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BMC Cancer

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Open Access 01-12-2021 | Research article

Synonymous mutations that regulate translation speed might play a non-negligible role in liver cancer development

Authors: Qun Li, Jian Li, Chun-peng Yu, Shuai Chang, Ling-ling Xie, Song Wang

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2021

Abstract

Background

Synonymous mutations do not change the protein sequences. Automatically, they have been regarded as neutral events and are ignored in the mutation-based cancer studies. However, synonymous mutations will change the codon optimality, resulting in altered translational velocity.

Methods

We fully utilized the transcriptome and translatome of liver cancer and normal tissue from ten patients. We profiled the mutation spectrum and examined the effect of synonymous mutations on translational velocity.

Results

Synonymous mutations that increase the codon optimality significantly enhanced the translational velocity, and were enriched in oncogenes. Meanwhile, synonymous mutations decreasing codon optimality slowed down translation, and were enriched in tumor suppressor genes. These synonymous mutations significantly contributed to the translational changes in tumor samples compared to normal samples.

Conclusions

Synonymous mutations might play a role in liver cancer development by altering codon optimality and translational velocity. Synonymous mutations should no longer be ignored in the genome-wide studies.

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Title: Synonymous mutations that regulate translation speed might play a non-negligible role in liver cancer development
Authors: Qun Li
Jian Li
Chun-peng Yu
Shuai Chang
Ling-ling Xie
Song Wang
Publication date: 01-12-2021
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-021-08131-w

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Abstract

Background

Methods

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Conclusions

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