YAP1 Overexpression Enhances the Aerobic Glycolysis Process via Suppression of EGLN2 in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

The present study demonstrated that YAP1 positively regulates aerobic glycolysis by inhibiting EGLN2 expression, which results in an increased HIF-1α protein level and transcriptional activity. YAP1 was positively regulated and significantly correlated with HIF-1α-targeted glycolytic genes, including glucose transporter type 1(GLUT1), hexokinase2 (HK2) and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA). Elevated YAP1 expression and concomitant downregulation of EGLN2 contributed to poor survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. Our results suggest that YAP1 may be a promising predictive marker and treatment target for human pancreatic cancer.