Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis reveals the importance of SPATS2 in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Abstract RNA binding protein (RBP) Spermatogenesis-associated serine-rich 2 (SPATS2) has been examined the function in cancer pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis. However, little is known about SPATS2 in human cancers. Gene expression and clinical implication of SPATS2 were assessed in multiple human pan-cancer cohorts from the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases. In general, SPATS2 is a robust biomarker for liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) prognosis. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and the published literature were used to meta-analyze the expression and diagnostic value of SPATS2 in LIHC. A nomogram for predicting the overall survival (OS) was established to present the prognostic value of SPATS2 in LIHC patients. The SPATS2 correlation genes were used to perform the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) for predicting the biological function of SPATS2. Collectively, this study suggests that SPATS2 could be used as a diagnostic biomarker, prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for LIHC. Mechanistically, elevated SPATS2 expression was positively correlated with kinesin family member 11 (KIF11/Eg5) mRNA and protein expression. There were protein-mRNA binding sites between SPATS2 protein and KIF11/Eg5 mRNA by PRIdicto predictor analysis. SPATS2 may affect mitotic spindle formation by binding to KIF11-mRNA to post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of KIF11 to promote the formation of the mitotic spindle and the proliferation of LIHC cells.