scholarly journals Control Analysis of Protein-Protein Interaction Network Reveals Potential Regulatory Targets for MYCN

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunyu Pan ◽  
Yuyan Zhu ◽  
Meng Yu ◽  
Yongkang Zhao ◽  
Changsheng Zhang ◽  
...  

BackgroundMYCN is an oncogenic transcription factor of the MYC family and plays an important role in the formation of tissues and organs during development before birth. Due to the difficulty in drugging MYCN directly, revealing the molecules in MYCN regulatory networks will help to identify effective therapeutic targets.MethodsWe utilized network controllability theory, a recent developed powerful tool, to identify the potential drug target around MYCN based on Protein-Protein interaction network of MYCN. First, we constructed a Protein-Protein interaction network of MYCN based on public databases. Second, network control analysis was applied on network to identify driver genes and indispensable genes of the MYCN regulatory network. Finally, we developed a novel integrated approach to identify potential drug targets for regulating the function of the MYCN regulatory network.ResultsWe constructed an MYCN regulatory network that has 79 genes and 129 interactions. Based on network controllability theory, we analyzed driver genes which capable to fully control the network. We found 10 indispensable genes whose alternation will significantly change the regulatory pathways of the MYCN network. We evaluated the stability and correlation analysis of these genes and found EGFR may be the potential drug target which closely associated with MYCN.ConclusionTogether, our findings indicate that EGFR plays an important role in the regulatory network and pathways of MYCN and therefore may represent an attractive therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ho-Joon Lee

The COVID-19 disease has been a global threat caused by the new coronavirus species, SARS-CoV-2, since early 2020 with an urgent need for therapeutic interventions. In order to provide insight into human proteins targeted by SARS-CoV-2, here we study a directed human protein-protein interaction network (dhPPIN) based on our previous work on network controllability of virus targets. We previously showed that human proteins targeted by viruses tend to be those whose removal in a dhPPIN requires more control of the network dynamics, which were classified as indispensable nodes. In this study we introduce a more comprehensive rank-based enrichment analysis of our previous dhPPIN for SARS-CoV-2 infection and show that SARS-CoV-2 also tends to target indispensable nodes in the dhPPIN using multiple proteomics datasets, supporting validity and generality of controllability analysis of viral infection in humans. Also, we find differential controllability among SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, and MERS-CoV from a comparative proteomics study. Moreover, we show functional significance of indispensable nodes by analyzing heterogeneous datasets from a genome-wide CRISPR screening study, a time-course phosphoproteomics study, and a genome-wide association study. Specifically, we identify SARS-CoV-2 ORF3A as most frequently interacting with indispensable proteins in the dhPPIN, which are enriched in TGF-beta signaling and tend to be sources nodes and interact with each other. Finally, we built an integrated network model of ORF3A-interacting indispensable proteins with multiple functional supports to provide hypotheses for experimental validation as well as therapeutic opportunities. Therefore, a sub-network of indispensable proteins targeted by SARS-CoV-2 could serve as a prioritized network of drug targets and a basis for further functional and mechanistic studies from a network controllability perspective.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruya Sun ◽  
Yuan Zhou ◽  
Qinghua Cui

AbstractThe arterial aneurysm refers to localized dilation of blood vessel wall and is common in general population. The majority of aneurysm cases remains asymptomatic until a sudden rupture which is usually fatal and of extremely high mortality (~ 50–60%). Therefore, early diagnosis, prevention and management of aneurysm are in urgent need. Unfortunately, current understanding of disease driver genes of various aneurysm subtypes is still limited, and without appropriate biomarkers and drug targets no specialized drug has been developed for aneurysm treatment. In this research, aneurysm subtypes were analyzed based on protein–protein interaction network to better understand aneurysm pathogenesis. By measuring network-based proximity of aneurysm subtypes, we identified a relevant closest relationship between aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection. An improved random walk method was performed to prioritize candidate driver genes of each aneurysm subtype. Thereafter, transcriptomes of 6 human aneurysm subtypes were collected and differential expression genes were identified to further filter potential driver genes. Functional enrichment of above driver genes indicated a general role of ubiquitination and programmed cell death in aneurysm pathogenesis. Especially, we further observed participation of BCL-2-mediated apoptosis pathway and caspase-1 related pyroptosis in the development of cerebral aneurysm and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in corresponding transcriptomes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. S20-S21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akram Safaei ◽  
Mostafa Rezaei Tavirani ◽  
Mona Zamanian Azodi ◽  
Alireza Lashay ◽  
Seyed Farzad Mohammadi ◽  
...  

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