Ct-OATP1B3 Promotes Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Metastasis Via Regulation of Mitochondrial Fatty Acid Oxidation and Oxidative Phosphorylation

Cancer-type organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B3 (Ct-OATP1B3) is a newly discovered mRNA variant of OATP1B3, which predominantly expresses in various types of cancer specimens. However, very little is known about its biological function in cancer so far. Here, we reveal that Ct-OATP1B3 is overexpressed in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues and plays a pivotal role in EOC metastasis. Mechanically, Ct-OATP1B3 directly interacts with insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) and activates mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathways to facilitate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and cellular lamellipodia formation in EOC cells. Our study provides an insight into the function and underlying mechanism of Ct-OATP1B3 in EOC metastasis, and highlights Ct-OATP1B3 as a novel prognostic marker as well as therapeutic target in EOC.