Research article

Lack of correlation between MYCN expression and the Warburg effect in neuroblastoma cell lines

Danielle J Smith^1,2 , Luke R Cossins² , Irene Hatzinisiriou² , Michelle Haber³ and Phillip Nagley^1,2

¹Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Structural and Functional Microbial Genomics, Monash University, Wellington Road, CLAYTON, Victoria, 3800, Australia

²Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Wellington Road, CLAYTON, Victoria, 3800, Australia

³Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, High Street, RANDWICK, New South Wales, 2031, Australia

author email corresponding author email

BMC Cancer 2008, 8:259doi:10.1186/1471-2407-8-259

Published:	14 September 2008

Abstract

Background

Many cancers preferentially meet their energy requirements through the glycolytic pathway rather than via the more efficient oxidative phosphorylation pathway. It is thought that this is an important adaptation in cancer malignancy. We investigated whether use of glycolysis for energy production even in the presence of oxygen (known as the Warburg effect) varied between neuroblastoma cell lines with or without MYCN amplification (a key indicator of poor disease outcome in neuroblastoma).

Methods

We examined ATP and lactate production, oxygen consumption and mitochondrial energisation status for three neuroblastoma cell lines with varying degrees of MYCN amplification and MYCN expression.

Results

We found no correlation between MYCN expression and the Warburg effect in the cell lines investigated.

Conclusion

Our results suggest preferential use of glycolysis for energy production and MYCN expression may be independent markers of neuroblastoma malignancy in vitro if not in vivo.