A Novel Nomenclature for Repeat Motifs in the Thymidylate Synthase Enhancer Region and Its Relevance for Pharmacogenetic Studies

Publication

A Novel Nomenclature for Repeat Motifs in the Thymidylate Synthase Enhancer Region and Its Relevance for Pharmacogenetic Studies

Journal Paper/Review - Oct 19, 2020

Schaerer Dominic, Froehlich Tanja K, Hamzic Seid, Offer Steven M, Diasio Robert B, Jörger Markus, Amstutz Ursula, Largiadèr Carlo R

Citation

Schaerer D, Froehlich T, Hamzic S, Offer S, Diasio R, Jörger M, Amstutz U, Largiadèr C. A Novel Nomenclature for Repeat Motifs in the Thymidylate Synthase Enhancer Region and Its Relevance for Pharmacogenetic Studies. J Pers Med 2020; 10

Type

Journal Paper/Review (English)

Journal

J Pers Med 2020; 10

Publication Date

Oct 19, 2020

Issn Print

2075-4426

Brief description/objective

Inhibition of thymidylate synthase (TS) is the primary mode of action for 5-fluorouracil (5FU) chemotherapy. TS expression is modulated by a variable number of tandem repeats in the TS enhancer region (TSER) located upstream of the TS gene (). Variability in the TSER has been suggested to contribute to 5FU-induced adverse events. However, the precise genetic associations remain largely undefined due to high polymorphism and ambiguity in defining genotypes. To assess toxicity associations, we sequenced the TSER in 629 cancer patients treated with 5FU. Of the 13 alleles identified, few could be unambiguously named using current TSER-nomenclature. We devised a concise and unambiguous systematic naming approach for TSER-alleles that encompasses all known variants. After applying this comprehensive naming system to our data, we demonstrated that the number of upstream stimulatory factor (USF1-)binding sites in the TSER was significantly associated with gastrointestinal toxicity in 5FU treatment.