ASPM and TROAP gene expression as potential malignant tumor markers

BACKGROUND: Although increasing evidence supports a vital role for assembly factor for spindle microtubules (ASPM) and trophinin-associated protein (TROAP) in the tumorigenesis of some cancers, no systematic pancancer analyses of ASPM and TROAP have been performed. Thus, we aimed to investigate the potential functions of ASPM and TROAP across 31 cancer types. METHODS: Based on datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Gene-Cloud of Biotechnology Information (GCBI) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), we employed an array of bioinformatics methods to explore the potential oncogenic roles of ASPM and TROAP. RESULTS: ASPM and TROAP, which were highly expressed in most cancers and presented a strict positive correlation, led to a decreased life expectancy among cancer patients. ASPM and TROAP both regulated cell replication in the S&G2 phase of the cell cycle. Through a protein-protein interaction network (PPI) analysis of ASPM and TROAP, we found that cell division cycle 20 (CDC20) was regulated by TROAP and functioned upstream of ASPM. Thus, TROAP can regulate the role of ASPM in cancers. CONCLUSIONS: The ASPM and TROAP have a significant positive correlation and similar expression profiles, and promote tumor malignancy and development in the S&G2 phase of the cell cycle. Since ASPM is one of the downstream targets of TROAP, TROAP and especially ASPM may be potential tumor makers and promising targets for therapeutic strategy.