Activation of the WNT7B/β-Catenin Pathway Initiates GLUT1 Expression and Promotes Aerobic Glycolysis in Colorectal Cancer Cells

Abstract

Glucose is an important energy source for tumors, however the molecular mechanisms by which tumor cells regulate glucose uptake remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the regulation mechanism of the WNT7B/β-catenin pathway for glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1)-mediated glucose metabolism in colorectal cancer. Here, we found that WNT7B expression levels were significantly increased in colorectal cancer tissues and closely associated with the clinical stage and lymph node metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer. Next, we confirmed that WNT7B significantly increased the glucose consumption and lactic acid levels in SW480 cells by overexpressing WNT7B. Additionally, gene and protein levels of GLUT1 were increased in WNT7B-overexpressing SW480 cells. However, WNT7B knockdown reversed these effects. WNT7B also enhanced GLUT1-mediated cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. WNT7B overexpression inhibited the effect of glucose deprivation on apoptosis. The WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway inhibitor, LGK974, inhibited WNT7B secretion, leading to GLUT1 levels downregulation and promotion of cell apoptosis. Ectopic tumor xenograft model experiments revealed that WNT7B promoted tumor progression in mice. Overall, our results suggest that WNT7B promotes β-catenin entry into the nucleus to initiates GLUT1 transcription, increases glucose transport and consumption, and enhances aerobic glycolysis, thus promoting tumor progression in colorectal cancer cells.