Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 27, 2026
03:37
Author Spotlight: Impact of Intergenic Interactions on Disease-Identifying Dark Biomarkers
Published on: March 1, 2024
1.4K
Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) reveals non-coding pseudogene CDC27P9 role in cervical cancer.
Fenwick Antony Edwin Rodrigues1, Deena Krishnan1, Hussein Hameed Abbas1
1Molecular Genetics and Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641046, India.
Summary
Pseudogene CDC27P9 is upregulated in cervical cancer, promoting tumor progression by affecting cell cycle and apoptosis. Silencing CDC27P9 inhibits cancer growth and downregulates HPV 18, suggesting it as a potential therapeutic target.
Area of Science:
- Genomics and Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Pseudogenes, once considered non-functional genomic remnants, are increasingly recognized for their roles in cellular processes.
- The specific function of pseudogene CDC27P9 in cervical cancer has remained largely uninvestigated.
- Understanding novel genetic players in cervical cancer is crucial for developing targeted therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional role of the pseudogene CDC27P9 in cervical cancer.
- To explore the molecular mechanisms by which CDC27P9 influences cancer progression, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis.
- To assess the potential of CDC27P9 as a therapeutic target in cervical cancer.
Main Methods:
- Whole RNA-transcriptome profiling of blood samples from cervical cancer patients and healthy controls.
- RT-PCR validation of CDC27P9 expression.
- In silico prediction and refinement of the CDC27P9-encoded protein structure.
- Molecular docking and MD simulations to analyze interactions with CDC27 and CDC20.
- siRNA-mediated silencing of CDC27P9 in HeLa cells to study effects on the Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) pathway, cell cycle, apoptosis, and HPV 18 expression.
- Flow cytometry, Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy, and microplate reader assays for functional assessments.
Main Results:
- Transcriptome sequencing revealed significant upregulation of CDC27P9 (log2FC=10.68) in cervical cancer patients, validated by RT-PCR.
- The predicted CDC27P9 protein showed high structural reliability and strong interactions with CDC27 and CDC20.
- Silencing CDC27P9 led to downregulation of APC/C genes, reduced BCL2 (anti-apoptotic), increased BAX (pro-apoptotic), induced S-phase cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and mitochondrial membrane potential loss.
- CDC27P9 silencing also resulted in chromatin condensation, cell death, growth inhibition, and importantly, downregulation of HPV 18 in HeLa cells.
Conclusions:
- This study identifies pseudogene CDC27P9 as a functional entity with active transcripts and protein-coding potential in cervical cancer.
- CDC27P9 contributes to cervical cancer progression by modulating APC/C-mediated cell-cycle pathways and inhibiting apoptosis, thereby promoting cancer cell survival.
- CDC27P9's role in HPV18-associated pathways and its impact on cancer progression highlight its potential as a novel therapeutic target for cervical cancer.
Related Concept Videos
03:21RNA-seq
12.4K
RNA sequencing, or RNA-Seq, is a high-throughput sequencing technology used to study the transcriptome of a cell. Transcriptomics helps to interpret the functional elements of a genome and identify the molecular constituents of an organism. Additionally, it also helps in understanding the development of an organism and the occurrence of diseases.
Before the discovery of RNA-seq, microarray-based methods and Sanger sequencing were used for transcriptome analysis. However, while...
Before the discovery of RNA-seq, microarray-based methods and Sanger sequencing were used for transcriptome analysis. However, while...
12.4K
02:39lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs
10.1K
In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA...
10.1K
02:57piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs
7.9K
PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...
7.9K
02:02Cis-regulatory Sequences
12.2K
Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
12.2K
02:24Ribosome Profiling
4.3K
Ribosome profiling or ribo-sequencing is a deep sequencing technique that produces a snapshot of active translation in a cell. It selectively sequences the mRNAs protected by ribosomes to get an insight into a cell’s translation landscape at any given point in time.
Applications of ribosome profiling
Ribosome profiling has many applications, including in vivo monitoring of translation inside a particular organ or tissue type and quantifying new protein synthesis levels.
The technique...
Applications of ribosome profiling
Ribosome profiling has many applications, including in vivo monitoring of translation inside a particular organ or tissue type and quantifying new protein synthesis levels.
The technique...
4.3K