Updated project metadata.
EGF is one of the most well-characterized growth factors and plays a crucial role in cell proliferation and differentiation. EGFR has been extensively explored as a therapeutic target against multiple types of cancers, such as lung cancer and glioblastoma. Recent studies have established a connection between deregulated EGF signaling and metabolic reprogramming, especially rewiring in aerobic glycolysis, which is also known as the Warburg effect and recognized as a hallmark in cancer. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) is a rate-limiting enzyme controlling the final step of glycolysis and serves as a major regulator of the Warburg effect. We previously showed that PKM2 T405/S406 O-GlcNAcylation, a critical mark important for PKM2 detetramerization and activity, was markedly upregulated by EGF. However, the mechanism by which EGF regulates PKM2 O-GlcNAcylation still remains uncharacterized. Here we demonstrated that EGF promoted O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) binding to PKM2 by stimulating OGT Y976 phosphorylation. As a consequence, PKM2 O-GlcNAcylation and detetramerization were upregulated, leading to a significant decrease in PKM2 activity. Moreover, other than PKM2, the association of additional phosphotyrosine binding proteins, including STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, PKCĪ“ and p85, which are reported factors bearing O-GlcNAcylation, with OGT was also enhanced when Y976 was phosphorylated. Together, EGF-dependent Y976 phosphorylation is critical for OGT-PKM2 interaction and we propose that this post-translational modification might be important for the substrate selection by OGT.