Role of KLF7 Gene in the Pathogenesis of Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer remains a significant global health concern, constituting around 12% of all cancer incidences worldwide, affecting millions of women and posing substantial challenges to both patients and healthcare providers. KLF7 is zinc-finger like protein, has emerged as a promising candidate in the context of cancer research due to its significance in regulating gene expression and cellular processes. In this study, Alpha Fold was used for the 3-D structure prediction of KLF7. DynaMut, MUpro, and Maestro were utilized for estimating the impact SNPs on the stability of protein. Hope and MutPred2 highlighted significant structural and functional impacts of the mutations. Molecular dynamics (MD) Simulations were employed to elucidate the conformational behavior and dynamics properties of protein KLF7. Finally, genotype analysis was performed to investigate the association between breast cancer and KLF7. This study identifies, for the first time, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs941470359 of KLF7gene that significantly decreases protein stability and contributes to the induction of breast cancer. The results of MD simulations, which include RMSD, RMSF, and Rg, confirmed significant differences between the mutant and XXIII wild-type proteins. Furthermore, genotype analysis, supported by OR and RR values of 2.584 and 1.587, respectively, demonstrated a substantial correlation between the homozygous wild-type genotype (CC) and incidence of breast cancer. These results highlight the pathogenic potential of rs941470359 in breast cancer progression and suggests that further investigation into the role of KLF7 in breast cancer could lead to significant advancements in understanding cancer research, timely diagnosis and developing targeted therapeutic strategies.