Integrative pan-cancer analysis reveals AARS2 as a lactylation-associated biomarker and therapeutic target in colon adenocarcinoma

TL;DR

This study identifies AARS2 as a key player in lactylation and immune evasion in colon cancer, suggesting it could be a new therapeutic target.

Contribution

AARS2 is newly identified as a lactylation-associated biomarker and potential therapeutic target in colon adenocarcinoma.

Findings

AARS2 is significantly upregulated in COAD and linked to poor clinical outcomes.

AARS2 knockdown reduces lactate accumulation and modulates immune-related gene expression.

AARS2 is enriched in malignant cells and associated with immunosuppressive features in the tumor microenvironment.

Abstract

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a lethal malignancy with a poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is pivotal in its development, within which lactate accumulation is a common metabolic hallmark. Lactylation, a novel post-translational modification driven by lactate, serves as a crucial link between tumor metabolism and immunosuppression. It plays multifaceted roles in promoting malignant progression, immune evasion, and chemoresistance. Therefore, systematically investigating lactylation and identifying its key mediators may yield novel therapeutic targets and strategies for COAD.

We performed an integrative multi-omics analysis of lactylation-related genes (LRGs) in COAD and pan-cancer cohorts, leveraging bulk RNA-seq, single-cell RNA-seq, and spatial transcriptomic data from public repositories including TCGA and GEO. A curated set of 160 LRGs was investigated using a multi-step machine learning framework, integrating Cox regression, time-dependent ROC analysis, and optimal risk stratification to construct robust prognostic signatures, which collectively identified AARS2 as a pivotal candidate. Subsequent multi-faceted oncogenic characterization of AARS2 encompassed its expression profiles, diagnostic and prognostic value, and associations with tumor microenvironment heterogeneity. To validate AARS2 at the protein level, we first interrogated the HPA database and subsequently confirmed its expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) on an independent cohort of clinical COAD specimens. To further elucidate AARS2’s functional role in COAD pathogenesis and its potential linkage to lactylation biology, in vitro validation was performed using the human COAD cell line HCT116. AARS2 expression was confirmed at both protein (Western blot) and mRNA (qRT-PCR) levels. qRT-PCR additionally quantified transcriptional changes in immune-related genes (CCL5, CXCL10, IFNB1), while extracellular lactate accumulation was measured to assess AARS2-associated metabolic alterations. All statistical analyses were performed in R, with a significance threshold of p < 0.05.

Integrative multi-omics analyses identified AARS2 as significantly upregulated in COAD and multiple malignancies, with elevated expression correlating with adverse clinical outcomes. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic profiling indicated predominant enrichment of AARS2 in malignant cell populations and association with immunosuppressive microenvironment features. Functional enrichment suggested potential involvement in epithelial–mesenchymal transition, hypoxia response, and cell cycle pathways. Immunohistochemical validation in clinical COAD specimens confirmed higher AARS2 protein levels in tumor tissues versus adjacent normal mucosa; concurrent elevation of cGAS protein was observed, though functional activity requires contextual interpretation. In vitro studies in HCT116 cells revealed that AARS2 knockdown reduced extracellular lactate accumulation and attenuated global protein lactylation. Concomitantly, transcriptional upregulation of cGAS–STING pathway-associated genes (CCL5, CXCL10, IFNB1) was observed following AARS2 silencing. These correlative findings suggest a potential nexus between AARS2, lactate metabolism, protein lactylation dynamics, and innate immune signaling modulation in COAD.

AARS2 correlates with lactylation dynamics, metabolic features, and immune modulation in COAD, suggesting a potential role in lactylation-associated cGAS–STING pathway regulation. These correlative observations warrant rigorous mechanistic validation to define causality and assess translational potential.

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