Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2025
Mapping the Structure-Function Relationships of Disordered Oncogenic Transcription Factors Using Transcriptomic Analysis
Published on: June 27, 2020
The Oncogenic and Immunological Roles of Apoptosis Antagonistic Transcription Factors in Human Tumors: A Pan-Cancer
Feng Lu1, Juan Wu2, Hongpeng Zou1
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.
Background:
Apoptosis-antagonizing transcription factor (AATF) participates in tumor progression in multiple cancer types. However, its role across cancers is not well understood.
Methods:
Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) were used to analyze the multiomic roles of AATF in 33 tumor types, including gene and protein expression, survival prognosis, gene mutation, DNA methylation, protein phosphorylation, AATF coexpressed genes and their enrichment analysis, and immunological analysis.
Results:
In TCGA and GTEx databases, 31 tumors and their corresponding normal tissues had AATF expression data, and it was differentially expressed in 29 of them. AATF was elevated in 27 tumors, decreased in 2 tumors, and was a risk factor for overall survival (OS) in 8 tumors and a risk factor for disease-free survival (DFS) in 4 tumors. AATF expression levels in various cancer types were significantly correlated with the infiltration levels of cancer-associated fibroblasts, endothelial cells, CD4+ T cells, B cells, myeloid dendritic cells, eosinophils, and macrophages. The immune checkpoints PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA4 were positively correlated with AATF expression in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA), kidney chromophobe (KICH), and prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD).
Conclusion:
In cancer, AATF expression is generally higher than that in normal tissue, and it is also associated with immunomodulation-related genes. AATF may be a risk factor for poor prognosis across cancers.
Insights
Apoptosis-antagonizing transcription factor (AATF) is often elevated in cancers and linked to poor prognosis. Its expression correlates with immune cell infiltration and may serve as a pan-cancer risk factor.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genomics
- Immunology
Background:
- Apoptosis-antagonizing transcription factor (AATF) is implicated in tumor progression across various cancers.
- The comprehensive role of AATF in diverse cancer types remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the multiomic roles of AATF in 33 human tumor types.
- To analyze AATF's expression, prognostic value, and association with immune infiltration and checkpoints across cancers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multi-database analysis including TCGA, GTEx, CPTAC, and HPA.
- Examined gene and protein expression, survival data, mutations, methylation, phosphorylation, coexpression networks, and immunological features of AATF across 33 tumor types.
Main Results:
- AATF expression was altered in 29 of 31 analyzed tumor types, predominantly elevated.
- AATF served as a risk factor for overall survival in 8 and disease-free survival in 4 tumor types.
- AATF expression correlated significantly with infiltration of various immune cells and expression of immune checkpoints (PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA4) in specific cancers.
Conclusions:
- AATF expression is generally higher in cancer than normal tissues and is associated with immunomodulation.
- AATF may represent a significant risk factor for poor prognosis in a pan-cancer context.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:05Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
01:12Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
01:31The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
01:33Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
02:23Abnormal Proliferation
02:53Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...