Data mining of the expression and regulatory role of BCAT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Branched chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1) catalyzes the production of glutamates and branched-chain α-ketoacids from branched chain amino acids, and a normal expression is associated with tumorigenesis. Sequencing data from public databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas, was used to analyze expression and regulation networks for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Expression and methylation were assessed using UALCAN analysis, and data from multiple datasets concerning the expression level and associated survival rates were further analyzed using HCCDB; interaction networks of biological function were constructed using GeneMANIA. LinkedOmics was used to indicate correlations between and any identified differentially expressed genes. Gene enrichment analysis of -associated genes was conducted using the Web-based Gene SeT AnaLysis Toolkit. The expression levels of were increased in patients with HCC and in most cases, the level of promoter methylation was reduced. Interaction network analysis suggested that was involved in 'metabolism', 'carcinogenesis' and the 'immune response' via numerous cancer-associated pathways. The present study revealed the expression patterns and potential function networks of in HCC, providing insights for future research into the role of in hepatocarcinogenesis. In addition, the study provided researchers with a way to analyze the genes of interest so they can continue their research in the right direction.