Prognostic Value and Related Regulatory Networks of MRPL15 in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Yangyang Zeng; Yingying Shi; Lu Xu; Yulan Zeng; Xiao Cui; Yuan Wang; Ningning Yang; Fuxiang Zhou; Yunfeng Zhou

doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.656172

Prognostic Value and Related Regulatory Networks of MRPL15 in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Front Oncol. 2021 May 7:11:656172. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.656172. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yangyang Zeng^{1

2}, Yingying Shi^{1

2}, Lu Xu^{1

2}, Yulan Zeng³, Xiao Cui^{1

2}, Yuan Wang^{1

2}, Ningning Yang^{1

2}, Fuxiang Zhou^{1

2}, Yunfeng Zhou^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
² Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
³ Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

Abstract

Background: Mitochondrial ribosomal protein L15 (MRPL15), a member of mitochondrial ribosomal proteins whose abnormal expression is related to tumorigenesis. However, the prognostic value and regulatory mechanisms of MRPL15 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear.

Methods: GEPIA, ONCOMINE, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier plotter, PrognoScan, LinkedOmics and GeneMANIA database were utilized to explore the expression and prognostic value of MRPL15 in NSCLC. Additionally, immune infiltration patterns were evaluated via ESTIMATE algorithm and TISIDB database. Furthermore, the expression and prognostic value of MRPL15 in lung cancer were validated via immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays.

Results: In NSCLC, multiple cohorts including GEPIA, ONCOMINE and 8 GEO series (GSE8569, GSE101929, GSE33532, GSE27262, GSE21933, GSE19804, GSE19188, GSE18842) described that MRPL15 was up-regulated. Moreover, MRPL15 was notably linked to gender, clinical stage, lymph node status and the TP53 mutation status. And patients with high MRPL15 expression showed poor overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), disease-free survival (DFS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) in NSCLC. Then, functional network analysis suggested that MRPL15 participated in metabolism-related pathways, DNA replication and cell cycle signaling via pathways involving several kinases, miRNAs and transcription factors. Additionally, it was found that MRPL15 expression was negatively related to immune infiltration, including immune scores, stromal scores and several tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Furthermore, IHC results further confirmed the high MRPL15 expression and its prognostic potential in lung cancer.

Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that high MRPL15 expression indicates poor prognosis in NSCLC and reveal potential regulatory networks as well as the negative relationship with immune infiltration. Thus, MRPL15 may be an attractive predictor and therapeutic strategy for NSCLC.

Keywords: MRPL15; functional network analysis; immune infiltration; non-small-cell lung cancer; prognostic value.