PROX1 is a regulator of neuroendocrine-related gene expression in lung carcinoid.
Kouhei SakuraiTatsuya AndoYasuhiro SakaiYuichiro MoriSatoru NakamuraTaku KatoHiroyasu ItoPublished in: Human cell (2024)
Lung neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a diverse group of tumors characterized by neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation. Among lung NENs, lung carcinoid (LC) is a rare tumor with unique characteristics. Recent research has highlighted the importance of transcription factors (TFs) in establishing gene expression programs in lung NENs such as small cell lung carcinoma. However, the TFs that control the gene expression of LC are largely unknown. In this study, we report the expression and potential function of a TF called Prospero homeobox protein1 (PROX1) in LC. Publicly available transcriptome data suggested that PROX1 was highly expressed in LC tissues, which was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis on a tissue microarray. Knockdown of PROX1 did not impact the cellular viability of an LC-derived cell line, NCI-H727. Meanwhile, transcriptome analysis revealed that PROX1 knockdown altered the expression of genes involved in NE differentiation. ASCL1, CHGA, CALCA, and LINC00261 were suggested as downstream genes of PROX1. These findings indicate that PROX1 may play an important role in the NE identity of LC by regulating the expression of key target genes.
Keyphrases
- gene expression
- poor prognosis
- simultaneous determination
- dna methylation
- genome wide
- mass spectrometry
- single cell
- transcription factor
- long non coding rna
- liquid chromatography
- binding protein
- climate change
- electronic health record
- bone marrow
- small molecule
- mesenchymal stem cells
- stem cells
- genome wide identification
- cell therapy
- tandem mass spectrometry
- data analysis
- protein protein
- gas chromatography