Comprehensive analysis based on the ubiquitination- and deubiquitylation-related genes reveals the function of NEURL3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BackgroundAs a highly invasive gastrointestinal malignancy, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) carries with its high morbidity and mortality. Accumulating evidence indicates that abnormal activation of ubiquitination and deubiquitylation has been implicated in pathophysiology of ESCC. However...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yi-Wei Lin, Hui-Er Li, Chao-Qun Hong, Zi-Ang Chen, Shu-Ping Liu, Yi-Wei Xu, Fang-Cai Wu, Yu-Hui Peng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1632090/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849232598498279424
author Yi-Wei Lin
Yi-Wei Lin
Hui-Er Li
Hui-Er Li
Chao-Qun Hong
Zi-Ang Chen
Zi-Ang Chen
Shu-Ping Liu
Shu-Ping Liu
Yi-Wei Xu
Yi-Wei Xu
Fang-Cai Wu
Yu-Hui Peng
Yu-Hui Peng
author_facet Yi-Wei Lin
Yi-Wei Lin
Hui-Er Li
Hui-Er Li
Chao-Qun Hong
Zi-Ang Chen
Zi-Ang Chen
Shu-Ping Liu
Shu-Ping Liu
Yi-Wei Xu
Yi-Wei Xu
Fang-Cai Wu
Yu-Hui Peng
Yu-Hui Peng
author_sort Yi-Wei Lin
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundAs a highly invasive gastrointestinal malignancy, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) carries with its high morbidity and mortality. Accumulating evidence indicates that abnormal activation of ubiquitination and deubiquitylation has been implicated in pathophysiology of ESCC. However, rare prognostic models for ubiquitination-related genes (URGs) and deubiquitylation-related genes (DRGs) have been built up in ESCC.MethodsFrom training dataset GSE53624, the differentially expressed prognostic URGs and DRGs were identified to develop a prognostic signature, which was validated in GSE53622 and TCGA-ESCC dataset to show the robustness of the signature. To further confirm their prognosis value, the unsupervised clustering analysis was used to develop the molecular subtypes based on the prognostic URGs and DRGs. Differences in terms of biological function, immune status, and drug sensitivity were evaluated between high- and low-risk groups. The nomogram was constructed by combining the URGs and DRGs prognostic signature and clinical characteristics to improve prediction efficacy. Loss-of-function studies were conducted to explore the biological function of NEURL3 in ESCC.ResultsThe URGs and DRGs prognostic signature consisted of 11 genes and exhibited high accuracy in predicting prognosis of ESCC patient. Based on these 11 URGs and DRGs, two molecular subtypes of ESCC (C1 and C2) were identified, of which C2 subtype had significantly shorter overall survival time than that of C1 subtype. The function enrichment analysis showed that these genes play key roles in essential processes such as tumor metastasis and immune response. Moreover, the risk score was closely related to infiltration abundance of some types of immune cells, gene markers of immune cells and immune checkpoint-related markers. The drug sensitivity analysis showed that dacomitinib and talazoparib may serve as anti-ESCC drugs through targeting MAPK14. The nomogram was established by combining the URGs and DRGs signature with age and TNM stage, and it also showed enhanced prognostic predictive accuracy. The in vitro experiments showed that knockdown of NEURL3 inhibited the proliferation and motility of ESCC cells.ConclusionsBased on the URGs and DRGs prognostic signature, a novel nomogram was constructed that could serve as a potentially reliable prognostic model and provide theoretical basis for uncovering potential therapeutic target in the treatment of ESCC.
format Article
id doaj-art-0f178f7192a044018dfc3c5c6b755c8b
institution Kabale University
issn 1664-3224
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Immunology
spelling doaj-art-0f178f7192a044018dfc3c5c6b755c8b2025-08-21T04:10:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-08-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.16320901632090Comprehensive analysis based on the ubiquitination- and deubiquitylation-related genes reveals the function of NEURL3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinomaYi-Wei Lin0Yi-Wei Lin1Hui-Er Li2Hui-Er Li3Chao-Qun Hong4Zi-Ang Chen5Zi-Ang Chen6Shu-Ping Liu7Shu-Ping Liu8Yi-Wei Xu9Yi-Wei Xu10Fang-Cai Wu11Yu-Hui Peng12Yu-Hui Peng13Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Control Research Center, Chaoshan Branch of State Key Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, ChinaGuangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Control Research Center, Chaoshan Branch of State Key Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, ChinaGuangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Oncological Laboratory Research, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Control Research Center, Chaoshan Branch of State Key Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, ChinaGuangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Control Research Center, Chaoshan Branch of State Key Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, ChinaGuangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Control Research Center, Chaoshan Branch of State Key Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, ChinaGuangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Control Research Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Control Research Center, Chaoshan Branch of State Key Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, ChinaGuangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, ChinaBackgroundAs a highly invasive gastrointestinal malignancy, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) carries with its high morbidity and mortality. Accumulating evidence indicates that abnormal activation of ubiquitination and deubiquitylation has been implicated in pathophysiology of ESCC. However, rare prognostic models for ubiquitination-related genes (URGs) and deubiquitylation-related genes (DRGs) have been built up in ESCC.MethodsFrom training dataset GSE53624, the differentially expressed prognostic URGs and DRGs were identified to develop a prognostic signature, which was validated in GSE53622 and TCGA-ESCC dataset to show the robustness of the signature. To further confirm their prognosis value, the unsupervised clustering analysis was used to develop the molecular subtypes based on the prognostic URGs and DRGs. Differences in terms of biological function, immune status, and drug sensitivity were evaluated between high- and low-risk groups. The nomogram was constructed by combining the URGs and DRGs prognostic signature and clinical characteristics to improve prediction efficacy. Loss-of-function studies were conducted to explore the biological function of NEURL3 in ESCC.ResultsThe URGs and DRGs prognostic signature consisted of 11 genes and exhibited high accuracy in predicting prognosis of ESCC patient. Based on these 11 URGs and DRGs, two molecular subtypes of ESCC (C1 and C2) were identified, of which C2 subtype had significantly shorter overall survival time than that of C1 subtype. The function enrichment analysis showed that these genes play key roles in essential processes such as tumor metastasis and immune response. Moreover, the risk score was closely related to infiltration abundance of some types of immune cells, gene markers of immune cells and immune checkpoint-related markers. The drug sensitivity analysis showed that dacomitinib and talazoparib may serve as anti-ESCC drugs through targeting MAPK14. The nomogram was established by combining the URGs and DRGs signature with age and TNM stage, and it also showed enhanced prognostic predictive accuracy. The in vitro experiments showed that knockdown of NEURL3 inhibited the proliferation and motility of ESCC cells.ConclusionsBased on the URGs and DRGs prognostic signature, a novel nomogram was constructed that could serve as a potentially reliable prognostic model and provide theoretical basis for uncovering potential therapeutic target in the treatment of ESCC.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1632090/fullesophageal squamous cell carcinomaubiquitinationdeubiquitylationnomogramprognosisimmune microenvironment
spellingShingle Yi-Wei Lin
Yi-Wei Lin
Hui-Er Li
Hui-Er Li
Chao-Qun Hong
Zi-Ang Chen
Zi-Ang Chen
Shu-Ping Liu
Shu-Ping Liu
Yi-Wei Xu
Yi-Wei Xu
Fang-Cai Wu
Yu-Hui Peng
Yu-Hui Peng
Comprehensive analysis based on the ubiquitination- and deubiquitylation-related genes reveals the function of NEURL3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Frontiers in Immunology
esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
ubiquitination
deubiquitylation
nomogram
prognosis
immune microenvironment
title Comprehensive analysis based on the ubiquitination- and deubiquitylation-related genes reveals the function of NEURL3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
title_full Comprehensive analysis based on the ubiquitination- and deubiquitylation-related genes reveals the function of NEURL3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
title_fullStr Comprehensive analysis based on the ubiquitination- and deubiquitylation-related genes reveals the function of NEURL3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Comprehensive analysis based on the ubiquitination- and deubiquitylation-related genes reveals the function of NEURL3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
title_short Comprehensive analysis based on the ubiquitination- and deubiquitylation-related genes reveals the function of NEURL3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
title_sort comprehensive analysis based on the ubiquitination and deubiquitylation related genes reveals the function of neurl3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
topic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
ubiquitination
deubiquitylation
nomogram
prognosis
immune microenvironment
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1632090/full
work_keys_str_mv AT yiweilin comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT yiweilin comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT huierli comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT huierli comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT chaoqunhong comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT ziangchen comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT ziangchen comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT shupingliu comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT shupingliu comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT yiweixu comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT yiweixu comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT fangcaiwu comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT yuhuipeng comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma
AT yuhuipeng comprehensiveanalysisbasedontheubiquitinationanddeubiquitylationrelatedgenesrevealsthefunctionofneurl3inesophagealsquamouscellcarcinoma