NAT10 promotes glycolysis and cell stemness of ovarian cancer cells via ac4C acetylation of PGAM1 mRNA

Ovarian cancer represents one of the most prevalent gynecological malignancies with a poor prognosis. Targeting glycolytic pathways has emerged as a novel cancer therapeutic strategy. N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10)-mediated N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification plays a regulatory role in cancer glycolysis. Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) functions as a critical glycolytic enzyme and potential therapeutic target in oncology. This study investigated the functional role and underlying mechanisms of NAT10 in ovarian cancer progression. Cellular glycolysis was assessed through glucose uptake measurements, lactate production quantification, and extracellular acidification rate analysis. Cell stemness characteristics were evaluated using sphere formation assays and western blot analysis. Molecular mechanisms were explored via quantitative real-time PCR, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), ac4C-specific RIP, dot blot analysis, and dual-luciferase reporter assays. Elevated NAT10 expression and ac4C modification levels were observed in ovarian cancer cells. NAT10 silencing significantly inhibited both cell stemness properties and glycolytic activity. Mechanistically, NAT10 enhanced PGAM1 mRNA stability through ac4C modification. Re-expression of PGAM1 reversed the functional effects induced by NAT10 depletion in ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, in vivo tumor growth experiments demonstrated that NAT10 promotes tumorigenesis. Our findings demonstrate that NAT10 facilitates ovarian cancer progression by mediating ac4C modification of PGAM1. This study identifies a novel and potentially effective therapeutic target for ovarian cancer treatment.