Pilot Transcriptomic Profiling of Canine Oral Melanoma Reveals Conserved Oncogenic Pathways and Uncharacterized Molecular Signatures.

backgroundCanine oral melanoma (COM) is an aggressive and often fatal neoplasm in dogs, with clinical and molecular similarities to human melanoma. Despite its relevance as a comparative oncology model, the molecular mechanisms underlying COM remain poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize gene expression profiles in COM to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), potential biomarkers, and therapeutic targets.

methodsIn this pilot study, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on tumor and healthy oral tissue samples from dogs. Two independent analytical pipelines-Bowtie2-DESeq2 and HISAT-StringTie-Ballgown-were used to ensure robustness in DEG detection. We also conducted pathway enrichment and isoform-level analyses to investigate biological processes and alternative splicing events.

resultsBoth approaches identified a core set of 929 common DEGs. Key oncogenic pathways, including MAPK/ERK and cell cycle regulation, were significantly affected, with notable upregulation of BRAF, NRAS, CDK4, and MITF (log2FC = 2.86,

conclusionsOur findings provide new insights into the molecular landscape of COM, reinforcing its utility as a model for human melanoma. The identification of conserved oncogenic pathways and novel transcript variants opens avenues for further functional studies and the development of targeted therapies in both veterinary and human oncology.