Integrative analysis of somatic mutations altering microRNA targeting in cancer genomes.

ABSTRACT: Determining the functional impact of somatic mutations is crucial to understanding tumorigenesis and metastasis. Recent sequences of several cancers have provided comprehensive lists of somatic mutations across entire genomes, enabling investigation of the functional impact of somatic mutations in non-coding regions. Here, we study somatic mutations in 3'UTRs of genes that have been identified in four cancers and computationally predict how they may alter miRNA targeting, potentially resulting in dysregulation of the expression of the genes harboring these mutations. We find that somatic mutations create or disrupt putative miRNA target sites in the 3'UTRs of many genes, including several genes, such as MITF, EPHA3, TAL1, SCG3, and GSDMA, which have been previously associated with cancer.

SUBMITTER: Ziebarth JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3473044 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature