The expression of RNA-binding proteins and their interaction with the spliced pre-mRNA are the key factors in determining the final isoform profile. Transmembrane protein CD44 is involved in differentiation, invasion, motility, growth and survival of tumor cells, and is also a commonly accepted marker of cancer stem cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. However, the functions of the isoforms of this protein differ significantly. In this paper, we developed a method based on the boosted beta regression algorithm for identification of the significant RNA-binding proteins in the splicing process by modeling the isoform ratio. The application of this method to the analysis of CD44 splicing in colorectal cancer cells revealed 20 significant RNA-binding proteins. Many of them were previously shown as EMT regulators, but for the first time presented as potential CD44 splicing factors.
Keywords: CD44; CRC; RNA-binding proteins; RNA-seq; TCGA; alternative splicing; boosted beta regression.
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