# GLUCOSE CATABOLISM IN NEOPLASTIC TISSUES

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 1990 · $128,033

## Abstract

The objective is to better understand those molecular events involved in
the initiation of glucose catabolism in neoplastic tissues.  The major
focus will be on the enzyme hexokinase, which plays a central role in
animal cell growth by providing precursors for both energy metabolism and
for the biosynthesis of nucleic acids.  Progress to date has shown that
hexokinase is markedly elevated in many tumors, that it is bound to a
receptor protein in the outer mitochondrial membrane, and that the bound
form of the enzyme can support high rates of glucose catabolism.  The
mitochondrial form of hexokinase and its receptor protein have been
purified to near-homogeneity.

Specific aims are six-fold:

1. Characterization of purified tumor mitochondrial hexokinase in order to
define clearly its similarities to and differences from those forms of
hexokinase found in normal glucose-utilizing tissues.

2. Characterization of the purified receptor protein to establish its
specificity in binding hexokinase and to determine whether it covalently
modifies the enzyme.

3. Identification of those regions of the receptor by protein which
recognize and bind tumor hexokinase.

4. Identification of the intracellular site of synthesis of the receptor
protein.  (Is it mitochondrial or cytoplasmic?)

5. Assessment of the capacity of the receptor protein to provide bound
hexokinase with "preferred access" to ATP synthesized in the inner
mitochondrial compartment.

6. Assessment of the relationship of mitochondrial binding of hexokinase to
the elevated rates of glucose catabolism and nucleic acid synthesis
observed in many tumors.

The research is necessary and fundamental to our understanding of glucose
catabolism in normal and neoplastic tissues and may offer new insights into
effective chemotherapeutic approaches.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3170609
- **Project number:** 5R01CA032742-08
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** FTMTDMBR29C7
- **Principal Investigator:** PETER L PEDERSEN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1990
- **Award amount:** $128,033
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1982-08-01 → 1990-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3170609

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3170609, GLUCOSE CATABOLISM IN NEOPLASTIC TISSUES (5R01CA032742-08). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3170609. Licensed CC0.

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