Glycine decarboxylase is a target for transcriptional repressor Snail

Background Aberrant glycine metabolism, an emerging hallmark of cancer, contributes to the aggressive proliferation [1] and invasion [2] of tumor cells. Glycine decarboxylase (GLDC) is the rate-limiting enzyme of glycine cleavage system that catabolizes glycine to feed one-carbon metabolism in mitochondria. A recent study suggests it plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis by promoting proliferation and pyrimidine synthesis of tumor initiation cells [3]. However, while its tumorigenic role is being unveiled, how it is de-regulated in tumor cells remains obscure. Here we present results showing that GLDC is a direct target for Snail, the key transcriptional repressor controlling the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program during embryogenesis and tumor progression.