Identification of Upregulated HNRNPs Associated with Poor Prognosis in Pancreatic Cancer

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (HNRNPs) are reported to play a crucial role in the pathogenic process of multiple malignancies. However, the expression patterns and prognostic values of HNRNPs in pancreatic cancer (PC) are lacking. In this study, several public databases were explored to identify the commonly upregulated HNRNPs in PC. The clinical significance of HNRNPL (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins L) in PC was analyzed. We further performed a series of experiments to elucidate the biological functions of HNRNPL. Bioinformatics analysis including pathway enrichment and interactors with HNRNPL was used to explain the potential mechanisms of HNRNPL in PC pathogenesis. Herein, we reported that HNRNPL was commonly overexpressed in public databases and that high expression of HNRNPL in PC was positively associated with aggressive disease and poor overall survival. Downregulation of HNRNPL suppressed the abilities of migration and epithelial mesenchymal transition of PC cells in vitro, while depletion of HNRNPL did not affect the proliferation rate of PC cells. We further showed that HNRNPL might combine with RNA-binding protein, PTBP1, and function as a part of the spliceosome to regulate alternative splicing of target genes in the occurrence and development of PC. HNRNPL could be employed as an innovative prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for PC.