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Balaji S, Rao A, Saraswathi KK, Sethu Nagarajan R, Santhi R, Kim U, Muthukkaruppan V, Vanniarajan A. Focused cancer pathway analysis revealed unique therapeutic targets in retinoblastoma. Med Oncol 2024; 41:168. [PMID: 38834895 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-024-02391-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Retinoblastoma (RB) is a pediatric cancer of the eye that occurs in 1/15000 live births worldwide. Albeit RB is initiated by the inactivation of RB1 gene, the disease progression relies largely on transcriptional alterations. Therefore, evaluating gene expression is vital to unveil the therapeutic targets in RB management. In this study, we employed an RT2 Profiler™ PCR array for a focused analysis of 84 cancer-specific genes in RB. An interaction network was built with gene expression data to identify the dysregulated pathways in RB. The key transcript alterations identified in 13 tumors by RT2 Profiler™ PCR array was further validated in 15 tumors by independent RT-qPCR. Out of 84 cancer-specific genes, 68 were dysregulated in RB tumors. Among the 68 genes, 23 were chosen for further analysis based on statistical significance and abundance across multiple tumors. Pathway analysis of altered genes showed the frequent perturbations of cell cycle, angiogenesis and apoptotic pathways in RB. Notably, upregulation of MCM2, MKI67, PGF, WEE1, CDC20 and downregulation of COX5A were found in all the tumors. Western blot confirmed the dysregulation of identified targets at protein levels as well. These alterations were more prominent in invasive RB, correlating with the disease pathogenesis. Our molecular analysis thus identified the potential therapeutic targets for improving retinoblastoma treatment. We also suggest that PCR array can be used as a tool for rapid and cost-effective gene expression analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sekaran Balaji
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 1, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
| | - Anindita Rao
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 1, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
| | - Karuvel Kannan Saraswathi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 1, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
- Department of Molecular Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation - Affiliated to Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630003, India
| | - Rathinavel Sethu Nagarajan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 1, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
- Department of Molecular Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation - Affiliated to Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630003, India
| | - Radhakrishnan Santhi
- Department of Pathology, Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
| | - Usha Kim
- Department of Orbit, Oculoplasty and Ocular Oncology, Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
| | - Veerappan Muthukkaruppan
- Department of Immunology and Stem Cell Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
| | - Ayyasamy Vanniarajan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 1, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation - Affiliated to Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630003, India.
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UNOKI M, SASAKI H. The UHRF protein family in epigenetics, development, and carcinogenesis. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2022; 98:401-415. [PMID: 36216533 PMCID: PMC9614205 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.98.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The UHRF protein family consists of multidomain regulatory proteins that sense modification status of DNA and/or proteins and catalyze the ubiquitylation of target proteins. Through their functional domains, they interact with other molecules and serve as a hub for regulatory networks of several important biological processes, including maintenance of DNA methylation and DNA damage repair. The UHRF family is conserved in vertebrates and plants but is missing from fungi and many nonvertebrate animals. Mammals commonly have UHRF1 and UHRF2, but, despite their high structural similarity, the two paralogues appear to have distinct functions. Furthermore, UHRF1 and UHRF2 show different expression patterns and different outcomes in gene knockout experiments. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the molecular function of the UHRF family in various biological pathways and discuss their roles in epigenetics, development, gametogenesis, and carcinogenesis, with a focus on the mammalian UHRF proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motoko UNOKI
- Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Human Genetics, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki SASAKI
- Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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