USF1
Overview
USF1 (upstream transcription factor 1) encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor with broad roles in metabolism, lipid homeostasis, and cell-cycle regulation. In prostate cancer, USF1 preferentially binds the risk A allele of GWAS SNP rs4519489 at 2p25, transactivating NOL10 and driving an oncogenic cell-cycle (E2F/G2M) gene-expression program.
Alterations observed in the corpus
- Basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that preferentially binds the A allele of rs4519489 and transactivates NOL10; overexpression in PRAD tracks with advanced stage, lymph-node positivity, Gleason, and BCR; knockdown phenocopies NOL10 loss in proliferation and xenograft assays PMID:28927585
Cancer types (linked)
- Prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD): USF1 overexpression correlates with advanced stage, lymph-node metastasis, Gleason score, and biochemical recurrence across multiple cohorts including CPGEA, TCGA, MSKCC, DKFZ PMID:28927585
Co-occurrence and mutual exclusivity
- Highly co-expressed with NOL10 across prostate cancer cohorts; combined high-NOL10 + high-USF1 expression outperforms either marker alone in time-dependent ROC for 1–10 year survival PMID:28927585
Therapeutic relevance
- The rs4519489-USF1-NOL10 axis is proposed as a candidate therapeutic target: degrading USF1 or NOL10 could blunt E2F/G2M cell-cycle drive in A-allele-carrying prostate tumors; no drug or clinical trial reported (preclinical hypothesis only) PMID:28927585
Open questions
- Genome-wide USF1 ChIP-seq is not reported; direct downstream NOL10 effectors (ribosome biogenesis, specific TFs, or non-canonical mechanisms) are not pinpointed PMID:28927585
- Whether USF1 inhibition would have acceptable on-target toxicity given its broad metabolic roles is open PMID:28927585
Sources
This page was processed by crosslinker on 2026-05-15.