Decoding Cancer: PVT1 Intron 10’s homology with MCM3

Purpose

Prostate cancer remains a leading cause of mortality among men, partly due to challenges in early detection. This study investigates Plasmacytoma Variant Translocation 1 (PVT1) intron 10, hypothesized to overexpress in prostate cancer tissues and exhibit structural homology with the DNA replication protein MCM3, potentially defying the notion of introns as mere non-coding sequences.

Methods

An analysis of 550 patient-derived prostate adenocarcinoma transcripts was conducted. Transcript overexpression was quantified using TSVdb, and genetic/structural homology was determined through BLAST against major databases. HotSpot Wizard assessed 3D structural homology, while SpliceRover detected splicing motifs. Clinical relevance was verified by comparing expression levels in the dbGaP database.

Results

Significant overexpression of PVT1 intron 10 was found, with a 4.3-fold increase noted in specific exons and introns. Proteomic homology analysis revealed an 85% similarity with essential proteins, including a 68.8% structural alignment with MCM3. The 3D structural comparisons supported these findings. Database validation confirmed a 5.3-fold overexpression of intron 10 in cancerous tissues.

Conclusion

PVT1 intron 10′s significant overexpression and structural similarity to MCM3 protein in prostate cancer tissue suggests a potential functional role, disrupting the conventional understanding of intronic regions. These insights position intron 10 as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target, offering new directions in prostate cancer diagnostics and treatment through a refined understanding of alternative splicing and protein homology.