Studying POU2F1 to Unveil the Structural Facet for Pan-Cancer Analysis Considering the Functional Annotations and Sequence-Structure Space Paradigm

Abstract

ABSTRACTPOU domain class 2 homebox 1 (POU2F1) is largely known for its transcription factor(TF) activity. Due to its association with different types of malignancies, POU2F1 becomes one of the key factors in pan-cancer analysis. However, in spite of understanding it as a potential drug target, none of the drug has been designed till date due to its extreme dynamicity. In this article, we have proposed a three fold comprehensive framework for understanding the structural conservation and co-variation of POU2F1. Firstly, a gene regulatory network based non-pathogenic and pathogenic study have been performed to understand the strong association between cancers and POU2F1. After that, based on evolutionary sequence space study, the comparative sequential dynamicity of the protein members of POU domain family has been observed mostly between non-human and human samples. Subsequently, the reciprocity effect of the residual co-variation has been identified through direct coupling analysis. Along with that, the structure of POU2F1 has been analysed depending on quality assessment and normal mode based structure network. Comparing the sequence and structure space information, the most significant set of residue viz., 3, 9, 13, 17, 20, 21, 28, 35, 36 have been identified as structural facet for stable binding. It is observed that targeting these residues can help to prevent the monomeric aggregations. This study demonstrates-the observed malleability of POU2F1 is one of the prime reason behind its functional multiplicity in terms of protein moonlighting.SIGNIFICANCEPOU2F1 is one of the important TFs associated with several malignancies. In spite of orderly stable structure in primitive family proteins, this protein is highly unstable at the monomeric stage. Previous studies show that POU2F1 has a clear association with 121 different diseases. Therefore, it becomes one of the important links in the pan-cancer study. Interestingly, TFs can be considered as a potential drug target. However, it is hardly possible to control the extreme dynamicity of TFs. In this regard, protein moonlighting plays an important role. We have tried to provide a theoretical frame to build understanding on POU2F1. The study provides pathogenic and non-pathogenic connections of the protein in terms of comprehensive and precise Gene Regulatory Network. Subsequently, the instability has been unveiled and the structural facet has been identified. Finally, the specified set of function for a suitable session to target the protein is analyzed based on protein moonlighting properties.