Expression of the Y chromosome-encoded linc-SPRY3-2/3/4 increases after radiation in multiple cancer types.

Brooke A. Brothers*, Emily S. Westemeier, and Ivan Martinez
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506

Presentation No.: 74

Assigned Category (Presentation Format): Health Sciences (Poster Presentations)

Student’s Major: Immunology and Medical Microbiology

With recent advances in the understanding of noncoding RNAs and the prevalent roles they play in carcinogenesis, the Y chromosome is a potential source for many unknown regulation pathways. Preliminary data has shown non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells have a positive correlation of expression of the Y chromosome with apoptotic activity and radiation sensitivity, and the Y chromosome-encoded linc-SPRY3-2/3/4 family has a positive dose- and time-dependent relationship with radiation treatment. We aim to expand these findings into many other cancer types to potentially discover similar regulation of linc-SPRY3-2/3/4 and radio-sensitivity. Multiple male cancer cell lines with and without loss of the Y chromosome (LOY) were irradiated, and after 72 hours qRT-PCR was performed to find Y chromosome-expressing cells had increased expression of linc-SPRY3-2/3/4 after radiation, while cells with LOY had minimal expression before and after treatment. If expression of the Y-chromosome and linc-SPRY3-2/3/4 in patient tumor samples can consistently indicate tissue radio-sensitivity, this could serve as an efficient tool in clinical testing/assessment of the most appropriate and effective treatments for individual male cancer patients.

Funding:

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: WVU's SURE program (Rita Rio & Michelle Richards-Babb)