Distinct subtypes of genomic PTEN deletion size influence the landscape of aneuploidy and outcome in prostate cancer

Author(s)

Vidotto, Thiago ^[1] ; Tiezzi, Daniel Guimaraes ^[2] ; Squire, Jeremy A. ^{[3, 1, 4]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Dept Genet, Ribeirao Preto - Brazil

^[2] Clin Hosp Ribeirao Preto, Dept Gynecol & Obstet, Ribeirao Preto - Brazil

^[3] Queens Univ, Dept Pathol & Mol Med, Kingston, ON - Canada

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Dept Pathol & Legal Med, 3900 Bandeirantes Ave, BR-14040900 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: MOLECULAR CYTOGENETICS; v. 11, JAN 3 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 7

Abstract

Background: Inactivation of the PTEN tumor suppressor gene by deletion occurs in 20-30% of prostate cancer tumors and loss strongly correlates with a worse outcome. PTEN loss of function not only leads to activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway, but is also thought to affect genome stability and increase levels of tumor aneuploidy. We performed an in silico integrative genomic and transcriptomic analysis of 491 TCGA prostate cancer tumors. These data were used to map the genomic sizes of PTEN gene deletions and to characterize levels of instability and patterns of aneuploidy acquisition. Results: PTEN homozygous deletions had a significant increase in aneuploidy compared to PTEN tumors without an apparent deletion, and hemizygous deletions showed an intermediate aneuploidy profile. A supervised clustering of somatic copy number alterations (SCNA) demonstrated that the size of PTEN deletions was not random, but comprised five distinct subtypes: (1){''}Small Interstitial{''} (70 bp-789Kb); (2) ``Large Interstitial{''} (1-7 MB); (3) ``Large Proximal{''} (3-65 MB); (4) ``Large Terminal{''} (8-64 MB), and (5) ``Extensive{''} (71-132 MB). Many of the deleted fragments in each subtype were flanked by low copy repetitive (LCR) sequences. SCNAs such as gain at 3q21.1-3q29 and deletions at 8p, RB1, TP53 and TMPRSS2-ERG were variably present in all subtypes. Other SCNAs appeared to be recurrent in some deletion subtypes, but absent from others. To determine how the aneuploidy influenced global levels of gene expression, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis. One deletion subtype (Large Interstitial) was characterized by gene expression changes associated with angiogenesis and cell adhesion, structure, and metabolism. Logistic regression demonstrated that this deletion subtype was associated with a high Gleason score (HR = 2.386; 95% C. I. 1.245-4.572), extraprostatic extension (HR = 2.423, 95% C. I. 1.157-5.075), and metastasis (HR = 7.135; 95% C. I. 1.540-33.044). Univariate and multivariate Cox Regression showed that presence of this deletion subtype was also strongly predictive of disease recurrence. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that genomic deletions of PTEN fall into five different size distributions, with breakpoints that often occur close LCR regions, and that each subtype is associated with a characteristic aneuploidy signature. The Large Interstitial deletion had a distinct gene expression signature that was related to cancer progression and was also predictive of a worse prognosis. Keywords: TCGA, Prostate cancer, Genomic (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/09111-5 - Investigation of Clinically Useful Genomic Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer
• Grantee: Jeremy Andrew Squire
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 15/22785-5 - The Role of PTEN Gene Loss in Facilitating the Inflammatory Response in Prostate Cancer
• Grantee: Thiago Vidotto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 16/02730-4 - Tumorigenic reversion properties using 5-aza-dC and TSA on DNA methylation and breast cancer progression
• Grantee: Fernanda Marques Rey
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate