A perspective of matrix metalloproteases gene expression profile revealed by pan-cancer transcriptome and single cell data

Abstract

Background: Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are encoded by a family of genes that are related to cancer progression, and the overexpression of most MMP genes in cancers is associated with the promotion of invasion, angiogenesis, and immune surveillance avoidance. However, the expression patterns of all MMP genes at the transcriptome and single-cell levels have not been investigated from a pan-cancer perspective. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas transcriptome and single-cell sequencing pan-cancer data from the Gene Expression Omnibus were used in the present study to examine the expression patterns of these genes. The MMP-based diagnostic model was constructed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis. Tumors were classified into high and low score MMP groups using ssGSEA. Single-cell data were analyzed using the Seurat R package, and MMP gene expression was validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results: MMP1, MMP11, and MMP12 expression was upregulated in almost all cancers. MMP19 and MMP27 expression was significantly downregulated in eight to nine cancer types. Correlation analysis results suggested a relationship between MMP expression and tumor immunity and stemness. Single-cell analysis results revealed diverse MMP expression patterns in different cell clusters. Conclusion: The majority of MMPs showed increased expression across cancers, with potential diagnostic value.