In colonic ρ(0) (rho0) cells reduced mitochondrial function mediates transcriptomic alterations associated with cancer

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial reprogramming has emerged as a hallmark of cancer pathobiology. Although it is believed this reprogramming is essential for cancer cells to thrive, how it supports cancer pathobiology is unclear. We previously generated colonic ρ0 (rho0) cells with reduced mitochondrial energy function and acquired their transcriptional signature. Here, we utilized a bioinformatics approach to identify their changes linked to cancer pathobiology. METHODS: Human colon cancer HCT116 cells, control and ρ0, were used for qPCR. Bioinformatics analysis: GeneCards, Kaplan-Meier Survival, GENT, cBioPortal. RESULTS: The colonic ρ0 transcriptome was linked with proliferation, DNA replication, survival, tumor morphology, and cancer. Among differentially expressed transcripts, 281 were regulators or biomarkers of human colon cancer especially those with inflammatory microsatellite instability (MSI). We identified and validated novel transcripts in ρ0 cells with altered expression in human colon cancer. Among them DGK1, HTR7, FLRT3, and ZBTB18 co-occurred with established regulators of human colon cancer pathobiology. Also, increased levels of DGKI, FLRT3, ZBTB18, and YPEL1 as well as decreased levels of HTR7, and CALML6 were linked to substantially poorer patient survival. CONCLUSION: We identified established and novel regulators in colon cancer pathobiology that are dependent on mitochondrial energy reprogramming and linked to poorer patient survival.