scholarly journals Weighted gene co-expression network analysis to define pivotal modules and genes in diabetic heart failure

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiwei Liang ◽  
FangFang Sun

Abstract This research was carried out to reveal specific hub genes involved in diabetic heart failure, as well as remarkable pathways that hub genes locate. The GSE26887 dataset from the GEO website was downloaded. The gene co-expression network was generated and central modules were analyzed to identify key genes using the WGCNA method. Functional analyses were conducted on genes of the clinical interest modules via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene ontology (GO) enrichment, associated with protein–protein interaction (PPI) network construction in a sequence. Centrality parameters of the PPI network were determined using the CentiScape plugin in Cytoscape. Key genes, defined as genes in the ≥95% percentile of the degree distribution of significantly perturbed networks, were identified. Twenty gene co-expression modules were detected by WGCNA analysis. The module marked in light yellow exhibited the most significant association with diabetes (P=0.08). Genes involved in this module were primarily located in immune response, plasma membrane and receptor binding, as shown by the GO analysis. These genes were primarily assembled in endocytosis and phagosomes for KEGG pathway enrichment. Three key genes, STK39, HLA-DPB1 and RAB5C, which may be key genes for diabetic heart failure, were identified. To our knowledge, our study is the first to have constructed the co-expression network involved in diabetic heart failure using the WGCNA method. The results of the present study have provided better understanding the molecular mechanism of diabetic heart failure.

Author(s):  
Tucheng Huang ◽  
Kangjie Wang ◽  
Yuewei Li ◽  
Yanchen Ye ◽  
Yangxin Chen ◽  
...  

Atheroclerosis refers to a chronic inflammatory disease featured by the accumulation of fibrofatty lesions in the intima of arteries. Cardiovasular events associated with atherosclerosis remain the major causes of mortality worldwide. Recent studies have indicated that ferroptosis, a novel programmed cell death, might participate in the process of atherosclerosis. However, the ferroptosis landscape is still not clear. In this study, 59 genes associated with ferroptosis were ultimately identified in atherosclerosis in the intima. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed for functional annotation. Through the construction of protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, five hub genes (TP53, MAPK1, STAT3, HMOX1, and PTGS2) were then validated histologically. The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of hub genes was ultimately constructed to explore the regulatory mechanism between lncRNAs, miRNAs, and hub genes. The findings provide more insights into the ferroptosis landscape and, potentially, the therapeutic targets of atherosclerosis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Li ◽  
Jian Lv ◽  
Yuan He ◽  
Zhihua Wang

Abstract Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is one of the serious infectious diseases worldwide; however, the gene network involved in the host response remain largely unclear. Methods: This study integrated two cohorts profile datasets GSE34608 and GSE83456 to elucidate the potential gene network and signaling pathways in PTB. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained for Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis using Metascape database. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was constructed by the online database the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING). Modules were identified by the plug-in APP Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) in Cytoscape. GO and KEGG pathway of Module 1 were further analyzed by STRING. Hub genes were selected for further expression validation in dataset GSE19439. The gene expression level was also investigated in the dataset GSE31348 to display the change pattern during the PTB treatment. Results: Totally, 180 shared DEGs were identified from two datasets. Gene function and KEGG pathway enrichment revealed that DEGs mainly enriched in defense response to other organism, response to bacterium, myeloid leukocyte activation, cytokine production, etc. Seven modules were clustered based on PPI network. Module 1 contained 35 genes related to cytokine associated functions, among which 14 genes, including chemokine receptors, interferon-induced proteins and Toll-like receptors, were identified as hub genes. Expression levels of the hub genes were validated with a third dataset GSE19439. The signature of this core gene network showed significant response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, and correlated with the gene network pattern during anti-PTB therapy. Conclusions: Our study unveils the coordination of causal genes during PTB infection, and provides a promising gene panel for PTB diagnosis. As major regulators of the host immune response to Mtb infection, the 14 hub genes are also potential molecular targets for developing PTB drugs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Sun ◽  
Simin Li ◽  
Ke Zhao ◽  
Mei Diao ◽  
Long Li

BackgroundThis study aimed to systematically investigate gene signatures for hepatoblastoma (HB) and identify potential biomarkers for its diagnosis and treatment.Materials and MethodsGSE131329 and GSE81928 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between hepatoblastoma and normal samples were identified using the Limma package in R. Then, the similarity of network traits between two sets of genes was analyzed by weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA). Cytoscape was used to visualize and select hub genes. PPI network of hub genes was construed by Cytoscape. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses of hub genes were carried out using ClueGO. The random forest classifier was constructed based on the hub genes using the GSE131329 dataset as the training set, and its reliability was validated using the GSE81928 dataset. The resulting core hub genes were combined with the InnateDB database to identify the innate core genes.ResultsA total of 4244 DEGs in HB were identified. WGCNA identified four modules that were significantly correlated with the disease status. A total of 114 hub genes were obtained within the top 20 genes of each node rank. 6982 relation pairs and 3700 nodes were contained in the PPI network of 114 hub genes. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses of hub genes were focused on MAPK, cell cycle, p53, and other crucial pathways involved in HB. A random forest classifier was constructed using the 114 hub genes as feature genes, resulting in a 95.5% true positive rate when classifying HB and normal samples. A total of 35 core hub genes were obtained through the mean decrease in accuracy and mean decrease Gini of the random forest model. The classification efficiency of the random forest model was 81.4%. Finally, CDK1, TOP2A, ADRA1A, FANCI, XRCC1, TPX2, CCNB2, CDK4, GLYATL1, and CFHR3 were identified by cross-comparison with the InnateDB database.ConclusionOur study established a random forest classifier that identified 10 core genes in HB. These findings may be beneficial for the diagnosis, prediction, and targeted therapy of HB.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Su ◽  
Shiwang Wen ◽  
Yuefeng Zhang ◽  
Yong Li ◽  
Yanzhao Xu ◽  
...  

Objective. Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is a frequently common malignancy of gastrointestinal cancer in the world. This study aims to screen key genes and pathways in EC and elucidate the mechanism of it.Methods. 5 microarray datasets of EC were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by bioinformatics analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction were performed to obtain the biological roles of DEGs in EC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to verify the expression level of DEGs in EC.Results. A total of 1955 genes were filtered as DEGs in EC. The upregulated genes were significantly enriched in cell cycle and the downregulated genes significantly enriched in Endocytosis. PPI network displayed CDK4 and CCT3 were hub proteins in the network. The expression level of 8 dysregulated DEGs including CDK4, CCT3, THSD4, SIM2, MYBL2, CENPF, CDCA3, and CDKN3 was validated in EC compared to adjacent nontumor tissues and the results were matched with the microarray analysis.Conclusion. The significantly DEGs including CDK4, CCT3, THSD4, and SIM2 may play key roles in tumorigenesis and development of EC involved in cell cycle and Endocytosis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Anbang Wang ◽  
Ming Chen ◽  
Hui Wang ◽  
Jinming Huang ◽  
Yi Bao ◽  
...  

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common malignancies in the urinary system. The study aimed to identify genetic characteristics and reveal the underlying mechanisms in RCC. GSE53757, GSE46699, and TCGA KIRC database (n = 897) were analyzed to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in RCC. The gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed, followed by the analysis of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs by Cytoscape software. In all, 834 DEGs were identified in RCC, including 416 upregulated genes and 418 downregulated genes. The top 10 hub genes, VEGFA, EGFR, EGF, CD44, CD86, FN1, ITGAM, ITGB2, TLR2, and PTPRC, were identified from the PPI network according to the core degree. The following subnetwork revealed that these significant modules were enriched in positive regulation of response to external stimulus, regulation of leukocyte-mediated immunity, and regulation of exocytosis. The expressions of these hub genes were also validated using qRT-PCR and IHC in Changzheng RCC database (n = 160). We especially found that half of the top ten hub genes were cell adhesion-related molecules, which were associated with RCC progression and poor prognosis. In conclusion, these hub genes, particularly cell adhesion-related molecules, could be used as prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for RCC.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingfa Liu ◽  
Zhennan Xu ◽  
Zepeng Du ◽  
Bingli Wu ◽  
Tao Jin ◽  
...  

Glioma is the most common malignant tumor in the central nervous system. This study aims to explore the potential mechanism and identify gene signatures of glioma. The glioma gene expression profile GSE4290 was analyzed for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were applied for the enriched pathways. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to find the hub genes. Survival analysis was conducted to screen and validate critical genes. In this study, 775 downregulated DEGs were identified. GO analysis demonstrated that the DEGs were enriched in cellular protein modification, regulation of cell communication, and regulation of signaling. KEGG analysis indicated that the DEGs were enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway, endocytosis, oxytocin signaling, and calcium signaling. PPI network and module analysis found 12 hub genes, which were enriched in synaptic vesicle cycling rheumatoid arthritis and collecting duct acid secretion. The four key genes CDK17, GNA13, PHF21A, and MTHFD2 were identified in both generation (GSE4412) and validation (GSE4271) dataset, respectively. Regression analysis showed that CDK13, PHF21A, and MTHFD2 were independent predictors. The results suggested that CDK17, GNA13, PHF21A, and MTHFD2 might play important roles and potentially be valuable in the prognosis and treatment of glioma.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 030006052110295
Author(s):  
Yunfei Zhang ◽  
Yue Huang ◽  
Wen-xia Chen ◽  
Zheng-min Xu

Objective This study aimed to explore the potential molecular mechanism of allergic rhinitis (AR) and identify gene signatures by analyzing microarray data using bioinformatics methods. Methods The dataset GSE19187 was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between samples from patients with AR and healthy controls. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were applied for the DEGs. Subsequently, a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to identify hub genes. GSE44037 and GSE43523 datasets were screened to validate critical genes. Results A total of 156 DEGs were identified. GO analysis verified that the DEGs were enriched in antigen processing and presentation, the immune response, and antigen binding. KEGG analysis demonstrated that the DEGs were enriched in Staphylococcus aureus infection, rheumatoid arthritis, and allograft rejection. PPI network and module analysis predicted seven hub genes, of which six ( CD44, HLA-DPA1, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DRB5, MUC5B, and CD274) were identified in the validation dataset. Conclusions Our findings suggest that hub genes play important roles in the development of AR.


PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zihao He ◽  
Xiaolu Duan ◽  
Guohua Zeng

Background Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common urinary malignancy, whose molecular mechanism has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to screen for key genes and biological pathways related to PCa using bioinformatics method. Methods Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered out from the GSE103512 dataset and subjected to the gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. The protein–protein interactions (PPI) network was constructed, following by the identification of hub genes. The results of former studies were compared with ours. The relative expression levels of hub genes were examined in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Oncomine public databases. The University of California Santa Cruz Xena online tools were used to study whether the expression of hub genes was correlated with the survival of PCa patients from TCGA cohorts. Results Totally, 252 (186 upregulated and 66 downregulated) DEGs were identified. GO analysis enriched mainly in “oxidation-reduction process” and “positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter”; KEGG pathway analysis enriched mostly in “metabolic pathways” and “protein digestion and absorption.” Kallikrein-related peptidase 3, cadherin 1 (CDH1), Kallikrein-related peptidase 2 (KLK2), forkhead box A1 (FOXA1), and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EPCAM) were identified as hub genes from the PPI network. CDH1, FOXA1, and EPCAM were validated by other relevant gene expression omnibus datasets. All hub genes were validated by both TCGA and Oncomine except KLK2. Two additional top DEGs (ABCC4 and SLPI) were found to be associated with the prognosis of PCa patients. Conclusions This study excavated the key genes and pathways in PCa, which might be biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and potential therapeutic targets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Qi ◽  
Jian-Hong Chen ◽  
Lin Tao ◽  
Chuan-Meng Zhu ◽  
Yong Wang ◽  
...  

The current research attempted to identify possible hub genes and pathways of coronary artery disease (CAD) and to detect the possible mechanisms. Array data from GSE90074 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Integrated weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to analyze the gene module and clinical characteristics. Gene Ontology annotation (GO), Disease Ontology (DO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed by clusterProfiler and the DOSE package in R. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established using Cytoscape software, and significant modules were analyzed using Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) to identify hub genes. Then, further functional validation of hub genes in other microarrays and population samples was performed, and survival analysis was performed to investigate the prognosis. A total of 660 genes were located in three modules and associated with CAD. GO functions identified 484 biological processes, 39 cellular components, and 22 molecular functions with an adjusted P < 0.05. In total, 38 pathways were enriched in KEGG pathway analysis, and 147 DO items were identified with an adjusted P < 0.05 (false discovery rate, FDR set at < 0.05). There was a total of four modules with a score > 10 after PPI network analysis using the MCODE app, and two hub genes (TLR2 and CD14) were identified. Then, we validated the information from the GSE60993 dataset using the GSE59867 dataset and population samples, and we found that these two genes were associated with plaque vulnerability. These two genes varied at different time points after myocardial infarction, and both of them had the lowest prognosis of heart failure when they were expressed at low levels. We performed an integrated WGCNA and validated that TLR2 and CD14 were closely associated with the severity of coronary artery disease, plaque instability and the prognosis of heart failure after myocardial infarction.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Li ◽  
Jian Lv ◽  
Yuan He ◽  
Zhihua Wang

Abstract Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is one of the serious infectious diseases worldwide; however, the gene network involved in the host response remain largely unclear. Methods: This study integrated two cohorts profile datasets GSE34608 and GSE83456 to elucidate the potential gene network and signaling pathways in PTB. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained for Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis using Metascape database. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was constructed by the online database the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING). Modules were identified by the plug-in APP Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) in Cytoscape. GO and KEGG pathway of Module 1 were further analyzed by STRING. Hub genes were selected for further expression validation in dataset GSE19439. The gene expression level was also investigated in the dataset GSE31348 to display the change pattern during the PTB treatment. Results: Totally, 180 shared DEGs were identified from two datasets. Gene function and KEGG pathway enrichment revealed that DEGs mainly enriched in defense response to other organism, response to bacterium, myeloid leukocyte activation, cytokine production, etc. Seven modules were clustered based on PPI network. Module 1 contained 35 genes related to cytokine associated functions, among which 14 genes, including chemokine receptors, interferon-induced proteins and Toll-like receptors, were identified as hub genes. Expression levels of the hub genes were validated with a third dataset GSE19439. The signature of this core gene network showed significant response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, and correlated with the gene network pattern during anti-PTB therapy. Conclusions: Our study unveils the coordination of causal genes during PTB infection, and provides a promising gene panel for PTB diagnosis. As major regulators of the host immune response to Mtb infection, the 14 hub genes are also potential molecular targets for developing PTB drugs.


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