Bioinformatics-based analysis of SUMOylation-related genes in hepatocellular carcinoma reveals a role of upregulated SAE1 in promoting cell proliferation

The function of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-related genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to analyze the expression profile and prognostic relevance of SUMO-related genes using publicly available data. A set of bioinformatics tools and experiments were integrated to explore the mechanism of the genes of interest. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression analysis was used to construct a prognostic model. SUMO-2 and SUMO-activating enzyme subunit 1 (SAE1) were upregulated in HCC. The enrichment analysis indicated that SUMO-2 and SAE1 might regulate the cell cycle. The downregulation of SAE1 inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells, whereas the upregulation of the gene promoted cell proliferation. IGF2BP3 contributed to the upregulation of SAE1 in an N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-dependent way. Eventually, an SAE1-related risk score (SRRS) was developed and validated in HCC. SRRS could serve as an independent prognostic factor and predict the efficiency of transarterial chemoembolization in patients with HCC.