The underlying molecular mechanisms and prognostic factors of RNA binding protein in colorectal cancer: a study based on multiple online databases

Abstract Background RNA binding protein (RBP) is an active factor involved in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, the potential mechanism of RBP in CRC needs to be clarified by dry-lab analyses or wet-lab experiments. Methods The differential RBP gene obtained from the GEPIA 2 (Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2) were performed functional enrichment analysis. Then, the alternative splicing (AS) events related to survival were acquired by univariate regression analysis, and the correlation between RBP and AS was analyzed by R software. The online databases were conducted to analyze the mutation and methylation of RBPs in CRC. Moreover, 5 key RBP signatures were obtained through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis and established as RBP prognosis model. Subsequently, the above model was verified through another randomized group of TCGA CRC cohorts. Finally, multiple online databases and qRT-PCR analysis were carried to further confirm the expression of the above 5 RBP signatures in CRC. Results Through a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, it was revealed that RBPs had genetic and epigenetic changes in CRC. We obtained 300 differentially expressed RBPs in CRC samples. The functional analysis suggested that they mainly participated in spliceosome. Then, a regulatory network for RBP was established to participate in AS and DDX39B was detected to act as a potentially essential factor in the regulation of AS in CRC. Our analysis discovered that 11 differentially expressed RBPs with a mutation frequency higher than 5%. Furthermore, we found that 10 differentially expressed RBPs had methylation sites related to the prognosis of CRC, and a prognostic model was constructed by the 5 RBP signatures. In another randomized group of TCGA CRC cohorts, the prognostic performance of the 5 RBP signatures was verified. Conclusion The potential mechanisms that regulate the aberrant expression of RBPs in the development of CRC was explored, a network that regulated AS was established, and the RBP-related prognosis model was constructed and verified, which could improve the individualized prognosis prediction of CRC.