Identification of long noncoding RNAs deregulated in papillary thyroid cancer and correlated with BRAFV600E mutation by bioinformatics integrative analysis

• Grant number: 17/11686-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants - Publications - Scientific article
• Start date: August 01, 2017
• End date: March 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Enilza Maria Espreafico
• Grantee: Enilza Maria Espreafico
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Papillary Thyroid Cancer (PTC) is an endocrine malignancy in which BRAFV600E oncogenic mutation induces the most aggressive phenotype. In this way, considering that lncRNAs are arising as key players in oncogenesis, it is of high interest the identification of BRAFV600E-associated long noncoding RNAs, which can provide possible candidates for secondary mechanisms of BRAF-induced malignancy in PTC. In this study, we identified differentially expressed lncRNAs correlated with BRAFV600E in PTC and, also, extended the cohort of paired normal and PTC samples to more accurately identify differentially expressed lncRNAs between these conditions. Indirectly validated targets of the differentially expressed lncRNAs in PTC compared to matched normal samples demonstrated an involvement in surface receptors responsible for signal transduction and cell adhesion, as well as, regulation of cell death, proliferation and apoptosis. Targets of BRAFV600E-correlated lncRNAs are mainly involved in calcium signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction and MAPK pathway. In summary, our study provides candidate lncRNAs that can be either used for future studies related to diagnosis/prognosis or as targets for PTC management. (AU)