2020
Accepted
22 April 2020
Published
27 May 2020
Volume
10 - 2020
Edited by
Yusuke Suenaga, Chiba Cancer Center, Japan
Reviewed by
Shunpei Satoh, Saitama Cancer Center, Japan; Francesco Grignani, University of Perugia, Italy; Md Shamim Hossain, Kyushu University, Japan
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Copyright
© 2020 Yoshida.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Go J. Yoshida medical21go@yahoo.co.jp
This article was submitted to Molecular and Cellular Oncology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Oncology
†ORCID: Go J. Yoshida orcid.org/0000-0002-1472-892X
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