Integrative pan-cancer genomic analysis highlights mitochondrial protein p32 as a potential therapeutic target in Myc-driven tumorigenesis.

Abstract

Tumor metabolic reprogramming, particularly involving mitochondrial metabolism, is a hallmark of malignancy. The mitochondrial protein p32 (C1QBP) has emerged as a critical regulator in various cancers, frequently associated with poor patient prognosis. However, the role of p32 across different cancer types remains largely unexplored. Our bioinformatics analysis demonstrates that p32 is significantly overexpressed in several malignancies and is closely involved in multiple oncogenic pathways related to tumor progression and metabolic reprogramming. Moreover, p32 expression positively correlates with genomic heterogeneity and drug sensitivity. We identified a strong association between p32 and c-Myc in both normal and cancerous tissues. We confirmed that p32 is a direct transcriptional target of c-Myc, which upregulates p32 by binding to its promoter. Functional experiments established that p32 is crucial for MYC-driven tumorigenesis, with its knockdown or knockout inhibiting tumor proliferation and extending survival. Targeting p32 may inhibit MYC-driven tumorigenesis, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target in MYC-driven cancers.