Dermcidin as a novel binding protein of lncRNA STCAT3 and its effect on prognosis in gastric cancer

Abstract

Long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) perform distinct biological functions by regulating gene expression through various molecular mechanisms under normal physiological and pathological conditions. However, the function of the stomach cancer‑associated transcript‑3 (STCAT3) lncRNA, including its prognostic significance and role as a binding protein in gastric cancer (GC), remain unclear. In the present study, 56 potential binding proteins of STCAT3 were screened using through mass spectrometry and bioinformatics analysis. Among these, dermcidin, GAPDH, annexin, calmodulin‑like protein, cathepsin‑D and suprabasin were demonstrated to be candidate binding proteins using a literature search. RNA‑protein interaction prediction was used to confirm these six proteins. Finally, dermcidin was identified as the binding protein of STCAT3 by comparing the mRNA and protein levels of the candidate genes and their correlations with STCAT3 in plasmid‑transfected BGC‑823 GC cell lines, as well as by validating the interplay between dermcidin and STCAT3 in other GC cell lines. Immunohistochemical analysis of tissues from 98 patients with GC further confirmed the interaction between dermcidin and STCAT3. The results of the present study also revealed that STCAT3 and dermcidin and independent predictors of overall survival in patients with GC. Furthermore STCAT3 and dermcidin are positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and tumor/node/metastasis score. In summary, the present study suggests that dermcidin is a novel binding protein of lncRNA STCAT3, which serves an important role in the progress and clinical outcome of GC.

Discovery proteomics reveals potential protein signature associated with malignant phenotype acquisition in pleomorphic adenoma

“…DCD is a protein with antimicrobial activity and displays phosphatase activity (Zhang et al, 2018). Its higher abundance is associated with tumor progression (Stewart et al, 2008).…”

Preclinical Development of Seriniquinones as Selective Dermcidin Modulators for the Treatment of Melanoma

“…Initial evidence reported by Porter et al revealed that the protein was overexpressed in 10% of invasive breast carcinomas and conferred cell growth and survival, launching dermcidin as a candidate oncogene [ 51 ]. Thereafter, several research groups reported additional evidence concerning this protein in various types of cancers, as illustrated in Figure 7 : Intracellular or extracellular overexpression of dermcidin in breast cancer [ 52 ], gastric cancer [ 53 , 54 ], hepatocellular carcinoma [ 55 , 56 ], lung cancer [ 57 , 58 ], melanoma [ 59 , 60 ], and pancreatic cancer [ 61 ]; promotion of cell survival [ 48 , 51 , 62 , 63 , 64 ]; and promotion of cell migration [ 55 , 65 ]. Although there are solid data that link dermcidin and cancer, the proper role of the protein at molecular levels and its contribution to tumorigenesis is still unclear.…”

A Positive Dermcidin Expression Is an Unfavorable Prognostic Marker for Extramammary Paget’s Disease

“…Serum dermcidin levels were significantly increased in hepatocellular carcinoma patients and were positively correlated with metastasis [25]. Dermcidin expression in gastric cancer reflects overall survival and is positively correlated with lymph node metastasis [20]. Dermcidin expression is higher in lung cancer patients compared with that in healthy subjects [26].…”

“…One of the reasons behind this might be that dermcidin contributes to the development of the tumor. High dermcidin expression is associated with tumor growth in gastric [20] and breast cancer [21]. Interestingly, dermcidin is also associated with tumor growth and tumor apoptosis in breast cancer.…”