Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The Warburg effect has long suggested that oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is dispensable for tumor growth. However, recent studies have shown that the mitochondrial RNA polymerase inhibitors IMT1 and IMT1b, which impair OXPHOS, are potent anticancer agents. Here, we demonstrate that ionomycin, a selective ionophore known to modulate mitochondrial homeostasis, similarly inhibits mitochondrial gene expression across cancer cell lines. Specifically, gene expression and nascent RNA profiling revealed a global downregulation of mitochondrial gene transcription in Jurkat T, THP-1, HeLa, and NCI-H441 cells. Thus, we conclude that ionomycin suppressed mitochondrial gene transcription, impaired OXPHOS, and thereby inhibited cancer cell proliferation and growth, providing a novel insight into the function of ionomycin.
Source: FEBS Open Bio
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,210
Funders: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, Chinese Polar Environment Comprehensive Investigation and Assessment Programmes
OpenAlex ID: W7203642415