PTTG regulates the metabolic switch of ovarian cancer cells via the c-myc pathway

Human pituitary tumor-transforming gene (PTTG) is a proto-oncogene involved in the development, invasion, and metastasis of many types of cancer, including ovarian cancer. However, little is known about the role of PTTG in the metabolic shift of ovarian cancer cells. In our study, we show that PTTG expression was positively correlated with the differentiation degree of ovarian cancer tissue. In addition, PTTG suppression by specific shRNA could inhibit the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells A2780 and SKOV-3. Furthermore, aerobic glycolysis was suppressed and oxidative phosphorylation was increased in ovarian cancer cells after PTTG suppression. We further found that the expression of c-myc and several crucial enzymes involved in aerobic glycolysis (e.g., PKM2, LDHA, and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1)) were downregulated by PTTG knockwown. Overexpression of c-myc could prevent the metabolic shift induced by PTTG knockwown. Together, our findings suggest that the oncogene PTTG promotes the progression of ovarian cancer cells, and its loss resists tumor development, in part, by regulating cellular metabolic reprogramming that supports cell growth and proliferation via c-myc pathway.