The Potential of NORAD–PUMILIO–<i>RALGAPB</i> Regulatory Axis as a Biomarker in Breast Cancer

<b>Introduction</b>: Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNA) represent a heterogeneous family of RNAs that have emerged as regulators of various biological processes through their association with proteins in ribonucleoproteins complexes. The dynamic of these interactions can affect cell metabolis...

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Main Authors: Cristiane Sato Mara Muller, Igor Samesima Giner, Érika Pereira Zambalde, Tamyres Mingorance Carvalho, Enilze Maria de Souza Fonseca Ribeiro, Jaqueline Carvalho de Oliveira, Carolina Mathias, Daniela Fiori Gradia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-11-01
Series:Non-Coding RNA
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-553X/8/6/76
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Summary:<b>Introduction</b>: Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNA) represent a heterogeneous family of RNAs that have emerged as regulators of various biological processes through their association with proteins in ribonucleoproteins complexes. The dynamic of these interactions can affect cell metabolism, including cancer development. Annually, breast cancer causes thousands of deaths worldwide, and searching for new biomarkers is pivotal for better diagnosis and treatment. <b>Methods</b>: Based on in silico prediction analysis, we focus on LncRNAs that have binding sites for PUMILIO, an RBP family involved in post-transcriptional regulation and associated with cancer progression. We compared the expression levels of these LncRNAs in breast cancer and non-tumor samples from the TCGA database. We analyzed the impact of overall and disease-free survival associated with the expression of the LncRNAs and co-expressed genes and targets of PUMILIO proteins. <b>Results</b>: Our results found NORAD as the most relevant LncRNA with a PUMILIO binding site in breast cancer, differently expressed between Luminal A and Basal subtypes. Additionally, NORAD was co-expressed in a Basal-like subtype (0.55) with the <i>RALGAPB</i> gene, a target gene of PUMILIO related to chromosome stability during cell division. <b>Conclusion</b>: These data suggest that this molecular axis may provide insights for developing novel therapeutic strategies for breast cancer.
ISSN:2311-553X