IMR Press / FBL / Volume 29 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2903119
Open Access Original Research
EIF2Ss, a Novel c-Myc-Correlated Gene Family, is Associated with Poor Prognosis and Immune Infiltration in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
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1 Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 200032 Shanghai, China
2 Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
*Correspondence: zchenzl@fudan.edu.cn (Zhen Chen)
These authors contributed equally.
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2024, 29(3), 119; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2903119
Submitted: 10 March 2023 | Revised: 14 October 2023 | Accepted: 20 October 2023 | Published: 21 March 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a highly malignant tumor in urgent need of novel diagnostics, prognostic markers, and treatments. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunits (EIF2Ss), comprising Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit alpha (EIF2S1), Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit beta (EIF2S2), and Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit gamma (EIF2S3), is a family of eukaryotic initiation factors that participate in early protein synthesis and are crucial for tumor initiation and progression. However, the role of EIF2Ss in PAAD has yet to be reported. The aim of this study was therefore to analyze EIF2Ss in relation to the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of PAAD. Methods: The cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database was used to investigate gene expression and patient survival. Gene alterations, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoints in PAAD were also evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analysis, nomograms, calibration curves, and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA) diagrams were used to develop and evaluate a prediction model for patient outcome. Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA) analysis, functional enrichment, co-IP assay, mass spectrometry, and western blot were used to study the relationship between EIF2Ss and c-myc in PAAD. Results: EIF2Ss are over-expressed in PAAD tissue and are associated with poor prognosis. The frequency of EIF2S1, EIF2S2, and EIF2S3 gene alteration in PAAD was 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.2%, respectively. High EIF2Ss expression was associated with Th2 cell infiltration, whereas low expression was associated with pDC infiltration. Moreover, EIF2Ss expression was positively correlated with the expression of the NT5E, ULBP1, PVR, CD44, IL10RB, and CD276 checkpoints. A prediction model developed using EIF2Ss and important clinicopathologic features showed good predictive value for the overall survival of PAAD patients. ScRNA-Seq data showed that EIF2Ss was associated with enrichment for endothelial cells, fibroblasts, malignant cells, and ductal cells. EIF2Ss expression was also correlated with adipogenesis, interferon-alpha response, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, myc targets, G2M checkpoint, oxidative phosphorylation, and hypoxia. Functional enrichment analysis of EIF2Ss showed a close correlation with the myc pathway, and interactions between EIF2Ss and c-myc were confirmed by co-IP assay and mass spectrometry. Importantly, knockdown of c-myc decreased the expression of EIF2S1, EIF2S2, and EIF2S3 in PAAD cells. Conclusions: EIF2Ss were found to have significant clinical implications for the prognosis and treatment of PAAD. Inhibition of c-myc caused the downregulation of EIF2S1, EIF2S2, and EIF2S3 expression.

Keywords
EIF2Ss
pancreatic adenocarcinoma
prognosis
immune infiltration
c-myc
Funding
81930115/National Natural Science Foundation of China
Figures
Fig. 1.
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