5’tiRNA-Pro-TGG, a novel tRNA halve, promotes oncogenesis in sessile serrated lesions and serrated pathway of colorectal cancer

Figure 3 Validation for the discrepant expression levels of 5′transfer RNA halves. A: Heatmap of the expression levels of six differently expressed 5′transfer RNA halves (tiRNAs) in sessile serrated lesions (SSLs) vs normal control (NC). B: Volcano chart of transfer RNA-related fragments (tRFs) and tiRNAs. Red/blue circles indicate statistically significant differentially expressed tRFs and tiRNAs with the absolute log2 (fold change) of no < 1.5 and a P value ≤ 0.05 (red: Upregulated; blue: Downregulated). Gray circles indicate nondifferentially expressed tRFs and tiRNAs, with fold changes and/or P values not meeting the cutoff thresholds. C-G: qRT-polymerase chain reaction for the validation of five upregulated 5′tiRNAs in 16 paired SSLs and NC tissues. All data were analyzed using paired Student′s t-test. The asterisk indicates a significant difference between the two groups (^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001). NS: Not significant; SSLs: Sessile serrated lesions; NC: Normal control; tRF: Transfer RNA-related fragment; tiRNA: Transfer RNA halves.