Global surveillance of somatic alterations in triple negative breast cancers by whole exon sequencing analyses

ABSTRACT: Triple negative breast cancers (TNBC), defined by lacking the expression of oestrogen receptor-alpha (ERa), progesterone receptor, and HER2, is considered to be one of the most aggressive subtypes of all breast cancers. To elucidate the genomic and molecular aberrations in TNBC, we performed whole exon sequencing (WES) analysis on 36 TNBC, and identified 117 genes that significantly mutated (q < 0.05) in TNBC including MUC4, MUC6, TP53, and PIK3CA. Interestingly, genes associated with chromatin regulators including the subunits of SWI/SNF complex were frequently mutated in 44.7% of the cases. Furthermore, from the aspect of the possible association of epigenetic dysregulation and TNBC carcinogenesis, we focused on epigenome and genetic alterations of SALL3, an intrinsic inhibitor of DNMT3A, and identified the role of its dysfunction on cancer cell growth. Our study suggests that epigenetic aberrations caused by somatic alterations including DNA methylation might be a potential pathogenesis of TNBC in a certain number of cases.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE87479 | GEO | 2019/10/01

REPOSITORIES: GEO