Circular RNA circVAMP3 promotes aerobic glycolysis and proliferation by regulating LDHA in renal cell carcinoma

Metabolic dysfunction is seen in cancer cells where increased glycolysis provides energy for growth. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are thought to assist in glucose metabolism and the switch to glycolysis. Through screening, we found that circVAMP3 was necessary for both glycolytic and proliferative activities in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Furthermore, circVAMP3 expression was elevated in RCC patients in correspondence with TNM stage. Mechanistically, circVAMP3 was observed to interact directly with lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and modulate its activity. The circVAMP3–LDHA interaction facilitated LDHA phosphorylation at tyrosine 10 (Y10) catalyzed by the upstream kinase fibroblast growth factor receptor type 1 (FGFR1). Therefore, this study reveals a novel molecular mechanism by which circVAMP3 promotes glycolysis and proliferation through regulating the enzymatic activity of glycolytic enzyme, suggesting that circVAMP3 may represent an RCC biomarker and treatment target.