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Biomolecules
Special Issues
Genetics and Epigenetics of Breast Cancer
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Genetics and Epigenetics of Breast Cancer

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 483

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ashakumary Lakshmikuttyamma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jefferson College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Interests: breast cancer; tumor suppressor genes; epigenetics; natural products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Breast cancer is a complex and multifaceted disease influenced by a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors. Understanding these factors is crucial for developing effective prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies. Genetics plays a significant role in breast cancer, with mutations in genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 being well-known contributors to hereditary breast cancer. Further, other genes, including TP53, PTEN, BARD1, PALB2, and ATM, contribute to the genetic risk of breast cancer. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA regulation, can also influence the behavior of breast cancer cells and their response to treatment. These changes can be triggered by environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and even aging, adding another layer of complexity to breast cancer biology. The interplay between genetic mutations and epigenetic modifications shapes the risk, onset, and progression of breast cancer. Thus, genetics and epigenetics studies aim to discover new biomarkers for early detection, identify novel therapeutic targets, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Ashakumary Lakshmikuttyamma
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • breast cancer
  • genetic landscape
  • epigenetics
  • diagnostic/prognostic/predictive biomarkers

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 2450 KiB  
Article
Interaction Between PHF8 and a Segment of KDM2A, Which Is Controlled by the Phosphorylation Status at a Specific Serine in an Intrinsically Disordered Region of KDM2A, Regulates rRNA Transcription and Cell Proliferation in a Breast Cancer Cell Line
by Kengo Okamoto, Yutaro Mihara, Sachiko Ogasawara, Takashi Murakami, Sinya Ohmori, Tetsuya Mori, Toshiyuki Umata, Yuki Kawasaki, Kazuya Hirano, Hirohisa Yano and Makoto Tsuneoka
Biomolecules 2025, 15(5), 661; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15050661 - 2 May 2025
Viewed by 210
Abstract
Mild starvation due to low concentrations of an inhibitor of glycolysis, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and lysine-specific demethylase 2A (KDM2A) to reduce rRNA transcription and cell proliferation in breast cancer cells. However, the mechanisms of how AMPK regulates KDM2A are unknown. [...] Read more.
Mild starvation due to low concentrations of an inhibitor of glycolysis, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and lysine-specific demethylase 2A (KDM2A) to reduce rRNA transcription and cell proliferation in breast cancer cells. However, the mechanisms of how AMPK regulates KDM2A are unknown. Here, we found that PHD finger protein 8 (PHF8) interacted with KDM2A and contributed to the reduction in rRNA transcription and cell proliferation by 2-deoxy-D-glucose in a breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. We analyzed how KDM2A bound PHF8 in detail and found that PHF8 interacted with KDM2A via two regions of KDM2A. One of the regions contained an intrinsically disordered region (IDR). IDRs can show rapidly switchable protein–protein interactions. Deletion of the PHF8-binding region activated KDM2A to reduce rRNA transcription, and 2-deoxy-D-glucose reduced the interaction between PHF8 and the KDM2A fragment containing the PHF8-binding region. A 2-deoxy-D-glucose or AMPK activator dephosphorylated KDM2A at Ser731, which is located on the N-terminal side of the PHF8-binding region. Replacement of Ser731 by Ala decreased binding of PHF8 to the KDM2A fragment that contains the PHF8-binding region and Ser731 and reduced rRNA transcription and cell proliferation. These results suggest that the mode of interaction between KDM2A and PHF8 is regulated via dephosphorylation of KDM2A through AMPK to control rRNA transcription, and control of the phosphorylation state of Ser731 would be a novel target for breast cancer therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics and Epigenetics of Breast Cancer)
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