Identify Key Genes by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis for Lung Adenocarcinoma

Nano LIFE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 09 (01n02) ◽  
pp. 1940002
Author(s):  
Jichen Xu ◽  
Xianchun Zong ◽  
Qianshu Ren ◽  
Hongyu Wang ◽  
Lijuan Zhao ◽  
...  

The aim of this paper is to identify key genes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and to further understand the molecular mechanism of LUAD. 107 gene expression profiles were downloaded from GSE10072 in the GEO database. We performed rigorous processing of the initial gene expression profile data. Subsequently, we used WGCNA to identify disease-driven modules and enforced functional enrichment analysis. The key genes were defined as the most connected genes in the driver module and were validated using the GSE75037 and TCGA database. GSE10072 removed 41 unpaired lung samples and 4 outliers. By analyzing the 62 samples using WGCNA, we obtained 26 modules and identified the brown and magenta modules as the driving modules for the LUAD. We found that the “Cell cycle”, “Oocyte meiosis” and “Progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation” pathways may be related to the occurrence of LUAD. GSE75037 removed 8 outlier and obtained 2909 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 26 genes (9 genes in the brown module, 17 genes in the magenta module) overlap with key genes in the driver module. The results of the survival analysis suggest that 19 genes were significantly correlated with the patient’s survival time, including KPNA2, FEN1, RRM2, TOP2A, CENPF, MCM4, BIRC5, MELK, MAD2L1, CCNB1, CCNA2, KIF11, CDKN3, NUSAP1, CEP55, AURKA, NEK2, KIF14 and CDCA8, which may be potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for LUAD. In this study, we provide a theoretical basis for further understanding the biological mechanism of LUAD through bioinformatics analysis of LUAD.

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 3484
Author(s):  
Jisun Lim ◽  
Yeon Bi Han ◽  
Soo Young Park ◽  
Soyeon Ahn ◽  
Hyojin Kim ◽  
...  

Many studies support a stepwise continuum of morphologic changes between atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) and lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). Here we characterized gene expression patterns and the association of differentially expressed genes and immune tumor microenvironment behaviors in AAH to ADC during ADC development. Tumor tissues from nine patients with ADC and synchronous multiple ground glass nodules/lesions (GGN/Ls) were analyzed using RNA sequencing. Using clustering, we identified genes differentially and sequentially expressed in AAH and ADC compared to normal tissues. Functional enrichment analysis using gene ontology terms was performed, and the fraction of immune cell types was estimated. We identified up-regulated genes (ACSL5 and SERINC2) with a stepwise change of expression from AAH to ADC and validated those expressions by quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. The immune cell profiles revealed increased B cell activities and decreased natural killer cell activities in AAH and ADC. A stepwise change of differential expression during ADC development revealed potential effects on immune function in synchronous precursors and in tumor lesions in patients with lung cancer.


Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur C. Oliveira ◽  
Luiz A. Bovolenta ◽  
Lucas Alves ◽  
Lucas Figueiredo ◽  
Amanda O. Ribeiro ◽  
...  

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate a wide range of biological pathways by post-transcriptionally modulating gene expression levels. Given that even a single miRNA may simultaneously control several genes enrolled in multiple biological functions, one would expect that these tiny RNAs have the ability to properly sort among distinctive cellular processes to drive protein production. To test this hypothesis, we scrutinized previously published microarray datasets and clustered protein-coding gene expression profiles according to the intensity of fold-change levels caused by the exogenous transfection of 10 miRNAs (miR-1, miR-7, miR-9, miR-124, miR-128a, miR-132, miR-133a, miR-142, miR-148b, miR-181a) in a human cell line. Through an in silico functional enrichment analysis, we discovered non-randomic regulatory patterns, proper of each cluster identified. We demonstrated that miRNAs are capable of equivalently modulate the expression signatures of target genes in regulatory clusters according to the biological function they are assigned to. Moreover, target prediction analysis applied to ten vertebrate species, suggest that such miRNA regulatory modus operandi is evolutionarily conserved within vertebrates. Overall, we discovered a complex regulatory cluster-module strategy driven by miRNAs, which relies on the controlled intensity of the repression over distinct targets under specific biological contexts. Our discovery helps to clarify the mechanisms underlying the functional activity of miRNAs and makes it easier to take the fastest and most accurate path in the search for the functions of miRNAs in any distinct biological process of interest.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Min Wei ◽  
Sijun Meng ◽  
Sufang Shi ◽  
Lijun Liu ◽  
Xujie Zhou ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis. It involves both genetic and environmental factors, among which DNA methylation, the most studied epigenetic modification, was shown to play a role. Here, we assessed genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression profiles in 2 pairs of IgAN-discordant monozygotic (MZ) twins, in order to characterize methylation changes and their potential influences on gene expression in IgAN. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression profiles were evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from 2 IgAN-discordant MZ twins. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, and an integrated analysis was performed. Finally, functional enrichment analysis was done for DMR-associated genes and DEGs. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Totally 521 DMRs were detected for 2 IgAN-discordant MZ twins. Among them, 9 DMRs were found to be mapped to genes that differentially expressed in 2 MZ twins, indicating the potential regulatory mechanisms of expression for these 9 genes (<i>MNDA</i>, <i>DYSF</i>, <i>IL1R2</i>, <i>TLR6</i>, <i>TREML2</i>, <i>TREM1</i>, <i>IL32</i>, <i>S1PR5</i>, and <i>ADGRE3</i>) in IgAN. Biological process analysis of them showed that they were mostly involved in the immune system process. Functional enrichment analysis of DEGs and DMR-associated genes both identified multiple pathways relevant to inflammatory and immune responses. And DMR-associated genes were significantly enriched in terms related to T-cell function. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Our findings indicate that changes in DNA methylation patterns were involved in the pathogenesis of IgAN. Nine target genes detected in our study may provide new ideas for the exploration of molecular mechanisms of IgAN.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhijun Meng ◽  
Jia Gao ◽  
Hongping Liang ◽  
Caihong Liu ◽  
Jianli Zhao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease worldwide for which lacks effective prevention and therapeutic strategy. Therefore, clinical indicators for early diagnosis and screening are in great need. The present study aimed to elucidate the key genetic signatures and pathways identifying the key candidate biomarker in atherosclerosis by integrative bioinformatics analysis combining with experimental assay. Methods The gene expression profiles (GSE30169, GSE6584) were achieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Functional enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to examine the biological functions of identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was mapped using Cytoscape software. Results 91 DEGs were identified, including 68 up-regulated genes and 23 down-regulated genes. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that DEGs genes were significantly enriched in ferroptosis, TNF signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway. 12 nodes with the highest degrees were selected as hub genes. CCL2, CXCL1, IL6, and DUSP1 can serve as a sensitive diagnostic indicator for the early stage of atherosclerosis; CEBPB and HMOX1 can serve as a diagnostic indicator for diabetic atherosclerosis; TRIB3 is a sensitive marker indicating atherosclerosis risks in diabetic women group.Conclusions In conclusion, we have identified key candidate genes that indicate the diagnosis of patients with atherosclerosis, and these genes may serve as potential therapeutic or drug development targets for atherosclerosis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangwen Wang ◽  
Yonghuo Ling ◽  
Qianru Zhuang ◽  
Yingbang Li ◽  
Yunpeng Bai ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The morbidity and mortality of skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM), the most deadly type of skin cancer, are on the rise worldwide. Through in-depth study of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of SKCM, this study further identified biomarkers with therapeutic and prognostic value. Methods The gene expression profiles and clinical data of SKCM patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Then we calculated the immune score and stromal score of patients with skin melanoma by using the estimate algorithm, and divided all patients into the high/low immune/stromal score groups and discussed the correlation between them and clinical characteristics.Then, limma R package was used to screen out the differential genes in the high/low immune/ stromal score groups, and the heat map of the differential genes was drawn. At the same time, the functional enrichment analysis of the differential genes was carried out. The protein‒protein interaction (PPI) network of different genes was constructed by using STRING and Cytoscape, and the key genes related to the prognosis of cutaneous melanoma were further selected. Finally, kinase target, co expression genes and immune infiltrating cells of key genes were discussed. Results Patients in the low-immune/stromal score group had poorer survival outcome. The immune and stromal scores are associated with specific clinicopathologic variables (age, tumor grade, tumor stage) in SKCM. In total, 914 DEGs (909 upregulated and 5 downregulated genes) were screened from the gene expression profiles of patients with high immune and stromal scores. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated a correlation between DEGs and the tumor microenvironment, tumor immune response and RCC tumorigenesis.Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that 15 out of the 914 identified tumor microenvironment related genes are involved in the prognosis of SKCM. Finally CXCR8 and CCR5 were selected as the hub genes. A positive correlation was obtained between the expression of CXCR8/CCR5 and the abundance of six immune cells. Conclusions We studied the tumor microenvironment of SKCM, and finally screened out the biomarkers with therapeutic and prognostic effects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. LMT30
Author(s):  
Chuanli Ren ◽  
Weixiu Sun ◽  
Xu Lian ◽  
Chongxu Han

Aim: To screen and identify key genes related to the development of smoking-induced lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Materials & methods: We obtained data from the GEO chip dataset GSE31210. The differentially expressed genes were screened by GEO2R. The protein interaction network of differentially expressed genes was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape. Finally, core genes were screened. The overall survival time of patients with the core genes was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier method. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes bioaccumulation was calculated by DAVID. Results: Functional enrichment analysis indicated that nine key genes were actively involved in the biological process of smoking-related LUAD. Conclusion: 23 core genes and nine key genes among them were correlated with adverse prognosis of LUAD induced by smoking.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zimeng Wei ◽  
Min Zhao ◽  
Linnan Zang

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the main histological subtype of lung cancer. However, the molecular mechanism underlying LUAD is not yet clearly defined, but elucidating this process in detail would be of great significance for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods Gene expression profiles were retrieved from Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO), and the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by online GEO2R analysis tool. Subsequently, the enrichment analysis of function and signaling pathways of DEGs in LUAD were performed by gene ontology (GO) and The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics (KEGG) analysis. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks of the DEGs were established through the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database and hub genes were screened by plug-in CytoHubba in Cytoscape. Afterwards, we detected the expression of hub genes in LUAD and other cancers via GEPIA, Oncomine and HPA databases. Finally, Kaplan-Meier plotter were performed to analyze the prognosis efficacy of hub genes. Results 74 up-regulated and 238 down-regulated DEGs were identified. As for the up-regulated DEGs, KEGG analysis results revealed they were mainly enrolled in protein digestion and absorption. However, the down-regulated DEGs were primarily enriched in cell adhesion molecules. Subsequently, 9 hub genes: KIAA0101, CDCA7, TOP2A, CDC20, ASPM, TPX2, CENPF, UBE2T and ECT2, were identified and showed higher expression in both LUAD and other cancers. Finally, all these hub genes were found significantly related to the prognosis of LUAD (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our results screened out the hub genes and pathways that were related to the development and prognosis of LUAD, which could provide new insight for the future molecularly targeted therapy and prognosis evaluation of LUAD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Manzini ◽  
Marco Busnelli ◽  
Alice Colombo ◽  
Elsa Franchi ◽  
Pasquale Grossano ◽  
...  

AbstractFunctional enrichment analysis is an analytical method to extract biological insights from gene expression data, popularized by the ever-growing application of high-throughput techniques. Typically, expression profiles are generated for hundreds to thousands of genes/proteins from samples belonging to two experimental groups, and after ad-hoc statistical tests, researchers are left with lists of statistically significant entities, possibly lacking any unifying biological theme. Functional enrichment tackles the problem of putting overall gene expression changes into a broader biological context, based on pre-existing knowledge bases of reference: database collections of known expression regulation, relationships and molecular interactions. STRING is among the most popular tools, providing both protein–protein interaction networks and functional enrichment analysis for any given set of identifiers. For complex experimental designs, manually retrieving, interpreting, analyzing and abridging functional enrichment results is a daunting task, usually performed by hand by the average wet-biology researcher. We have developed reString, a cross-platform software that seamlessly retrieves from STRING functional enrichments from multiple user-supplied gene sets, with just a few clicks, without any need for specific bioinformatics skills. Further, it aggregates all findings into human-readable table summaries, with built-in features to easily produce user-customizable publication-grade clustermaps and bubble plots. Herein, we outline a complete reString protocol, showcasing its features on a real use-case.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihang Li ◽  
Ziyi Ding ◽  
Dong Wang ◽  
Chengfei Li ◽  
Yikai Pan ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to identify novel targets in the carcinogenesis, therapy and prognosis of osteosarcoma from genomic level, together with screening ideal lead compounds with potential inhibition regarding MMP-9. Methods Gene expression profiles from GSE12865, GSE14359, GSE33382, GSE36001 and GSE99671 were obtained respectively from GEO database. Differentially expressed genes were identified, and functional enrichment analysis, such as GO, KEGG, GSEA, PPI were performed to make a comprehensive understanding of the hub genes. Next, a series of high-precision computational techniques were conducted to screen potential lead compounds targeting MMP9, including virtual screening, ADME, toxicity prediction, and accurate docking analysis. Results 10 genes, MMP9, CD74, SPP1, CXCL12, TYROBP, FCER1G, HCLS1, ARHGDIB, LAPTM5 and IGF1R were identified as hub genes in the initiation of osteosarcoma. Machine learning, multivariate Cox analysis, ssGSEA and survival analysis demonstrated that these genes had values in prognosis, immune-correlation and targeted treatment. Tow novel compounds, ZINC000072131515 and ZINC000004228235, were screened as potential inhibitor regarding MMP9, and they could bind to MMP9 with favorable interaction energy and high binding affinity. Meanwhile, they were precited to be efficient and safe drugs with low-ames mutagenicity, none weight evidence of carcinogenicity, as well as non-toxic with liver. Conclusions This study revealed the significance of 10-gene signature in the development of osteosarcoma. Besides, drug candidates identified in this study provided a solid basis on MMP9 inhibitors’ development.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Yang Liao ◽  
Wei-Wen Wang ◽  
Zheng-Hui Yang ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Hang Lin ◽  
...  

To complement the molecular pathways contributing to Parkinson’s disease (PD) and identify potential biomarkers, gene expression profiles of two regions of the medulla were compared between PD patients and control. GSE19587 containing two groups of gene expression profiles [6 dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMNV) samples from PD patients and 5 from controls, 6 inferior olivary nucleus (ION) samples from PD patients and 5 from controls] was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. As a result, a total of 1569 and 1647 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were, respectively, screened in DMNV and ION with limma package ofR. The functional enrichment analysis by DAVID server (the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery) indicated that the above DEGs may be involved in the following processes, such as regulation of cell proliferation, positive regulation of macromolecule metabolic process, and regulation of apoptosis. Further analysis showed that there were 365 common DEGs presented in both regions (DMNV and ION), which may be further regulated by eight clusters of microRNAs retrieved with WebGestalt. The genes in the common DEGs-miRNAs regulatory network were enriched in regulation of apoptosis process via DAVID analysis. These findings could not only advance the understandings about the pathogenesis of PD, but also suggest potential biomarkers for this disease.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document