Deciphering the risk of missense mutation rs137854486 (W1925R) of FN1 in papillary thyroid cancer: A computational and molecular dynamics approach

Abstract

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) accounts for more than 85 % of all thyroid cancers. Three transcriptomic datasets of PTC, one each from humans (GSE138198), transgenic mice (GSE58689), and cell lines (GSE6339), were analysed for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Seventy-three common DEGs were binned into significant pathways associated with cancer and immunity, for which gene ontology studies at the biological process, molecular function, and cellular component levels were performed. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network construction and analysis of modules identified fibronectin 1 (FN1) as the critical hub gene in the pathophysiology of PTC. Survival analysis, immune infiltration analysis, and co-expression analysis of the hub genes were conducted to confirm their relationship with PTC prognosis. Analysis of four missense variants V692E, T817A, T817P and W1925R of FN1 associated with PTC, followed by structural analysis and molecular dynamics simulation, validated that the missense mutation rs137854486 (W1925R) of FN1 is significant in the tumorigenesis of PTC. FoldX predicted a significant positive ΔΔG (9.85646) value for W1925R, portraying substantial destabilization of FN1. The root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), and radius of gyration (Rg) values of the W1925R mutant indicate significant structural deviations in the protein, resulting in increased flexibility and reduced stability. Increased flexibility, particularly in regions critical for protein function, could affect the biological activity of the protein, with a crucial influence on the pathophysiology of PTC.