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CAFuncAPA: a knowledgebase for systematic functional annotations of APA events in human cancers
Kexin Huang1,2, Sijia Wu1, Xiaotong Yang1
1School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P.R. China.
NAR Cancer
|January 25, 2023
Summary
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) impacts cancer by altering mRNA and gene expression. Our study, CAFuncAPA, maps these APA events in human cancers, revealing their roles in tumor progression and survival.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a key posttranscriptional regulation process generating diverse mRNA isoforms with varying 3' UTR lengths.
- APA influences mRNA expression, microRNA (miRNA) binding, and alternative splicing, playing significant roles in tumorigenesis and cancer progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically annotate the functional landscape of APA events in human pan-cancers.
- To provide a comprehensive resource for understanding APA's role in cancer biology and identify potential regulators.
Main Methods:
- Development of CAFuncAPA, a database cataloging 15,478 APA events in human pan-cancers.
- Identification of APA events linked to cancer survival and tumor progression.
- Annotation of downstream effects including gene/isoform expression, miRNA regulation, RNA binding protein (RBP) interactions, and alternative splicing.
Main Results:
- CAFuncAPA systematically annotates 15,478 APA events across human cancers.
- Identified APA events associated with cancer survival and tumor progression.
- Detailed functional annotations include impacts on gene expression, miRNA regulation, RBP binding, and alternative splicing, alongside identified up-regulators like genetic variants and methylation phenotypes.
Conclusions:
- CAFuncAPA serves as a valuable resource for researchers studying APA in cancer.
- The findings highlight the multifaceted roles of APA in cancer biology and identify key regulators.
- Understanding APA events and their regulators is crucial for advancing cancer research and therapeutic strategies.
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