Research Paper Volume 12, Issue 13 pp 13281—13296
SLC7A2 serves as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer
- 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- 2 Department of Urology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
Received: February 5, 2020 Accepted: May 25, 2020 Published: July 9, 2020
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.103433How to Cite
Copyright © 2020 Sun et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
The solute carrier (SLC) family is the largest group of membrane transporters, but their functions in ovarian cancer (OV) remain unclear. We analyzed SLC family members with amino acids-transporting functions in OV. The mRNA expression levels and prognostic values of SLCs in OV were analyzed in the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis and Kaplan–Meier Plotter database. Solute carrier family 7 member 2 (SLC7A2), which showed differential expression and the most significant prognostic value, was selected for further analyses. The cBioPortal database, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Weighted Correlation Network Analysis were used to explore the potential functions and molecular mechanisms of SLC7A2 in OV. Validations in our own samples and in Gene Expression Omnibus datasets were conducted. Functional validation in OV cell lines was carried out. In total, 73 SLC family members were analyzed. Seven members were upregulated while 11 members were downregulated in OV and 15 members were protective factors for prognosis while 12 members were risk factors. SLC7A2 was downregulated in OV, and it was positively associated with prognosis. Knockdown of SLC7A2 promoted viability, invasion and migration of OV cells. These SLC family members and in particular SLC7A2 represented novel biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment for OV.
Abbreviations
SLC: solute carrier; GEPIA: Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis; GEO: Gene Expression Omnibus; SLC7A2: Solute carrier family 7 member 2; CAT2: Cationic amino acid transporter 2; GSEA: Gene Set Enrichment Analysis; WGCNA: Weighted Correlation Network Analysis; FIGO: Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics; HR: hazard ratio; CI: confidence intervals; DAVID: Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery; GO: Gene Ontology; OS: overall survival; siRNA: small interfering RNA; CCK-8: Cell Counting Kit-8.