APOBEC3A suppresses cervical cancer via apoptosis.

{"sci_version": "1.2", "schema": "https://corpus.bntrg.co.uk/sci/1.0/sci.schema.json", "id": "pmid:38021159", "kind": "science-record", "revision": 4, "content_hash": "sha256:dc10fe9555ec23d01d1ccfdc0855445b77d7c1878365a5a7f1442f2f85d3fd85", "created_at": "2026-11-01T19:02:56Z", "updated_at": "2026-11-01T22:53:10Z", "generator": {"name": "corpus-assay-engine", "run_id": "reading-sci-2026-11-01"}, "paper": {"state": "complete", "title": "APOBEC3A suppresses cervical cancer via apoptosis.", "doi": "10.7150/jca.89044", "pmid": "38021159", "authors": ["Zishuai Li", "Haiwei He", "Xiangyu Ren", "Yifan Chen", "Wenbin Liu", "Rui Pu", "Letian Fang", "Yiwei Shi", "Donghong Liu", "Jiayi Zhao", "Zheyun Niu", "Mingjuan Xu", "Guangwen Cao"], "journal": "Journal of Cancer", "year": 2023, "abstract": "Background: Family members of Apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic 3 (APOBEC3) play critical roles in cancer evolution and development. However, the role of APOBEC3A in cervical cancer remains to be clarified. Methods: We used bioinformatics to investigate APOBEC3A expression and outcomes using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) dataset, GTEx, and GSE7803. Immunohistochemistry was then used to identify APOBEC3A's expression pattern. We performed Cell Counting Kit-8, wound-healing, Transwell, and flow cytometry assays to measure proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, respectively, using the SiHa and HeLa cell lines transfected with APOBEC3A. BALB/c nude mice were used to investigate the effects of APOBEC3A in vivo. The phosphorylated gamma-H2AX staining assay was applied to measure DNA damage. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was applied to explore APOBEC3A-related signaling pathways. Results: APOBEC3A was more significantly expressed in cancer tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. Higher expression of APOBEC3A was associated with better outcomes in TCGA-CESC and GTEx. Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of APOBEC3A was significantly higher in cancer tissues than in normal tissues. Transfection experiments showed that APOBEC3A inhibited proliferation, upregulated S-phase cells, inhibited migration and invasion, induced DNA damage, and promoted apoptosis. Overexpression of APOBEC3A inhibited tumor formation in the mouse model. RNA-seq analysis showed that ectopic expression of APOBEC3A inhibited several cancer-associated signaling pathways. Conclusions: APOBEC3A is significantly upregulated in cervical cancer, and higher expression of APOBEC3A is associated with better outcomes. APOBEC3A is a tumor suppressor whose overexpression induces apoptosis in cervical cancer.", "claims": [{"id": "claim-method", "statement": "The Student's t-test was used to determine differences in continuous variables, while the chi-square test was used to evaluate differences in categorical variables.", "kind": "methodological", "target": null, "evidence": [{"asset": "source:pmid:38021159", "locator": "sections[13] \"Statistical analysis\" paragraph 2", "quote": "The Student's t-test was used to determine differences in continuous variables, while the chi-square test was used to evaluate differences in categorical variables."}], "state": "complete"}, {"id": "claim-data-access", "statement": "The raw data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.", "kind": "methodological", "target": null, "evidence": [{"asset": "source:pmid:38021159", "locator": "sections[23] \"Availability of data and materials\" paragraph 2", "quote": "The raw data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request."}], "state": "complete"}, {"id": "claim-target-result", "statement": "APOBEC3A and UNG expression levels were significantly higher in cervical cancer than in adjacent normal tissues, according to TCGA and GTEx (P < 0.001, Figures 1A and B).", "kind": "quantitative", "target": {"value": 0.001, "unit": "p-value", "tolerance": null, "source": "APOBEC3A and UNG expression levels were significantly higher in cervical cancer than in adjacent normal tissues, according to TCGA and GTEx (P < 0.001, Figures 1A and B)."}, "evidence": [{"asset": "source:pmid:38021159", "locator": "sections[15] \"APOBEC3A is significantly upregulated in cervical cancer, and higher expression of APOBEC3A is associated with better outcomes\" paragraph 2", "quote": "APOBEC3A and UNG expression levels were significantly higher in cervical cancer than in adjacent normal tissues, according to TCGA and GTEx (P < 0.001, Figures 1A and B)."}], "state": "complete"}], "gaps": []}, "experiment": {"state": "partial", "objective": "APOBEC3A and UNG expression levels were significantly higher in cervical cancer than in adjacent normal tissues, according to TCGA and GTEx (P < 0.001, Figures 1A and B).", "steps": [{"id": "read_published_estimate", "order": 1, "name": "Read the published estimate from the source", "kind": "other", "state": "complete", "blocked_on": null, "description": "The claim, method and evidence span published with the source article.", "duration_hours": null, "parameters": {}, "inputs": ["source:pmid:38021159"], "outputs": ["the published estimate and its evidence"], "instruments": [], "reagents": []}, {"id": "obtain_source_data", "order": 2, "name": "Obtain the source data from the named repository", "kind": "data-preparation", "state": "complete", "blocked_on": null, "description": "The GEO series accession resolves and its sample accessions are listed. 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Overexpression of APOBEC3A inhibited tumor", "umor suppressor whose overexpression induces apoptosis in cervical cancer."], "order_basis": "paper_text_order:0", "id": "assay:1"}, {"role": "data_generation", "definition_id": "ihc", "definition_version": "99e1195c7d6f", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": [], "support_state": "partial", "source_hashes": {"assay_lexicon": "99e1195c7d6f"}, "confidence": 0.99, "evidence": ["carcinoma (CESC) dataset, GTEx, and GSE7803. Immunohistochemistry was then used to identify APOBEC3A's express", "with better outcomes in TCGA-CESC and GTEx. Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of APOBEC3A was s"], "order_basis": "paper_text_order:443", "id": "assay:2"}, {"role": "data_generation", "definition_id": "flow_cytometry", "definition_version": "99e1195c7d6f", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": [], "support_state": "partial", "source_hashes": {"assay_lexicon": "99e1195c7d6f"}, "confidence": 0.93, "evidence": ["ounting Kit-8, wound-healing, Transwell, and flow cytometry assays to measure proliferation, migration,"], "order_basis": "paper_text_order:585", "id": "assay:3"}, {"role": "data_generation", "definition_id": "cell_culture", "definition_version": "99e1195c7d6f", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": [], "support_state": "partial", "source_hashes": {"assay_lexicon": "99e1195c7d6f"}, "confidence": 0.99, "evidence": ["apoptosis, respectively, using the SiHa and HeLa cell lines transfected with APOBEC3A. BALB/c", "hanghai, China). HeLa and HEK293T cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) (B", "Media, Shanghai, China), and SiHa cells were cultured in Minimum Essential Medium (GIBCO, Grand Islan", "erials and Methods Cell culture and plasmids HeLa, SiHa, and HEK293T cells were purchased from"], "order_basis": "paper_text_order:703", "id": "assay:4"}, {"role": "data_generation", "definition_id": "transfection", "definition_version": "99e1195c7d6f", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": [], "support_state": "partial", "source_hashes": {"assay_lexicon": "99e1195c7d6f"}, "confidence": 0.99, "evidence": ["ectively, using the SiHa and HeLa cell lines transfected with APOBEC3A. BALB/c nude mice were used to", "er in cancer tissues than in normal tissues. Transfection experiments showed that APOBEC3A inhibited p", "A expressing and empty control plasmids were transfected using a Lipofectamine 3000 kit (Invitrogen,", "A-expressing and empty control plasmids were transfected into HEK293T cells with the MD2G packaging p"], "order_basis": "paper_text_order:718", "id": "assay:5"}, {"role": "data_generation", "definition_id": "animal_model", "definition_version": "99e1195c7d6f", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": [], "support_state": "partial", "source_hashes": {"assay_lexicon": "99e1195c7d6f"}, "confidence": 0.99, "evidence": ["lines transfected with APOBEC3A. BALB/c nude mice were used to investigate the effects of APOBEC3A", "of APOBEC3A inhibited tumor formation in the mouse model. RNA-seq analysis showed that ectopic expres", "used to investigate the effects of APOBEC3A in vivo. The phosphorylated gamma-H2AX staining assa", "ession of APOBEC3A inhibited tumor formation in the mouse model. RNA-seq analysis showed that ectopic"], "order_basis": "paper_text_order:757", "id": "assay:6"}, {"role": "data_generation", "definition_id": "rna_seq", "definition_version": "99e1195c7d6f", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": [], "support_state": "partial", "source_hashes": {"assay_lexicon": "99e1195c7d6f"}, "confidence": 0.99, "evidence": ["plied to measure DNA damage. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was applied to explore APOBEC3A-related sig", "nhibited tumor formation in the mouse model. RNA-seq analysis showed that ectopic expression of A", "ing assay was applied to measure DNA damage. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was applied to explore APOBEC3A-re", "aluate differences in categorical variables. 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