Investigating the effect of MAP2K1 gene (MEK1) in MAPK pathway in the induction of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL)

Abstract

Background and Objectives: HTLV-1 is responsible for two important diseases, HAM/TSP and ATLL. Approximately 10 to 20 million people are infected with HTLV-1 worldwide. Identifying altered genes in different cancers is crucial for finding potential treatment strategies. One of the proteins of the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway is MEK1, which is made from the MAP2K1 gene. The effects of the MAP2K1 gene on the MAPK signaling pathway are not yet fully elucidated. The current study aims to determine the MAP2K1 gene mutations and the level of MAP2K1 gene expression in ATLL patients compared to healthy individuals.
 Materials and Methods: Ten ATLL and 10 healthy control individuals were investigated in this study. We used ELISA test to screen anti-HTLV-I antibodies and PCR for confirmation of infection. Then, we extracted total RNA from fresh whole blood, and cDNA was synthesized. The expression levels of the MAP2K1 gene were examined by qRT-PCR, and to check possible mutations in the MAP2K1 gene; all samples were sequenced and analyzed by BioEdite Software.
 Results: MAP2K1 gene expression in the ATLL group was significantly higher than in the healthy control (P=0.001). The mutational sequencing analysis showed nucleotide 212 (S→R) change and identification mutations at different nucleotides that were entirely different from the nucleotide mutations defined in the UniProt database.
 Conclusion: These results could be a perspective in the prevention, prognosis, and targeted treatment of diseases in which the MAP2K1 gene plays a vital role.

Illuminating (HTLV-1)-induced adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma transcriptomic signature: A systems virology approach

“…The expression of the selected positive control gene, MAP2K1 was evaluated previously using the same samples and methodology as used in the current study. The results showed that the mean expression of MAP2K1 in ATLL patients was significantly higher in comparison with the control group ( P -value = 0.001) ( Hosseini et al., 2023 ).…”

“…Lastly, to select a positive control gene previously known to be dysregulated in ATLL, regarding the available studies on the relation between MAP2K1 expression and ATLL ( Hosseini et al., 2023 ; Kozakai et al., 2018 ; Song et al., 2009 ; Wang et al., 2021 ), this gene was considered for this purpose.…”