Identification of WTAP-related genes by weighted gene co-expression network analysis in ovarian cancer

Abstract Background : WTAP modulating other genes in the manner of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, in particular, acting as a N6-methyladenosine writer or binding to the 3’-untranslated region of mRNA, promotes a variety of tumors. However, its roles and mechanisms in ovarian cancer are unknown. Results : In this study, using univariate Cox analysis and online CPTA analysis, we found that WTAP was a poor prognostic factor for ovarian cancer and its protein expression level was higher in ovarian cancer compared to normal tissue. Subsequently, we identified a module containing 133 genes that were carefully related to WTAP expression through weighted gene co-expression network analysis. By calculating hazard ratio of these genes and comparing their differences in the WTAP high-expression group and the low-expression group, we noticed there was a significantly positive correlation between WTAP and two poor survival-related genes: FAM76A and HBS1L. Conclusion : Our research suggests that the WTAP-HBS1L / FAM76A axis may play an essential role in ovarian cancer progression and provide new ideas for ovarian cancer research.