TRMT112 Expression Is Associated With Poor Prognosis and Increased Invasive Potential in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a poor prognosis and is frequently diagnosed at advanced stages. Therefore, the identification of clinically useful tumor biomarkers is a critical unmet need. The tRNA methyltransferase subunit 11-2 (TRMT112) forms a complex with methyltransferase-like protein 5 (METTL5) and is involved in RNA methylation; however, limited evidence suggests a role for TRMT112 as a tumor-promoting factor in cancer. Therefore, the biological function of TRMT112 in cancer, including OSCC, remains largely unknown, prompting this study. Analyses of public databases revealed that TRMT112 expression was associated with poor prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and was positively correlated with METTL5 expression levels. TRMT112 was also associated with increased sensitivity to osimertinib and lestaurtinib. Furthermore, RNA polymerase II subunit G (POLR2G) and Sjögren's syndrome/scleroderma autoantigen 1 (SSSCA1, also termed ZNRD2) were identified as newly related genes. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the TRMT112 protein was associated with an invasive growth pattern (p = 0.0234) and poorer prognosis (p = 0.0205). Functional assays indicated that TRMT112 was associated with increased invasive potential and regulation of METTL5 expression in OSCC cells. These findings suggest that TRMT112 may serve as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target in OSCC.