Plectalibertellenone A suppresses colorectal cancer cell motility and glucose metabolism by targeting TGF‐β/Smad and Wnt pathways

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer‐related death and represents a serious worldwide health problem. CRC metastasis decreases the survival rate of cancer patients, underscoring the need to identify novel anticancer agents and therapeutic targets. Here, we introduce Plectalibertellenone A (B) as a promising agent for the inhibition of CRC cell motility and glucose metabolism and explore its mechanism of action in CRC cells. Plectalibertellenone A suppressed TGF‐β gene expression and the activation of the TGF‐β/Smad signaling pathway, leading to reverse epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) by modulating the expressions of EMT markers and transcriptional factors such as E‐cadherin, N‐cadherin, vimentin, Slug, Snail, Twist, and ZEB1/2. Furthermore, disruption of Wnt signaling inhibited CRC motility and glucose metabolism including glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, primarily affecting glycolytic enzymes, GLUT1, HK2, PKM2, LDHA, and HIF‐1α under hypoxic condition. Therefore, Plectalibertellenone A is a potential drug candidate that can be developed into a promising anticancer treatment to prevent CRC metastasis and inhibit glucose metabolism.