Integrative analysis of taurine metabolism-related genes prognostic signature with immunotherapy and identification of ABCB1 and GORASP1 as key genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Integrative analysis of taurine metabolism-related genes prognostic signature with immunotherapy and identification of ABCB1 and GORASP1 as key genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Integrative analysis of taurine metabolism-related genes prognostic signature with immunotherapy and identification of ABCB1 and GORASP1 as key genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma Zhang Feng, Yuhang Yang, Wenqi Luo, Jinqing Li, Zhenlian Xie, and 10 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5670198/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Apr, 2025 Read the published version in Amino Acids → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly aggressive malignancy prevalent in Southeast Asia and Southern China, and is characterized by a lack of effective early diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The 5-year survival rate of patients with advanced NPC remains dismally low (<40%). Therefore, the development of a novel predictive model for prognostic risk of NPC is of paramount importance. Methods: We integrated data from the Genecards, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases to identify differentially expressed genes associated with taurine metabolism in NPC patients. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG analyses were conducted to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Subsequently, Cox regression and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression analyses were performed to construct a taurine metabolism-related prognostic signature. Survival, medication sensitivity, and immunological microenvironment evaluations were performed to assess the prognostic utility of the model. Finally, immunohistochemistry (IHC) experiments were performed to validate the model’s prognostic reliability. Results: Our prognostic model was based on three pivotal taurine metabolism-related genes (TMRGs) ( ABCB1, GORASP1 , and EZH2 ). Functional analysis revealed a strong association between TMRGs and miRNAs in cancer. Notably, increased risk scores correlated with worsening tumor malignancy and prognosis. Significant disparities in immune microenvironment, immune checkpoints, and drug sensitivity were observed between the high- and low-risk groups. The protein expression patterns of the selected genes in clinical NPC samples were validated using immunohistochemistry. Conclusions: A taurine metabolism-related prognostic model for NPC was established based on three genes that effectively predicted the prognosis and response to immunotherapy in patients with NPC. This model offers the potential for improved NPC management. Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma taurine metabolism prognosis immune microenvironment drug sensitivity prediction ABCB1 GORASP1 Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files S1.xlsx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Apr, 2025 Read the published version in Amino Acids → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 17 Feb, 2025 Reviews received at journal 13 Feb, 2025 Reviews received at journal 16 Jan, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Jan, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Jan, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 13 Jan, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 19 Dec, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 19 Dec, 2024 First submitted to journal 18 Dec, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5670198","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":392536601,"identity":"29c29806-ecea-4f5c-a667-ad1b1e2f1719","order_by":0,"name":"Zhang Feng","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhang","middleName":"","lastName":"Feng","suffix":""},{"id":392536604,"identity":"ecea947b-ea30-4437-b167-625acb1d874e","order_by":1,"name":"Yuhang Yang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuhang","middleName":"","lastName":"Yang","suffix":""},{"id":392536606,"identity":"e8a0f1eb-5a70-41ba-9f2b-f9345ae8e477","order_by":2,"name":"Wenqi Luo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wenqi","middleName":"","lastName":"Luo","suffix":""},{"id":392536607,"identity":"3e5ad3ac-9183-48b7-bb83-a3948b290fd4","order_by":3,"name":"Jinqing Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jinqing","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":392536608,"identity":"a20e9ee4-c0fa-459f-aff5-5102c202a7f4","order_by":4,"name":"Zhenlian Xie","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Pingnan County People's Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhenlian","middleName":"","lastName":"Xie","suffix":""},{"id":392536609,"identity":"c4193498-9385-47c7-82f2-670c1d681a27","order_by":5,"name":"Long Zuo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Long","middleName":"","lastName":"Zuo","suffix":""},{"id":392536610,"identity":"682ce8f0-f012-4bb0-89a1-42342e9d876c","order_by":6,"name":"Meijiao Duan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Meijiao","middleName":"","lastName":"Duan","suffix":""},{"id":392536611,"identity":"2984d587-4804-4312-b554-6ec0439e116c","order_by":7,"name":"Dongzhi Zuo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Dongzhi","middleName":"","lastName":"Zuo","suffix":""},{"id":392536612,"identity":"5ed9c26d-8420-4730-8ead-424952321838","order_by":8,"name":"Ruwei MO","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ruwei","middleName":"","lastName":"MO","suffix":""},{"id":392536614,"identity":"7b9ed471-777a-4cf7-b096-d5ca6db34e7f","order_by":9,"name":"Xuejing Tang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xuejing","middleName":"","lastName":"Tang","suffix":""},{"id":392536616,"identity":"52d963fc-819a-4792-b752-2e7452bab141","order_by":10,"name":"Shijiang Yi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shijiang","middleName":"","lastName":"Yi","suffix":""},{"id":392536618,"identity":"f20618d7-2de5-4a5f-a899-a8a4cc066977","order_by":11,"name":"Xiaosong He","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiaosong","middleName":"","lastName":"He","suffix":""},{"id":392536619,"identity":"70a9f373-0f7d-48ed-b23e-85002074cd4f","order_by":12,"name":"Fangxian Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fangxian","middleName":"","lastName":"Liu","suffix":""},{"id":392536621,"identity":"956cdf8b-fd35-4862-9502-d22cd50ec12b","order_by":13,"name":"Ning Ma","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Suzuka University of Medical Science","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ning","middleName":"","lastName":"Ma","suffix":""},{"id":392536624,"identity":"6f475f45-0d87-445a-bf98-e4f58d23471a","order_by":14,"name":"Feng He","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABFklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwbGB0BKQo6fvbHxQQKPDZDD3MDAcACfFmYDIGVhLNlz+LDBB5k0BgY2RqK0VCRuuJGWJjjD5jBhLebszYyPC35JJM7sOWPGzJNzXs7gPtCFH84wyPOLYddn2XOY2Xhmn4RxP3uP2WOeM7eNDY4xNhvOuMFgOHN2AnaH3cg/Js3bIyELtMXcmLfnduKGY4xt0jwfGBIMbuPQcv8x+2+gFsYNN3LMpHn/nSNCyw1mNmaeHxKKIO9LzuA5ANVyA4+WM8nM0rwNEtBA5kk2ljyWCPTLGQncfjl+mPEzz586WFTayfEdPnzwwYdjNvL80ti1gAFjG6aYBG7lYPCHgPwoGAWjYBSMbAAA85Ro/BcJt1gAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Feng","middleName":"","lastName":"He","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-12-18 14:08:33","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5670198/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5670198/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-025-03452-7","type":"published","date":"2025-04-24T15:56:55+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":81569497,"identity":"35622b86-5765-4d4f-b111-ecb8799c2fea","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-28 16:02:21","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1245623,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"TMRGs.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5670198/v1_covered_f0711f11-4577-45b1-ace2-4286de4ac919.pdf"},{"id":72130068,"identity":"cc9a8945-9570-4ea5-bd86-251dd858db21","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-12-23 04:07:57","extension":"xlsx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":17574,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"S1.xlsx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5670198/v1/d45aa232fc3d9ba2d2d474f6.xlsx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Integrative analysis of taurine metabolism-related genes prognostic signature with immunotherapy and identification of ABCB1 and GORASP1 as key genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"amino-acids","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"amac","sideBox":"Learn more about [Amino Acids](http://link.springer.com/journal/726)","snPcode":"726","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/726/3","title":"Amino Acids","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, taurine metabolism, prognosis, immune microenvironment, drug sensitivity prediction, ABCB1, GORASP1","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5670198/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5670198/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eBackground: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly aggressive malignancy prevalent in Southeast Asia and Southern China, and is characterized by a lack of effective early diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The 5-year survival rate of patients with advanced NPC remains dismally low (\u0026lt;40%). Therefore, the development of a novel predictive model for prognostic risk of NPC is of paramount importance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMethods: We integrated data from the Genecards, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases to identify differentially expressed genes associated with taurine metabolism in NPC patients. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG analyses were conducted to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Subsequently, Cox regression and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression analyses were performed to construct a taurine metabolism-related prognostic signature. Survival, medication sensitivity, and immunological microenvironment evaluations were performed to assess the prognostic utility of the model. Finally, immunohistochemistry (IHC) experiments were performed to validate the model’s prognostic reliability.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResults: Our prognostic model was based on three pivotal taurine metabolism-related genes (TMRGs) (\u003cem\u003eABCB1, GORASP1\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eEZH2\u003c/em\u003e). Functional analysis revealed a strong association between TMRGs and miRNAs in cancer. Notably, increased risk scores correlated with worsening tumor malignancy and prognosis. Significant disparities in immune microenvironment, immune checkpoints, and drug sensitivity were observed between the high- and low-risk groups. The protein expression patterns of the selected genes in clinical NPC samples were validated using immunohistochemistry.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConclusions: A taurine metabolism-related prognostic model for NPC was established based on three genes that effectively predicted the prognosis and response to immunotherapy in patients with NPC. This model offers the potential for improved NPC management.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Integrative analysis of taurine metabolism-related genes prognostic signature with immunotherapy and identification of ABCB1 and GORASP1 as key genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-12-23 04:07:52","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5670198/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-02-17T07:33:57+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-02-13T09:18:00+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-01-17T00:38:21+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"338605857180104938048983966702871040586","date":"2025-01-14T08:19:17+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"34857019613128968379823239437672040187","date":"2025-01-14T08:08:21+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-01-13T11:56:10+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-12-19T19:42:56+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2024-12-19T15:45:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Amino Acids","date":"2024-12-18T13:52:48+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"amino-acids","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"amac","sideBox":"Learn more about [Amino Acids](http://link.springer.com/journal/726)","snPcode":"726","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/726/3","title":"Amino Acids","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"ae5b8786-09ca-4a2f-ab4f-765ed6a5b975","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 23rd, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-04-28T15:58:48+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-5670198","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-025-03452-7","journal":{"identity":"amino-acids","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Amino Acids"},"publishedOn":"2025-04-24 15:56:55","publishedOnDateReadable":"April 24th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-12-23 04:07:52","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s00726-025-03452-7","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-025-03452-7","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-5670198","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-5670198","identity":"rs-5670198","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}