Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, Greece.
Fourth Surgery Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital "Attikon", 12462 Athens, Greece.
Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Nov 13;21(22):8568. doi: 10.3390/ijms21228568.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly heterogenous malignancy with an increased mortality rate. Aberrant splicing is a typical characteristic of CRC, and several studies support the prognostic value of particular transcripts in this malignancy. l-DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) and its derivative neurotransmitters play a multifaceted role in physiological and pathological states. Our recent data support the existence of 6 novel exons. In this study, we investigated the existence of additional novel exons and transcripts, and their potential value as biomarkers in CRC. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) in 55 human cell lines coupled with Sanger sequencing uncovered 3 additional novel exons and 20 splice variants, 7 of which likely encode new protein isoforms. Eight of these transcripts were detected in CRC. An in-house qPCR assay was developed and performed in TNM II and III CRC samples for the quantification of transcripts bearing novel exons. Extensive biostatistical analysis uncovered the prognostic value of specific novel exons for patients' disease-free and overall survival. The revised exon structure, the putative protein isoforms with distinct functions, and the prognostic value of novel exons highlight the pivotal role of DDC in CRC progression, indicating its potential utility as a molecular biomarker in CRC.
结直肠癌(CRC)是一种高度异质性的恶性肿瘤,死亡率较高。剪接异常是 CRC 的典型特征,有几项研究支持特定转录本在这种恶性肿瘤中的预后价值。L-多巴脱羧酶(DDC)及其衍生的神经递质在生理和病理状态中发挥着多方面的作用。我们最近的数据支持存在 6 个新外显子。在这项研究中,我们研究了额外的新外显子和转录本的存在,以及它们作为 CRC 生物标志物的潜在价值。对 55 个人类细胞系进行下一代测序(NGS)并结合 Sanger 测序揭示了 3 个额外的新外显子和 20 个剪接变体,其中 7 个可能编码新的蛋白质异构体。这些转录本中有 8 个在 CRC 中被检测到。开发了一种内部 qPCR 检测,并在 TNM II 和 III 期 CRC 样本中进行了检测,以定量携带新外显子的转录本。广泛的生物统计学分析揭示了特定新外显子对患者无病和总生存期的预后价值。经修订的外显子结构、具有不同功能的假定蛋白质异构体以及新外显子的预后价值强调了 DDC 在 CRC 进展中的关键作用,表明其作为 CRC 分子生物标志物的潜在用途。