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Updated: May 18, 2026
Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
Published on: November 2, 2013
Whole-transcriptome analysis reveals established and novel associations with TMPRSS2:ERG fusion in prostate cancer
Anthony Chow1, Yutaka Amemiya, Linda Sugar
1Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Background/Aim:
Shortcomings of current methods of prostate cancer detection call for improved biomarkers. The transmembrane protease, serine 2:ets-related gene (TMPRSS2:ERG) gene fusion leads to the overexpression of ERG, an E-twenty six (ETS) family transcription factor, and is the most prevalent genetic lesion in prostate cancer, but its clinical utility remains unclear.
Materials And Methods:
Two radical prostatectomy samples were analysed by next-generation whole-transcriptome sequencing. The chosen samples differed in fusion gene status, as previously determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Results:
Next-generation sequencing identified the involvement of novel and previously reported prostate cancer-related transcripts, the WNT signalling pathway, evasion of p53-mediated anti-proliferation and several ETS-regulated pathways in the prostate cancer cases examined. Overexpression of Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor (RhoGDIB), a gene associated with fusion-positive prostate cancer, was found to elicit spindle-shaped morphology, faster cell migration and increased cell proliferation, phenotypic changes suggestive of cancer progression.
Conclusion:
The present findings confirm the value of comprehensive sequencing for biomarker development and provide potential avenues of future study.
