Fatty acid metabolism prognostic signature predicts tumor immune microenvironment and immunotherapy, and identifies tumorigenic role of MOGAT2 in lung adenocarcinoma

Background Aberrant fatty acid metabolism (FAM) plays a critical role in the tumorigenesis of human malignancies. However, studies on its impact in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are limited. Methods We developed a prognostic signature comprising 10 FAM-related genes (GPR115, SOAT2, CDH17, MOGAT2, COL11A1, TCN1, LGR5, SLC34A2, RHOV, and DKK1) using data from LUAD patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). This signature was validated using six independent LUAD datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Patients were classified into high- and low-risk groups, and overall survival (OS) was compared by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The signature’s independence as a prognostic indicator was assessed after adjusting for clinicopathological features. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis validated the signature. Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) was analyzed using ESTIMATE and multiple deconvolution algorithms. Functional assays, including CCK8, cell cycle, apoptosis, transwell, and wound healing assays, were performed on MOGAT2-silenced H1299 cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Results Low-risk group patients exhibited decreased OS. The signature was an independent prognostic indicator and demonstrated strong risk-stratification utility for disease relapse/progression. ROC analysis confirmed the signature’s validity across validation sets. TIME analysis revealed higher infiltration of CD8+ T cells, natural killers, and B cells, and lower tumor purity, stemness index, and tumor mutation burden (TMB) in low-risk patients. These patients also showed elevated T cell receptor richness and diversity, along with reduced immune cell senescence. High-risk patients exhibited enrichment in pathways related to resistance to immune checkpoint blockades, such as DNA repair, hypoxia, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and the G2M checkpoint. LUAD patients receiving anti-PD-1 treatment had lower risk scores among responders compared to non-responders. MOGAT2 was expressed at higher levels in low-risk LUAD patients. Functional assays revealed that MOGAT2 knockdown in H1299 cells promoted proliferation and migration, induced G2 cell cycle arrest, and decreased apoptosis. Conclusions This FAM-related gene signature provides a valuable tool for prognostic stratification and monitoring of TIME and immunotherapy responses in LUAD. MOGAT2 is identified as a potential anti-tumor regulator, offering new insights into its role in LUAD pathogenesis.