Sucrose Nonfermenting-Related Kinase Expression Is Related to a Metabolic Switch in Ovarian Cancer Cells That Results in Increased Fatty Acid Oxidation

Cancer Invest. 2023 Apr;41(4):330-344. doi: 10.1080/07357907.2022.2136376. Epub 2023 Jan 5.

Abstract

Ovarian cancer frequently metastasizes to the omentum, which is primarily comprised of adipocytes. Our previous study found that sucrose nonfermenting-related kinase (SNRK) expression is lower in advanced-stage compared with early-stage ovarian cancer tissue. In this study, SNRK knockdown was performed in ovarian cancer cell lines using lentiviral transduction and resulted in decreased cell proliferation, increased invasion, and a switch in metabolism to increased fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Our data suggest that SNRK works as a metabolic checkpoint that allows for oxidative phosphorylation and prevents FAO during a time of rapid tumor growth.

Keywords: Ovarian cancer; SNRK; adipocytes; metabolism; metastasis; mitochondria; omentum.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • Fatty Acids
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ovarian Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Ovarian Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases* / genetics

Substances

  • Fatty Acids
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • SNF1-related protein kinases