The glycolysis regulator PFKFB4 interacts with ICMTand activates RAS/AKT signaling-dependent cell migration in melanoma.

Cell migration is a complex process, tightly regulated during embryonic development and abnormally activated during cancer metastasis. RAS-dependent signaling is a major nexus controlling essential cell parameters such as proliferation, survival and migration using downstream effectors among which the PI3K/AKT signaling. In melanoma, oncogenic mutations frequently enhance RAS, PI3K/AKT or MAP kinase signaling, in addition to other cancer hallmarks including the activation of metabolism regulators such as PFKFB4, a critical regulator of glycolysis and Warburg effect. Here, we explore a novel function of PFKFB4 in melanoma cell migration. We find that instead of acting as a kinase as recorded in glycolysis, PFKFB4 interacts with ICMT, a post-translational modifier of RAS. PFKFB4 promotes ICMT/RAS interaction, controls RAS addressing at the plasma membrane, activates AKT signaling and enhances cell migration. We thus evidence a novel glycolysis-independent function of PFKFB4 in human cancer cells. This unconventional activity links the metabolic regulator PFKFB4 to RAS-AKT signaling and impacts melanoma cell migration.