Anoctamin 7 (ANO7), a member of the transmembrane protein TMEM16 family, has a conserved eight-transmembrane domain topology. It functions as an ion channel and may also act as a scramblase. ANO7 is associated with human physiology and pathology, especially in prostate cancer [1].

In prostate cancer, studies on human samples have shown that ANO7 genotypes correlate with expression and biochemical relapse. Variant rs77559646 is associated with both risk and aggressive prostate cancer, and rs148609049 is related to shorter survival. High ANO7 expression is independently linked to poor survival [2]. In addition, ANO7 rs77559646 is associated with better response to first-line docetaxel treatment in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer [4]. Reduced ANO7 protein expression is a strong and independent predictor of poor prognosis in prostate cancer [5]. Functional studies in engineered cells and tissue analysis suggest that ANO7 expression in the prostate modulates mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism, with a metabolic shift towards glycolysis and changes in fatty acid metabolism [3]. In colon adenocarcinoma, ANO7 expression is reduced in cancer tissues, and low expression is associated with poor survival [6].

In summary, ANO7 is involved in multiple biological processes, especially in prostate cancer where it is associated with disease risk, aggressiveness, prognosis, and treatment response. Its role in modulating mitochondrial and lipid metabolism provides insights into the underlying mechanisms of cancer development. Although there are no KO/CKO mouse models mentioned in the references, the human-based studies still highlight the importance of ANO7 in cancer-related biological functions.

References:

1. Guo, Jian, Wang, Dan, Dong, Yuan, Zhang, Lei, Sun, Meiyan. 2021. ANO7: Insights into topology, function, and potential applications as a biomarker and immunotherapy target. In Tissue & cell, 72, 101546. doi:10.1016/j.tice.2021.101546. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33940566/

2. Kaikkonen, Elina, Rantapero, Tommi, Zhang, Qin, Wei, Gong-Hong, Schleutker, Johanna. 2018. ANO7 is associated with aggressive prostate cancer. In International journal of cancer, 143, 2479-2487. doi:10.1002/ijc.31746. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30157291/

3. Löf, Christoffer, Sultana, Nasrin, Goel, Neha, Käkelä, Reijo, Schleutker, Johanna. 2025. ANO7 expression in the prostate modulates mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism. In Cell communication and signaling : CCS, 23, 71. doi:10.1186/s12964-025-02081-7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39923095/

4. Kaikkonen, Elina, Ettala, Otto, Nikulainen, Ilkka, Kellokumpu-Lehtinen, Pirkko-Liisa, Schleutker, Johanna. . ANO7 rs77559646 Is Associated With First-line Docetaxel Treatment Response in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer. In Anticancer research, 39, 5353-5359. doi:10.21873/anticanres.13728. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31570429/

5. Marx, Andreas, Koopmann, Lena, Höflmayer, Doris, Lebok, Patrick, Bonk, Sarah. . Reduced anoctamin 7 (ANO7) expression is a strong and independent predictor of poor prognosis in prostate cancer. In Cancer biology & medicine, 18, 245-255. doi:10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2019.0324. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33628598/

6. Chen, Chen, Aluksanasuwan, Siripat, Somsuan, Keerakarn. 2023. Expression of anoctamin 7 (ANO7) is associated with poor prognosis and mucin 2 (MUC2) in colon adenocarcinoma: a study based on TCGA data. In Genomics & informatics, 21, e46. doi:10.5808/gi.23071. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38224713/