Citrate enhances in vitro metastatic behaviours of PC-3M human prostate cancer cells: Status of endogenous citrate and dependence on aconitase and fatty acid synthase

Prostate is a unique organ that produces and releases large amounts of citrate. This is reduced significantly in cancer and it is possible that citrate is (re)taken up and used as a metabolite to enhance cellular activity. The main purpose of this study was to determine how cytosolic citrate might affect in vitro metastatic cell behaviours (lateral motility, endocytosis and adhesion). Normal (PNT2-C2) and metastatic (PC-3M) human prostate cancer cells were used in a comparative approach. As regards intermediary metabolic enzymes, aconitase and fatty acid synthase, already implicated in prostate cancer, were evaluated. The level of intracellular citrate was significantly higher in PNT2-C2 cells under both control conditions and following preincubation in extracellular citrate. Supply of exogenous citrate enhanced endocytosis, lateral motility, decreased cell adhesion of PC-3M cells but failed to produce any effect on normal cells. Real-time PCR measurements showed that the mRNA levels of mitochondrial and cytosolic aconitases and fatty acid synthase were significantly higher in PC-3M cells. Correspondingly, aconitase activity was also higher in PC-3M cells. Using cerulenin (an inhibitor of fatty acid synthase), oxalomalate and fluorocitrate (inhibiting aconitases), we investigated the dependence of citrate-induced down-regulation of cellular adhesion on aconitase and fatty acid synthase activities. It was concluded: (1) that strongly metastatic PC-3M cells stored less/utilised more cytosolic citrate than the normal PNT2-C2 cells and (2) that cancer cells could metabolise cytoplasmic citrate via aconitase and fatty acid synthase to enhance their metastatic behaviour.