Furthermore, nuclear genes playing a role in mitochondrial biogenesis and function, such as peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 (PGC-1), fumarate hydratase (FH) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) are frequently mutated in cancer.
Cancer cell metabolism is often characterized by a shift from an oxidative to a glycolytic bioenergetics pathway, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. miR-378(∗) is embedded within PPARGC1b which encodes PGC-1β, a transcriptional regulator of oxidative energy metabolism.
We conclude that there is aberrant expression of PPARgamma and its co-activator, PGC-1, in human breast cancer and low levels of these molecules in cancer tissues are associated with poor clinical outcomes.