Glycosyltransferases in Cancer: Prognostic Biomarkers of Survival in Patient Cohorts and Impact on Malignancy in Experimental Models
Background: Glycosylation changes are a main feature of cancer. Some carbohydrate epitopes and expression levels of glycosyltransferases have been used or proposed as prognostic markers, while many experimental works have investigated the role of glycosyltransferases in malignancy. Using the transcr...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-04-01
|
| Series: | Cancers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/14/9/2128 |
| _version_ | 1797505451922817024 |
|---|---|
| author | Michela Pucci Martina Duca Nadia Malagolini Fabio Dall’Olio |
| author_facet | Michela Pucci Martina Duca Nadia Malagolini Fabio Dall’Olio |
| author_sort | Michela Pucci |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Glycosylation changes are a main feature of cancer. Some carbohydrate epitopes and expression levels of glycosyltransferases have been used or proposed as prognostic markers, while many experimental works have investigated the role of glycosyltransferases in malignancy. Using the transcriptomic data of the 21 TCGA cohorts, we correlated the expression level of 114 glycosyltransferases with the overall survival of patients. Methods: Using the Oncolnc website, we determined the Kaplan–Meier survival curves for the patients falling in the 15% upper or lower percentile of mRNA expression of each glycosyltransferase. Results: Seventeen glycosyltransferases involved in initial steps of N- or O-glycosylation and of glycolipid biosynthesis, in chain extension and sialylation were unequivocally associated with bad prognosis in a majority of cohorts. Four glycosyltransferases were associated with good prognosis. Other glycosyltransferases displayed an extremely high predictive value in only one or a few cohorts. The top were GALNT3, ALG6 and B3GNT7, which displayed a <i>p</i> < 1 × 10<sup>−9</sup> in the low-grade glioma (LGG) cohort. Comparison with published experimental data points to ALG3, GALNT2, B4GALNT1, POFUT1, B4GALT5, B3GNT5 and ST3GAL2 as the most consistently malignancy-associated enzymes. Conclusions: We identified several cancer-associated glycosyltransferases as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:18:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-33def98a46d841149c583073085a8e14 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6694 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:18:46Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancers |
| spelling | doaj.art-33def98a46d841149c583073085a8e142023-11-23T07:55:11ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942022-04-01149212810.3390/cancers14092128Glycosyltransferases in Cancer: Prognostic Biomarkers of Survival in Patient Cohorts and Impact on Malignancy in Experimental ModelsMichela Pucci0Martina Duca1Nadia Malagolini2Fabio Dall’Olio3Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), General Pathology Building, University of Bologna, Via San Giacomo 14, 40126 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), General Pathology Building, University of Bologna, Via San Giacomo 14, 40126 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), General Pathology Building, University of Bologna, Via San Giacomo 14, 40126 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), General Pathology Building, University of Bologna, Via San Giacomo 14, 40126 Bologna, ItalyBackground: Glycosylation changes are a main feature of cancer. Some carbohydrate epitopes and expression levels of glycosyltransferases have been used or proposed as prognostic markers, while many experimental works have investigated the role of glycosyltransferases in malignancy. Using the transcriptomic data of the 21 TCGA cohorts, we correlated the expression level of 114 glycosyltransferases with the overall survival of patients. Methods: Using the Oncolnc website, we determined the Kaplan–Meier survival curves for the patients falling in the 15% upper or lower percentile of mRNA expression of each glycosyltransferase. Results: Seventeen glycosyltransferases involved in initial steps of N- or O-glycosylation and of glycolipid biosynthesis, in chain extension and sialylation were unequivocally associated with bad prognosis in a majority of cohorts. Four glycosyltransferases were associated with good prognosis. Other glycosyltransferases displayed an extremely high predictive value in only one or a few cohorts. The top were GALNT3, ALG6 and B3GNT7, which displayed a <i>p</i> < 1 × 10<sup>−9</sup> in the low-grade glioma (LGG) cohort. Comparison with published experimental data points to ALG3, GALNT2, B4GALNT1, POFUT1, B4GALT5, B3GNT5 and ST3GAL2 as the most consistently malignancy-associated enzymes. Conclusions: We identified several cancer-associated glycosyltransferases as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/14/9/2128glycosyltransferasesglycosylationKaplan–Meier survival curvesTCGAtranscriptomic analysis |
| spellingShingle | Michela Pucci Martina Duca Nadia Malagolini Fabio Dall’Olio Glycosyltransferases in Cancer: Prognostic Biomarkers of Survival in Patient Cohorts and Impact on Malignancy in Experimental Models Cancers glycosyltransferases glycosylation Kaplan–Meier survival curves TCGA transcriptomic analysis |
| title | Glycosyltransferases in Cancer: Prognostic Biomarkers of Survival in Patient Cohorts and Impact on Malignancy in Experimental Models |
| title_full | Glycosyltransferases in Cancer: Prognostic Biomarkers of Survival in Patient Cohorts and Impact on Malignancy in Experimental Models |
| title_fullStr | Glycosyltransferases in Cancer: Prognostic Biomarkers of Survival in Patient Cohorts and Impact on Malignancy in Experimental Models |
| title_full_unstemmed | Glycosyltransferases in Cancer: Prognostic Biomarkers of Survival in Patient Cohorts and Impact on Malignancy in Experimental Models |
| title_short | Glycosyltransferases in Cancer: Prognostic Biomarkers of Survival in Patient Cohorts and Impact on Malignancy in Experimental Models |
| title_sort | glycosyltransferases in cancer prognostic biomarkers of survival in patient cohorts and impact on malignancy in experimental models |
| topic | glycosyltransferases glycosylation Kaplan–Meier survival curves TCGA transcriptomic analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/14/9/2128 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michelapucci glycosyltransferasesincancerprognosticbiomarkersofsurvivalinpatientcohortsandimpactonmalignancyinexperimentalmodels AT martinaduca glycosyltransferasesincancerprognosticbiomarkersofsurvivalinpatientcohortsandimpactonmalignancyinexperimentalmodels AT nadiamalagolini glycosyltransferasesincancerprognosticbiomarkersofsurvivalinpatientcohortsandimpactonmalignancyinexperimentalmodels AT fabiodallolio glycosyltransferasesincancerprognosticbiomarkersofsurvivalinpatientcohortsandimpactonmalignancyinexperimentalmodels |