Fig 2: Overexpression of GAS6-AS1 promotes the proliferation, invasiveness and glycolysis of ccRCC cells. (A) Transfection efficiency of the GAS6-AS1 expression plasma was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. (B) Cell Counting Kit 8 analysis was used to detect the viability of OSRC-2 and SW839 cells at 24, 48 and 72 h. (C) OSRC-2 and SW839 cell colony formation capacity was assessed by colony formation assay. (D) OSRC-2 and SW839 cell invasiveness was assessed by Transwell assay. (E) Glucose consumption, lactic acid production and ATP production were measured by ELISA in OSRC-2 and SW839 cells. (F) Protein levels of PCNA, MMP2 and HK2 were examined by western blotting in OSRC-2 and SW839 cells. **P<0.01 vs. and ***P<0.001 vs. vector group. GAS6-AS1, GAS6 antisense RNA 1; ccRCC, clear cell renal cell carcinoma; PCNA, proliferating cell nuclear antigen; HK2, hexokinase-2.

Fig 3: The glycolytic side-product MGO modulates HIF-1a target genes related to cellular glucose metabolism. Western blot analysis of the glycolytic enzymes HK2 (A), PKM2 (B) and LDHA (C), and of the inhibitor of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity PDK1 (D) in total cell extracts from HUVEC treated (or untreated, Ctr = control) with the reactive dicarbonyl compound MGO (200 µM) for 48 h, silenced for HIF-1a (si-HIF-1a), or in the presence of the carbonyl trapping agent Car (20 mM), and relative band densitometry analysis from three separate experiments. mRNA levels of the mitochondrial biogenesis marker PGC-1a (E) in HUVEC exposed to MGO for 48 h, silenced for HIF-1a, or treated with Car; each dot represents the mean of two technical replicates of 5 wells per condition. Representative IF (F, scale bar 20 µm) for MT-CO1 in HUVEC treated or untreated (Ctr) with MGO for 48 h, in the presence or absence of Car. Bars represent mean ± SEM. Post hoc multiple comparison: *** p < 0.001 or * p < 0.05 vs. Ctr; ††† p < 0.001, †† p < 0.01 or † p < 0.05 vs. MGO.

Fig 4: A case of IDH3a high expression group showed GLUT1 high expression but not for HK2. GLUT1 and HK2 expression of a 59-year-old woman in high IDH3a expression group with lung adenocarcinoma in right upper lobe showing significant accumulation of [18F]-FDG (SUVmax = 11.8). (A) GLUT1 was highly expressed (immunohistochemical staining ×400; scale bar, 50 µm); (B) HK2 expression was low (immunohistochemical staining ×400; scale bar, 50 µm). SUVmax, maximum standard uptake value; GLUT1, glucose transporter 1; HK2, hexokinase 2

Fig 5: MiR-216b targets HK2 to block the mTOR signaling pathway. A, miR-216b expression among three tested BC cell lines; B, silencing efficiency of siHK2-1 and siHK2-2. C, RT-qPCR assay for determination of miR-216b and mRNA expression of HK2, mTOR and 4EBP1; D, the protein expression of HK2, mTOR and 4EBP1, along with the extent of mTOR and 4EBP1 phosphorylation measured by Western blot analysis; E, p-mTOR expression in tissues detected by IHC (× 400); F, correlation analysis of p-mTOR and HK2; G, miR-216b and HK2 expression detected by RT-qPCR; H, the protein expression of HK2, mTOR and 4EBP1, along with the extent of mTOR and 4EBP1 phosphorylation measured by Western blot analysis; the experiment was repeated for three times; data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc test. *, p < 0.05 compared with the cells transfected with mimic NC + oe-NC; #, p < 0.05 compared with miR-216b mimic +oe-NC.