Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Glycan Node Analysis: A Bottom-up Approach to Glycomics
11:36

Glycan Node Analysis: A Bottom-up Approach to Glycomics

Published on: May 22, 2016

11.3K

Glyco-genes change expression in cancer through aberrant methylation

Aleksandar Vojta1, Ivana Samaržija1, Luka Bočkor1

  • 1University of Zagreb Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Division of Molecular Biology, Horvatovac 102a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|January 23, 2016
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Aberrant glycosylation, driven by altered glyco-gene expression and methylation, is key in cancer. Specific gene changes may offer new prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for epigenetic drugs.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Glycosylation, the modification of proteins with glycans, significantly impacts protein function.
  • Altered glycosylation patterns are hallmarks of cancer, influencing malignancy, tumor progression, and metastasis.
  • Specific glycan structures can serve as tumor-specific biomarkers, indicating dysregulated biosynthesis pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the epigenetic dysregulation of glyco-genes in various cancers.
  • To identify potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets related to aberrant glycosylation.
  • To explore the link between DNA methylation, gene expression, and cancer progression.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of DNA methylation and expression data for 86 glyco-genes across melanoma, hepatocellular, breast, and cervical cancers.
  • Examination of methylation datasets for glyco-genes in lung cancer and melanoma metastasis.
  • Utilized publicly available cancer genomics databases.

Main Results:

  • Ten glyco-genes (e.g., GALNT3, MGAT3, ST6GAL1) exhibited concurrent methylation and expression changes across tumor types, consistent with known glycosylation alterations.
  • The MGAT5B gene was identified as epigenetically dysregulated in non-brain cancers, suggesting a broader role.
  • Aberrant promoter methylation was linked to altered expression of GALNT and MAN gene families in cancer for the first time.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic modifications, specifically promoter methylation, drive aberrant glyco-gene expression, leading to characteristic cancer glycosylation profiles.
  • Candidate glyco-genes with altered methylation may serve as prognostic markers for specific cancers.
  • These findings highlight potential novel targets for epigenetic therapies in cancer treatment.
Keywords:
CancerDNA methylationEpigeneticsGene expressionProtein glycosylation

More Related Videos

Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer07:50

Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer

Published on: September 18, 2020

6.3K
Glycomics-Guided Glycoproteomics Facilitates Comprehensive Profiling of the Glycoproteome in Complex Tumor Microenvironments10:59

Glycomics-Guided Glycoproteomics Facilitates Comprehensive Profiling of the Glycoproteome in Complex Tumor Microenvironments

Published on: February 7, 2025

1.9K

Related Concept Videos

Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
4.2K
Epigenetic Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
34.2K
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
7.3K
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

4.2K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
5.1K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

1.7K