a Three-day proliferation of CDK12-OE and EV MCF10A cells treated with: (i) varying glucose concentrations; (ii) 5 mM 2-deoxyglucose (2DG); (iii) +/− 0.4 mM serine. Data are the mean ± SD (n = 3), expressed as relative to day 0 in each condition (=1, dashed line). Statistical significance was evaluated for each cell line relative to controls (25 mM, −2DG, + Ser) in each condition, and for control-treated CDK12-OE vs. EV cells in the same experimental condition. **P = 0.002; ***P < 0.001, two-sided unpaired t-test. b Three-day proliferation of CDK12-OE and EV MCF10A cells silenced for PSAT1 (PSAT1-KD), MTHFD1 (MTHFD1-KD) and CDK12 (CDK12-KD) or treated with THZ531 (100 nM) and MTX (1μM). Data are the mean ± SD, expressed as relative to day 0 in each condition (=1, dashed line). Statistical significance, two-sided unpaired t-test (n = 3): (i) relative to Ctr-KD in each condition; (ii) relative to CDK12-OE cells silenced for CDK12 (CDK12-KD), for CDK12-OE cells treated with THZ531, silenced for CDK12 and concomitantly treated with THZ531, or treated with MTX. **P = 0.002; ***P < 0.001; n.s., not significant. c RT-qPCR analysis of knockdown (KD) efficiency in the cells described in (b). Data are the mean ± SEM relative to control-silenced cells (Ctr-KD = 1, indicated by horizontal dashed line) for each cell line (n = 1, performed in technical triplicates). d RT-qPCR analysis of the indicated SGOC enzymes in THZ531-treated (100 nM for 48 h) CDK12-OE vs. EV MCF10A cells. Data are the mean ± SEM relative to mRNA levels in control-treated (Veh.) cells (one representative experiment, out of two). e Acini formation in 3D-Matrigel by CDK12-OE vs. EV MCF10A cells treated with THZ531 (100 nM), methotrexate (MTX, 1 μM), or control-treated (Veh.). Left, data are the mean ± SD, expressed as relative to EV in vehicle-treated condition. Right, data are the mean ± SD and are expressed as percentage of disorganized acini (%) vs. total acini number. Statistical significance, two-sided unpaired t-test (n = 3) relative to vehicle in each condition, and relative to EV in the same experimental condition for vehicle-treated CDK12-OE cells. Source data are provided as Source Data file.