MicroRNA-150 regulates glycolysis by targeting von Hippel-Lindau in glioma cells.

Warburg effect, characterized by enhanced glycolysis and lactate production, even under aerobic conditions, is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. However, the mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains poorly understood. Previous studies have shown that microRNA-150 (miR-150) is significantly up-regulated in various malignancies and represents a putative onco-miRNA in human cancers. In the present study, we aim to investigate the functional significance and molecular target of miR-150 in glioma. As a result, von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), which is a specific E3 ligase for hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF1α), was identified as a novel target of miR-150. Consistently, cells overexpressing miR-150 exhibited a metabolic shift, including enhanced glucose uptake and lactate production, which led to a rapid growth of glioma cells. Therefore, our results suggest that miR-150 modulates the Warburg effect in glioma via VHL/HIF1α and might provide a novel option for future treatments for glioma.