Expression of RNA modifying enzymes in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma and Breast Adenocarcinoma

• Grant number: 19/16938-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: December 01, 2019
• End date: December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Glaucia Noeli Maroso Hajj
• Grantee: Fernanda Ferreira da Silva
• Host Institution: A C Camargo Cancer Center. Fundação Antonio Prudente (FAP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Covalent post-transcriptional chemical modifications can occur in the molecules of RNA and do not alter its sequence. RNA modifications were already identified in ribosomal, transporters and messengers RNAs. The first identified mRNA modification was N6-methyladenosine (m6A), affecting almost all stages of RNA metabolism, from nucleus processing to cytoplasm translation and decay, thereby altering the levels of gene expression. Proteins that add modifications to RNA are called writers, the enzymes that remove the modifications are called erasers and the proteins that identify the present modifications are called readers. Our preliminary research in silica suggests that in some types of tumors, such as Breast Adenocarcinoma (BA) and clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC), there is an imbalance in RNA modifying enzymes. Thus, it is possible that in these tumor types such changes can cause impact on gene expression levels and may influence on various clinical and biological aspects of these tumors. In this project, we aim to determine RNA modifying enzyme expression levels, m6A levels and its correlation with clinical and histopathological data for ccRCC and BA, which could help us improve our understanding of molecular mechanisms associated with these diseases. (AU)