Identification of stemness-related glycosylation changes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

E Routila; R Mahran; S Salminen; H Irjala; E Haapio; E Kytö; S Ventelä; K Petterson; J Routila; K Gidwani; J Leivo

doi:10.1186/s12885-024-12161-5

Identification of stemness-related glycosylation changes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BMC Cancer. 2024 Apr 10;24(1):443. doi: 10.1186/s12885-024-12161-5.

Authors

E Routila^{1

2

3}, R Mahran^{4

5

6}, S Salminen^{4

5}, H Irjala⁷, E Haapio⁷, E Kytö⁷, S Ventelä^{5

7

8}, K Petterson⁴, J Routila^{5

7}, K Gidwani⁴, J Leivo^{4

9

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520, Turku, Finland. erica.routila@utu.fi.
² InFLAMES Research Flagship, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland. erica.routila@utu.fi.
³ FICAN West Cancer Centre, Turku, Finland. erica.routila@utu.fi.
⁴ Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520, Turku, Finland.
⁵ FICAN West Cancer Centre, Turku, Finland.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Henrikinkatu 2, 20500, Turku, Finland.
⁷ Department for Otorhinolaryngology- Head and Neck surgery, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Savitehtaankatu 5, 20520, Turku, Finland.
⁸ Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6, 20520, Turku, Finland.
⁹ InFLAMES Research Flagship, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.

Abstract

Background: Altered glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer associated with therapy resistance and tumor behavior. In this study, we investigated the glycosylation profile of stemness-related proteins OCT4, CIP2A, MET, and LIMA1 in HNSCC tumors.

Methods: Tumor, adjacent normal tissue, and blood samples of 25 patients were collected together with clinical details. After tissue processing, lectin-based glycovariant screens were performed.

Results: Strong correlation between glycosylation profiles of all four stemness-related proteins was observed in tumor tissue, whereas glycosylation in tumor tissue, adjacent normal tissue, and serum was differential.

Conclusions: A mannose- and galactose-rich glycosylation niche associated with stemness-related proteins was identified.

Keywords: Bioaffinity assay; Glycosylation; HNSCC; Lectin; Stemness.

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / pathology
Cell Line, Tumor
Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism
Glycosylation
Head and Neck Neoplasms*
Humans
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

Substances

LIMA1 protein, human
Cytoskeletal Proteins

Grants and funding

337530/Research Council of Finland's Flagship InFLAMES