Cited by 993Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ResearchCancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismEpigenetics and DNA Methylation

The Warburg Effect Dictates the Mechanism of Butyrate-Mediated Histone Acetylation and Cell Proliferation

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Donohoe, Dallas R., Collins, Leonard B., Wali, Aminah, Bigler, Rebecca, Sun, Wei, Bultman, Scott J.·2012·Molecular Cell

Abstract

Widespread changes in gene expression drive tumorigenesis, yet our knowledge of how aberrant epigenomic and transcriptome profiles arise in cancer cells is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that metabolic transformation plays an important role. Butyrate is the primary energy source of normal colonocytes and is metabolized to acetyl-CoA, which was shown to be important not only for energetics but also for HAT activity. Due to the Warburg effect, cancerous colonocytes rely on glucose as their primary energy source, so butyrate accumulated and functioned as an HDAC inhibitor. Although both mechanisms increased histone acetylation, different target genes were upregulated. Consequently, butyrate stimulated the proliferation of normal colonocytes and cancerous colonocytes when the Warburg effect was prevented from occurring, whereas it inhibited the proliferation of cancerous colonocytes undergoing the Warburg effect. These findings link a common metabolite to epigenetic mechanisms that are differentially utilized by normal and cancerous cells because of their inherent metabolic differences.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.molcel.2012.08.033

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Authors
Donohoe, D. R., Collins, L. B., Wali, A., Bigler, R., Sun, W., & Bultman, S. J.
Affiliations
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Corresponding author
Bultman, Scott J.
Venue
Molecular Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-11
Volume
48
Issue
4
Pages
612-626
ISSN
1097-2765 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1994687037
Cited by
993
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 133 · 2025: 94 · 2024: 70 · 2023: 88 · 2022: 89 · 2021: 92 · 2020: 82 · 2019: 68 · 2018: 66 · 2017: 58 · 2016: 67 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 1
FWCI
10.86
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Molecular Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
  • UNC Libraries
Funders
  • Prevent Cancer Foundation
  • American Institute for Cancer Research
  • National Institutes of Health (CA125237, P30-ES10126)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
Keywords
Warburg effect, butyrate, histone acetylation, histone deacetylase inhibition, histone acetyltransferase, cell proliferation, colonic epithelial cells, cancer metabolism, acetyl-CoA, epigenetic regulation, colon cancer
MeSH terms
Acetylation, Butyrates, Histones, Humans, Models, Biological, Tumor Cells, Cultured, HT29 Cells, HCT116 Cells, Cell Proliferation

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