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ALG3 as a PanCancer Oncogene: Bioinformatics Analysis and Identification of Small-Molecule Inhibitors
Hesham M Hassan1, Waleed K Abdulsahib2, Hassan M Otifi1
1Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Introduction:
Glycosylation plays a crucial role in cellular processes such as recognition and signaling, and its dysregulation is associated with tumor progression. Alpha-1,3-mannosyltransferase (ALG3) is a key enzyme in N-glycosylation, and its aberrant expression has been implicated in various malignancies. However, the mechanisms underlying ALG3-driven oncogenesis and the identification of potential ALG3 inhibitors remain largely unexplored. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the oncogenic role of ALG3 across different cancer types and identify potential inhibitors through bioinformatics analysis and molecular dockingcoupled dynamics simulations.
Methods:
Multiple cancer-related databases were analyzed to elucidate the oncogenic role of ALG and to assess its expression patterns, genetic alterations, and epigenetic regulation. Furthermore, molecular docking and dynamics simulations were employed to identify small-molecule inhibitors targeting the human ALG3.
Results:
Our findings demonstrated a significant upregulation of ALG3 at both transcript and protein levels in cancerous tissues compared to normal ones. High ALG3 expression correlated positively with tumor stage, grade, and metastasis while negatively influencing patient survival. Genetic analysis revealed that amplification was the most common alteration in ALG3, whereas DNA methylation played a key role in its upregulation. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation identified two mannosyltransferase inhibitors, Opn and Clo, as potential inhibitors of ALG3, suggesting their therapeutic potential.
Discussion:
This study highlights the oncogenic role of ALG3 in a pan-cancer model and identifies its potential inhibitors. Our findings provide valuable insights into ALG3-driven tumorigenesis and suggest that targeting ALG3 could be a promising strategy for cancer therapy.
Conclusion:
The study first reported potential inhibitors of human ALG3 based on a molecular modelling approach. This opens the way for future experimental investigations of the testing of these lead compounds in ALG3-high cancer models.
Insights
Alpha-1,3-mannosyltransferase (ALG3) is upregulated in cancers, promoting tumor progression. This study identifies ALG3 inhibitors, Opn and Clo, offering potential new cancer therapies by targeting ALG3.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Aberrant glycosylation is linked to cancer progression.
- Alpha-1,3-mannosyltransferase (ALG3) is a key enzyme in N-glycosylation with a poorly understood role in oncogenesis.
- This study investigates the pan-cancer role of ALG3 and identifies potential inhibitors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively investigate the oncogenic role of ALG3 across various cancer types.
- To identify potential small-molecule inhibitors targeting human ALG3.
- To provide insights into ALG3-driven tumorigenesis for therapeutic strategies.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatics analysis of cancer-related databases for ALG3 expression, genetic alterations, and epigenetic regulation.
- Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations to identify and validate ALG3 inhibitors.
- Correlation analysis of ALG3 expression with clinical parameters and patient survival.
Main Results:
- ALG3 is significantly upregulated in cancer tissues at both transcript and protein levels.
- High ALG3 expression correlates with advanced tumor stage, grade, metastasis, and poorer patient survival.
- Amplification is the primary genetic alteration, and DNA methylation significantly contributes to ALG3 upregulation.
- Two potential ALG3 inhibitors, Opn and Clo, were identified through molecular modeling.
Conclusions:
- ALG3 plays a significant oncogenic role in a pan-cancer context.
- Targeting ALG3 represents a promising therapeutic strategy for various cancers.
- The identified compounds Opn and Clo are potential lead compounds for future experimental validation against ALG3-high cancers.
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