tRNAs as Biomarkers and Regulators for Breast Cancer

tRNA reads mRNA codons in translation and is essential for protein synthesis. Like mRNA, tRNAs are also under stringent cellular control. Our proposal aims to determine the feasibility of using tRNA expression as biomarkers for breast cancer type and progression, and how tRNAs are used to regulate gene expression in breast cancer cells. We found that the expression of both nuclear and mitochondrial-encoded tRNAs can be useful as possible biomarkers for breast cancer. Furthermore, tRNA expression also correlates in some way to certain groups of breast cancer related genes. These results demonstrate that studies of tRNA and breast cancer biology will be useful in understanding breast cancer type and progression and may lead to new drug targets for breast cancer treatment.