Open AccessmRNA expression of ferroptosis-related proteins in squamous cell carcinoma of tongue
Author(s) -
Rooban Thavarajah
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of molecular and immuno oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2836-3779
pISSN - 2456-3994
DOI - 10.25259/ijmio_2_2020
Subject(s) - gene , biology , gene expression , messenger rna , cell , cancer , genetics , cancer research
Objective: Glossal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (GSCC) has a distinct molecular profile including alterations in programed regulated cell death (RCD). Ferroptosis is a newly reported form of RCD mediated by ferric ions and mediated by several proteins. Till date, the possibility of this phenomenon in GSCC has not been explored. Materials and Methods: The proteins associated with ferroptosis were collated. The mRNA of corresponding proteins expression from GSCC lesional tissues and control tissues from the same patient from the human cancer genome project was obtained as raw values and subjected to differential expression (DE) analysis using DESeq2 statistics. The Benjamini and Hochberg (false discovery rate) approach was used to adjust P -value and P ≤ 0.05 was set at statistical significance. Log fold change was set at 0.6. The significant genes were subjected to network analysis for protein-protein interaction and this network was analyzed for pathway enrichment analysis and presented. Results: There were 12 cases that had GSCC and controls ( n = 12). There were 40 genes directly involved with ferroptosis and another 50 genes associated with the ferroptosis. Of this, 28 genes had DE, of which 16 genes were directly involved in the ferroptosis pathway and 12 genes associated with it. These genes, in enrichment analysis, indicated that the other pathways involved several other cancers and cancer signaling. Certain pro-ferroptotic genes and anti-ferroptotic genes had DE. Increase of PTGS2 and ACSL4 mRNA expression in GSCC tissue as compared to control was a significant finding. There is an increase of mRNA of genes that increase the ferric ions intracellularly. These findings would help to draw better and effective treatment strategies that can help to target neoplastic cells in GSCC. Conclusion: In GSCC, ferroptosis is a possibility and the differential expression of certain pro-ferroptotic genes could he harnessed to draw effective and safer treatment strategies.