Purpose: MCTS1 re-initiation and release factor (MCTS1) is a ribosome-binding protein and shows multiple oncogenic properties in multiple cancers. This study aimed to investigate the expression, prognostic significance and transcription profile of MCTS1  in the PAM50 subtypes of breast cancer, as well as proteins with functional interactions with MCTS1 in luminal A/B breast cancer cells.
Materials and Methods: Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-Breast Carcinoma (BRCA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and normal breast epithelial tissue data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project were extracted and integrated for bioinformatic analysis. BT-474 and MCF-7 cells were used for in-vitro studies.
Results: MCTS1  expression varied significantly among PAM50 subtypes. Its expression might independently predict unfavorable overall survival (OS) in luminal A and B cases, but not in other subtypes. ENST00000371317.9 is the dominant isoform of MCTS1  transcripts and showed a step increase from normal, adjacent normal to breast cancer tissues. The protein encoded by this isoform directly bound to TWF1 and synergistically modulated cyclin D1 and C-Myc translation in BT-474 and MCF-7 cells.
Conclusion: MCTS1  expression might serve as a potential prognostic biomarker of unfavorable OS in luminal A and luminal B cases. The novel direct interaction between MCTS1 and TWF1 might be necessary for the translation of some downstream genes in common in luminal A/B breast cancer cells.
Keywords: breast cancer, MCTS1, TWF1, cyclin D1, C-Myc