CT23 influences pentose phosphate pathway to regulate apoptosis of HCC cells by regulating H6PD expression
Objective:To explore the molecular mechanism by which cancer-testis antigen 23(CT23)partici-pates in the regulation of the pentose phosphate pathway(PPP)and promotes apoptosis in hepatocellular carcino-ma(HCC)cells.Methods:The relationship between CT23 and PPP was investigated by whole transcriptomic se-quencing,glucose consumption detection,lactic acid production analysis,reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleo-tide phosphate(NADPH)production detection,reactive oxygen species(ROS)production analysis and mitochon-drial tracer analysis.Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)were used to detect the expression of hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase(H6PD)in HCC cells with CT23 knockdown,and the apop-tosis was analyzed by the TUNEL assay.Results:CT23 was related to PPP.Compared with the control group,HCC cells in the shCT23 group had decreased glucose consumption,decreased lactate production level,de-creased NADPH production level,increased ROS level,increased apoptosis,decreased H6PD mRNA level and H6PD protein level(all P<0.05).The morphological changes of the cells were accompanied by mitochondrial damage under electron microscope.Compared with the shCT23 group,HCC cells in shCT23+H6PDOE group had increased H6PD protein level,increased glucose consumption,increased lactate production level,increased NADPH production,and decreased apoptosis(all P<0.05).Conclusion:CT23 promotes HCC cell apoptosis through enhancing PPP via H6PD.