Genome-wide transcriptional analysis of metabolism-related genes and pathways regulated by FAH in melanoma A375 cells

Reprogramming metabolism plays an important role in tumor cells for maintaining their abnormal biologic behaviors. Therefore, special factors could regulate metabolic processes and influence the overall status of tumor cells. This phenomenon was obviously found in melanoma. Fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (fumarylacetoacetase, FAH) is an enzyme encoded by the FAH gene located on the chromosome 15q25.1 region and contains 14 exons. FAH enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of 4- fumarylacetoacetase into fumarate and acetoacetate. It is the last enzyme in the subpathway from L-phenylalanine and tyrosine degradation. Mutations in the FAH gene cause type I tyrosinemia, which is a hereditary error of metabolism that is characterized by increased tyrosine levels in the blood and urine of patients. In the present study, we will explore whether FAH is an essential enzyme to promote multiple metabolic processes and elucidate the functions of FAH in melanoma. Gene microarrays and bioinformatics analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were performed using A375 cells, and we concentrated on the biologic functions of FAH. In general, our work revealed several functional mechanisms of FAH in melanoma, which indicated FAH might be a potentially therapeutic target and an independent prognostic indicator for this disease.

6

Gu Z, Zhang H, Li Y, Shen S, Yin X, Zhang W, Cheng R, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Chen H, Huang B, Cao Y