Gene

Fusion gene

Cancer

Pathology

Neuroscience

Prostate

Retina

TMPRSS2

Metastasis

Disease

Tumor progression

Prostate cancer

Angiogenesis

Oncogene

Cell cycle

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Cancer research

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Genetics

Medicine

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition

ETS transcription factor family

Transcription factor

Biology

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

The ETS-related gene (ERG) is proto-oncogene that is classified as a member of the ETS transcription factor family, which has been found to be consistently overexpressed in about half of the patients with clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa). The overexpression of ERG can mostly be attributed to the fusion of the ERG and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) genes, and this fusion is estimated to represent about 85% of all gene fusions observed in prostate cancer. Clinically, individuals with ERG gene fusion are mostly documented to have advanced tumor stages, increased mortality, and higher rates of metastasis in non-surgical cohorts. In the current review, we elucidate ERG’s molecular interaction with downstream genes and the pathways associated with PCa. Studies have documented that ERG plays a central role in PCa progression due to its ability to enhance tumor growth by promoting inflammatory and angiogenic responses. ERG has also been implicated in the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in PCa cells, which increases the ability of cancer cells to metastasize. In vivo, research has demonstrated that higher levels of ERG expression are involved with nuclear pleomorphism that prompts hyperplasia and the loss of cell polarity.

The Expression of Proto-Oncogene ETS-Related Gene (ERG) Plays a Central Role in the Oncogenic Mechanism Involved in the Development and Progression of Prostate Cancer