BackgroundThree genes, clustered together on chromosome 12, comprise a group of Hydroxycarboxylic Acid Receptors (HCARs), HCAR1, HCAR2, and HCAR3. These paralogous genes encode different G-protein coupled receptors that are responsible for detecting glycolytic metabolites and controlling fatty acid oxidation. Though better known for regulating lipid metabolism in adipocytes, more recently HCARs have been functionally associated with breast cancer proliferation/survival; HCAR2 has been described as a tumor suppressor, and HCAR1 and HCAR3 as oncogenes. Thus, we sought to identify genetic variants in HCAR1, HCAR2, and HCAR3 that could potentially be associated with breast cancer. MethodsDue to the extreme homology between HCAR1, HCAR2, and HCAR3, primers were carefully designed to amplify each gene separately through nested PCRs followed by Sanger sequencing. Forty-six unrelated breast cancer cases were screened for rare, non-synonymous coding variants. ResultsUpon screening, a total of four variants were identified in four different cases, each with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. The variants were identified exclusively in HCAR1 and HCAR3. In HCAR1, two highly conserved and potentially damaging missense variants were identified, c.58C>G;p.Pro20Ala and c.721C>T;p.Leu241Phe. Statistical analyses revealed that c.58C>G;p.Pro20Ala was in significantly more cases than controls. In HCAR3, in addition to the breast cancer-associated missense variant c.560G>A;p.Arg187Gln, a frameshift mutation, c.1117delC;p.Gln373Lysfs*82, was detected that greatly extends the C-terminus and changes the secondary and tertiary protein structure. ConclusionsDue to the important role of HCARs in breast cancer, it is vital to understand how these genetic variants play a role in breast cancer risk and proliferation, as well as their consequences on treatment strategies. Due to the small sample size, additional and larger studies will be needed to validate these findings. Nevertheless, the identification of these potentially pathogenic variants supports the need to investigate their functional consequences.