Abstract
Works on cancer-related genes expression using feline mammary carcinomas (FMCs) are scarce but crucial, not only to validate these tumours as models for human breast cancer studies but also to improve small animal practice. Here, the expression of the cancer-related genes TP53, CCND1, FUS, YBX1, PTBP1, c-MYC and PKM2 was evaluated by real-time RT-qPCR, in a population of FMCs clinically characterized and compared with the disease-free tissue of the same individual. In most of the FMCs analysed, RNA quantification revealed normal expression levels for TP53, c-MYC, YBX1 and FUS, but overexpression in the genes CCND1, PTBP1 and PKM2. The expression levels of these cancer-related genes are strongly correlated with each other, with exception of c-MYC and PKM2 genes. The integration of clinicopathological data with the transcriptional levels revealed several associations. The oral contraceptive administration showed to be positively related with the TP53, YBX1, CCND1, FUS and PTBP1 RNA levels. Positive associations were found between tumour size and YBX1 RNA, and lymph node metastasis with c-MYC RNA levels. This work allowed to verify that many of these cancer-related genes are associated but may also, indirectly, influence other genes, creating a complex molecular cancer network that in the future can provide new cancer biomarkers.
Highlights
Feline mammary carcinomas (FMC) have been emerging as valuable models for human breast cancer (HBC), allowing to uncover the mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis, to understand its origin/progression and to assist in the development of novel therapies [1]
An overexpressed gene was considered when the FMC presents an increase of 2-folds, a decreased in the gene expression corresponds to values of 0.50-fold and a maintained gene expression present values between 0.5 and 2-folds
We analysed the expression of seven genes (TP53, CCND1, Fused in Sarcoma (FUS), Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1), Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1), c-MYC and PKM2) in 27 FMCs using disease-free tissue as reference
Summary
Feline mammary carcinomas (FMC) have been emerging as valuable models for human breast cancer (HBC), allowing to uncover the mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis, to understand its origin/progression and to assist in the development of novel therapies [1]. The domestic cat is highly affected by spontaneous mammary tumours which are, in many aspects (e.g., clinicopathologically or histologically [2], among others) similar to HBC.
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