Cancer Metabolism and Elevated O-GlcNAc in Oncogenic Signaling

O-Linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a carbohydrate post-translational modification on hydroxyl groups of serine and/or threonine residues of cytosolic and nuclear proteins. Analogous to phosphorylation, O-GlcNAcylation plays crucial regulatory roles in cellular signaling. Recent work indicates that increased O-GlcNAcylation is a general feature of cancer and contributes to transformed phenotypes. In this minireview, we discuss how hyper-O-GlcNAcylation may be linked to various hallmarks of cancer, including cancer cell proliferation, survival, invasion, and metastasis; energy metabolism; and epigenetics. We also discuss potential therapeutic modulation of O-GlcNAc levels in cancer treatment.