摘要：SummaryHigh secretion of the metabolites citrate and spermine is a unique hallmark for normal prostate epithelial cells, and is reduced in aggressive prostate cancer. However, the identity of the genes controlling this biological process is mostly unknown. In this study, we have created a gene signature of 150 genes connected to citrate and spermine secretion in the prostate. We have computationally integrated metabolic measurements with multiple transcriptomics datasets from the public domain, including 3826 tissue samples from prostate and prostate cancer. The accuracy of the signature is validated by its unique enrichment in prostate samples and prostate epithelial tissue compartments. The signature highlights genesAZGP1,ANPEPand metallothioneins with zinc-binding properties not previously studied in the prostate, and the expression of these genes are reduced in more aggressive cancer lesions. However, the absence of signature enrichment in common prostate model systems can make it challenging to study these genes mechanistically.Graphical abstractDisplay OmittedHighlights•Novel 150 gene signature reflecting prostatic citrate and spermine secretion•Identified several zinc-binding proteins not previously investigated in the prostate•The signature is absent in prostate model systemsBioinformatics; Cancer; Transcriptomics
