Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Comprehensive molecular studies on tumours are needed to delineate immortalization process steps and identify sensitive prognostic biomarkers in thyroid cancer.Methods and results
In this study, we extensively characterize telomere-related alterations in a series of 106 thyroid tumours with heterogeneous clinical outcomes. Using a custom-designed RNA-seq panel, we identified five telomerase holoenzyme-complex genes upregulated in clinically aggressive tumours compared to tumours from long-term disease-free patients, being TERT and TERC denoted as independent prognostic markers by multivariate regression model analysis. Characterization of alterations related to TERT re-expression revealed that promoter mutations, methylation and/or copy gains exclusively co-occurred in clinically aggressive tumours. Quantitative-FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) analysis of telomere lengths showed a significant shortening in these carcinomas, which matched with a high proliferative rate measured by Ki-67 immunohistochemistry. RNA-seq data analysis indicated that short-telomere tumours exhibit an increased transcriptional activity in the 5-Mb-subtelomeric regions, site of several telomerase-complex genes. Gene upregulation enrichment was significant for specific chromosome-ends such as the 5p, where TERT is located. Co-FISH analysis of 5p-end and TERT loci showed a more relaxed chromatin configuration in short telomere-length tumours compared to normal telomere-length tumours.Conclusions
Overall, our findings support that telomere shortening leads to a 5p subtelomeric region reorganization, facilitating the transcription and accumulation of alterations at TERT-locus.
SUBMITTER: Montero-Conde C
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9386325 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Montero-Conde Cristina C Leandro-García Luis Javier LJ Martínez-Montes Ángel M ÁM Martínez Paula P Moya Francisco J FJ Letón Rocío R Gil Eduardo E Martínez-Puente Natalia N Guadalix Sonsoles S Currás-Freixes Maria M García-Tobar Laura L Zafon Carles C Jordà Mireia M Riesco-Eizaguirre Garcilaso G González-García Patricia P Monteagudo María M Torres-Pérez Rafael R Mancikova Veronika V Ruiz-Llorente Sergio S Pérez-Martínez Manuel M Pita Guillermo G Galofré Juan Carlos JC Gonzalez-Neira Anna A Cascón Alberto A Rodríguez-Antona Cristina C Megías Diego D Blasco María A MA Caleiras Eduardo E Rodríguez-Perales Sandra S Robledo Mercedes M
Clinical and translational medicine 20220801 8
<h4>Background</h4>Comprehensive molecular studies on tumours are needed to delineate immortalization process steps and identify sensitive prognostic biomarkers in thyroid cancer.<h4>Methods and results</h4>In this study, we extensively characterize telomere-related alterations in a series of 106 thyroid tumours with heterogeneous clinical outcomes. Using a custom-designed RNA-seq panel, we identified five telomerase holoenzyme-complex genes upregulated in clinically aggressive tumours compared ...[more]