Identification of solute-carrier family 27A molecules (SCL27As) as a potential biomarker of ovarian cancer based on bioinformatics and experiments

Background: Ovarian cancer is one of the 3 major gynecological malignancies with high mortality, poor prognosis, and lack of specific diagnostic and prognostic markers. Solute-carrier family 27A molecules (SCL27As) play a crucial role in multiple malignant tumors via the regulation of long-chain fatty acid uptake and subsequent regulation of lipid metabolism. To date, the specific mechanisms and roles of SCL27As in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) have remained unclear. Methods: The Oncomine and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases and the Kaplan-Meier plotter were used to explore the differential expression and the prognostic value of SCL27As in EOC. The expression of SCL27A6 in 20 normal ovarian tissues and 120 ovarian cancer tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay and colony-forming experiments were conducted to evaluate the role of SCL27A6 in the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells, so as to verify the clinical application value of SCL27A6 in the diagnosis and prognosis of ovarian cancer. We extracted the data of SCL27A6 for multiple bioinformatics analysis to identify the potential regulatory mechanism of SLC27A6. Results: The expression levels of SLC27A1 and SLC27A6 were significantly decreased in ovarian cancer tissues. Prognostic analysis showed that SLC27A2, SLC27A4, SLC27A5, and SLC27A6 expression levels were significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) in EOC patients. Moreover, the expression of the SLC27A6 protein was decreased in EOC tissues, which was related to the prognosis. Additionally, knocking down the expression of SLC27A6 could significantly enhance the malignant biological behavior of ovarian cancer cells. The SLC27A6 gene may be involved in the proteasome, cell cycle, Hippo signaling pathway, and so on. Conclusions: This study revealed the abnormal expression and prognostic value of SLC27As in EOC. In addition, it was highlighted that SLC27A6 may be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and prognostication of EOC patients.