Glyphosate targets FYN to regulate glycolysis and promote glioblastoma proliferation: A network toxicology study

Abstract

Environmental glyphosate exposure has been linked to glioblastoma (GBM), yet its molecular basis remains unclear. Integrating network-toxicology and druggable Mendelian randomization screens, we identified the Src-family kinase FYN as the principal glyphosate target. Molecular-dynamics simulations, surface-plasmon resonance (KD = 1.54 μM) and pull-down assays confirmed high-affinity binding and highlighted ASP353 as a dominant contact residue. Multi-omics profiling showed FYN over-expression and promoter hypomethylation in GBM, correlating with diminished immune infiltration. In U87 cells, sub-toxic glyphosate (0.1 mg/L, 12 h) up-regulated FYN, activated PI3K–AKT–mTOR signaling, increased GLUT1, LDHA and PKM2, and accelerated proliferation, migration and invasion; lentiviral sh-FYN reversed these effects and curtailed glycolytic flux. Orthotopic mouse studies mirrored the in-vitro findings, with FYN knock-down suppressing glyphosate-driven tumor growth. Exosomes derived from sh-FYN glioma cells weakened macrophage M2 polarization and reduced CXCL1, IL-10 and TGF-β secretion, revealing an immunometabolism axis. Collectively, these results establish FYN as the mechanistic conduit between glyphosate and GBM and demonstrate that targeting FYN—directly or via exosome delivery—reprograms tumor glycolysis and immunity, offering a tractable strategy against glyphosate-associated malignancy.