Table 2.
Overview of the selected differentially expressed genes between the cell-lineage based groups of PitNETs
| Gene | Function | Differential expression |
|---|---|---|
| ZBTB49 | Tumor suppressor gene |
TPIT versus PIT1 TPIT versus SF1 |
| RALGAPA2 | Tumor suppressor gene |
TPIT versus PIT1 TPIT versus SF1 |
| NNAT | Regulation of ion channels during development of pituitary gland and brain; Enriched expression pattern in adult pituitary gland, brain and placenta |
TPIT versus PIT1 TPIT versus SF1 |
| CACNA2D | Potentially druggable cancer-related gene in prostate carcinoma [55] |
TPIT versus PIT1 TPIT versus SF1 |
| SLC39A8 (ZIP8) | Both an anti-oncogenic and pro-oncogenic role; downregulated in breast cancer cells compared to the normal tissue [24]; upregulated in neuroblastoma cells [33] |
TPIT versus PIT1 TPIT versus SF1 |
| ELN | Tumor promoting gene, related to the process of EMT [22, 52] |
TPIT versus PIT1 TPIT versus SF1 |
| KRT8 | Tumor promoting gene, related to the process of EMT [22, 52] | TPIT versus PIT1 versus SF1 |
| RASA4 | Increased proliferation and apoptosis resistance, a potential therapeutic target in triple-negative breast cancer [54] | TPIT versus PIT1 |
| FKBP10* | Overexpression in gliomas [7], metastatic gastric carcinoma [16] and lung carcinoma; potential therapeutic target |
PIT1 versus SF1 PIT1 versus TPIT |
| SLC44A3 | Potential protective role; prognostic marker in uveal melanoma [29] |
PIT1 versus SF1 PIT1versus TPIT |
| ASAP2 | EGFR signaling pathway activator; can be targeted by an antiparasitic drug [15] | PIT1 versus TPIT |
| IGSF1* | PIT1 cells differentiation and hormone regulation; cell proliferation and apoptosis in thyroid cancer [17] | PIT1 versus SF1 |
| ERRFI1 | Negative prognostic factor; potential therapeutic target in pancreatic carcinoma [25] |
TPIT versus SF1 PIT1 versus SF1 |
| USP53 | Tumor suppressor gene |
TPIT versus SF1 PIT1 versus SF1 |
| CIB2 | Tumor suppressor gene |
TPIT versus PIT1 SF1 versus PIT1 |
| SERPINF1 | Enhanced expression in retina; strong inhibitor of angiogenesis; neurotrophic protein; tumor suppressor gene |
TPIT versus PIT1 SF1 versus PIT1 |
| TAC4 | Promoter of cell migration in gliomas, melanomas and breast adenocarcinomas [5] |
TPIT versus PIT1 SF1 versus PIT1 |
| FAIM2 | Potential neuroendocrine marker; potential therapeutic target in small cell lung carcinoma [18] | SF1 versus PIT1 |
| IDH1* | A mitochondrial enzyme; well-known cancer associated gene |
SF1 versus. PIT1 SF1 versus TPIT |
*Concordance between protein and gene expression demonstrated using IHC as shown in Fig. 4d