scholarly journals Co-expression of key gene modules and pathways of human breast cancer cell lines

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yadong Wu ◽  
Feng liu ◽  
Siyang Luo ◽  
Xinhai Yin ◽  
Dengqi He ◽  
...  

Abstract Breast cancer (BC) is the most common leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Gene expression profiling analysis for human BCs has been studied previously. However, co-expression analysis for BC cell lines is still devoid to date. The aim of the study was to identify key pathways and hub genes that may serve as a biomarker for BC and uncover potential molecular mechanism using weighted correlation network analysis. We analyzed microarray data of BC cell lines (GSE 48213) listed in the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Gene co-expression networks were used to construct and explore the biological function in hub modules using the weighted correlation network analysis algorithm method. Meanwhile, Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analysis were performed using Cytoscape plug-in ClueGo. The network of the key module was also constructed using Cytoscape. A total of 5000 genes were selected, 28 modules of co-expressed genes were identified from the gene co–expression network, one of which was found to be significantly associated with a subtype of BC lines. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the brown module was mainly involved in the pathway of the autophagy, spliceosome, and mitophagy, the black module was mainly enriched in the pathway of colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer, and genes in midnightblue module played critical roles in ribosome and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes pathway. Three hub genes CBR3, SF3B6, and RHPN1 may play an important role in the development and malignancy of the disease. The findings of the present study could improve our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of breast cancer.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Pan ◽  
Jian-Hao Liu

Abstract Background Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a heterogeneous carcinoma that the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the tumor initiation, progression, and migration are largely unclear. The purpose of the present study was to identify key biomarkers and small-molecule drugs for NPC screening, diagnosis, and therapy via gene expression profile analysis. Methods Raw microarray data of NPC were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and analyzed to screen out the potential differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The key modules associated with histology grade and tumor stage was identified by using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of genes in the key module were performed to identify potential mechanisms. Candidate hub genes were obtained, which based on the criteria of module membership (MM) and high connectivity. Then we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the diagnostic value of hub genes. The Connectivity map database was further used to screen out small-molecule drugs of hub genes. Results A total of 430 DEGs were identified based on two GEO datasets. The green gene module was considered as key module for the tumor stage of NPC via WGCNA analysis. The results of functional enrichment analysis revealed that genes in the green module were enriched in regulation of cell cycle, p53 signaling pathway, cell part morphogenesis. Furthermore, four DEGs-related hub genes in the green module were considered as the final hub genes. Then ROC revealed that the final four hub genes presented with high areas under the curve, suggesting these hub genes may be diagnostic biomarkers for NPC. Meanwhile, we screened out several small-molecule drugs that have provided potentially therapeutic goals for NPC. Conclusions Our research identified four potential prognostic biomarkers and several candidate small-molecule drugs for NPC, which may contribute to the new insights for NPC therapy.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhong Li ◽  
Yang Zhai ◽  
Peng Wu ◽  
Yueqiang Hu ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUD: Microarray-based gene expression profiling is widely used in biomedical research. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) links microarray data directly to clinical traits and identifies rules for predicting pathological stage and prognosis of disease.WGCNA is useful in understandingmany biological processes. Stroke is a common disease worldwide, however, molecular mechanisms of its pathogenesis are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to construct gene co-expression networks for identification of key modules and hub genes associated with stroke pathogenesis.METHODS: Gene microarray expression profiles of stroke samples were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by the limma package in R software. WGCNA was used to construct free-scale gene co-expression networks to explore the associations between gene sets and clinical features, and to identify key modules and hub genes. Subsequently, functional enrichment analyses were performed. Further, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was carried out to validate expression of hub genes and literature validation was performed as well.RESULTS: A total of 11,747 most variant genes were used for co-expression network construction. Pink and yellow modules were significantly correlated to stroke pathogenesis. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the pink module was mainly involved in regulation of neuron regeneration, and repair of DNA damage.On the other hand, yellow module was mainly enriched in ion transport system dysfunction which was correlated with neuron death. A total of eight hub genes (PRR11, NEDD9, Notch2, RUNX1-IT1, ANP32A-IT1, ASTN2, SAMHD1 and STIM1) were identified and validated at transcriptional levels and through existing literature.CONCLUSION: The eight hub genes (PRR11, NEDD9, Notch2, RUNX1-IT1, ANP32A-IT1, ASTN2, SAMHD1 and STIM1) identified in the study are potentialbiomarkers and therapeutic targets for effective diagnosis and treatment of stroke.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junjie Wang ◽  
Qin Fan ◽  
Tengbo Yu ◽  
Yingze Zhang

Abstract Background The goal of this study is to identify the hub genes for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) via weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). Methods The gene expression profile of vastus lateralis biopsy samples obtained in 17 patients with DMD, 11 patients with BMD and 6 healthy individuals was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE109178). After obtaining different expressed genes (DEGs) via GEO2R, WGCNA was conducted using R package, modules and genes that highly associated with DMD, BMD, and their age or pathology were screened. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were also conducted. Hub genes and highly correlated clustered genes were identified using Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) and Cystoscape software. Results One thousand four hundred seventy DEGs were identified between DMD and control, with 1281 upregulated and 189 downregulated DEGs. Four hundred and twenty DEGs were found between BMD and control, with 157 upregulated and 263 upregulated DEGs. Fourteen modules with different colors were identified for DMD vs control, and 7 modules with different colors were identified for BMD vs control. Ten hub genes were summarized for DMD and BMD respectively, 5 hub genes were summarized for BMD age, 5 and 3 highly correlated clustered genes were summarized for DMD age and BMD pathology, respectively. In addition, 20 GO enrichments were found to be involved in DMD, 3 GO enrichments were found to be involved in BMD, 3 GO enrichments were found to be involved in BMD age. Conclusion In DMD, several hub genes were identified: C3AR1, TLR7, IRF8, FYB and CD33(immune and inflammation associated genes), TYROBP, PLEK, AIF1(actin reorganization associated genes), LAPTM5 and NT5E(cell death and arterial calcification associated genes, respectively). In BMD, a number of hub genes were identified: LOX, ELN, PLEK, IKZF1, CTSK, THBS2, ADAMTS2, COL5A1(extracellular matrix associated genes), BCL2L1 and CDK2(cell cycle associated genes).


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Tian-ming Huo ◽  
Zhi-wei Wang

Background. The study was aimed at finding accurate and effective therapeutic targets and deepening our understanding of the mechanisms of advanced atherosclerosis (AA). Methods. We downloaded the gene expression datasets GSE28829, GSE120521, and GSE43292 from Gene Expression Omnibus. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed for GSE28829, and functional enrichment analysis and protein–protein interaction network analysis were conducted on the key module. Significant genes in the key module were analyzed by molecular complex detection, and genes in the most important subnetwork were defined as hub genes. Multiple dataset analyses for hub genes were conducted. Genes that overlapped between hub genes and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of GSE28829 and GSE120521 were defined as key genes. Further validation for key genes was performed using GSE28829 and GSE43292. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to key genes. Results. A total of 77 significant genes in the key module of GSE28829 were screened out that were mainly associated with inflammation and immunity. The subnetwork was obtained from significant genes, and 18 genes in this module were defined as hub genes, which were related to immunity and expressed in multiple diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus. Some hub genes were regulated by SPI1 and associated with the blood, spleen, and lung. After overlapping with DEGs of GSE28829 and GSE120521, a total of 10 genes (HCK, ITGAM, CTSS, TYROBP, LAPTM5, FCER1G, ITGB2, NCF2, AIF1, and CD86) were identified as key genes. All key genes were validated and evaluated successfully and were related to immune response pathways. Conclusion. Our study suggests that the key genes related to immune and inflammatory responses are involved in the development of AA. This may deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of and provide valuable therapeutic targets for AA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiamei Liu ◽  
Shengye Liu ◽  
Xianghong Yang

BackgroundDespite advances in the understanding of neoplasm, patients with cervical cancer still have a poor prognosis. Identifying prognostic markers of cervical cancer may enable early detection of recurrence and more effective treatment.MethodsGene expression profiling data were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. After data normalization, genes with large variation were screened out. Next, we built co-expression modules by using weighted gene co-expression network analysis to investigate the relationship between the modules and clinical traits related to cervical cancer progression. Functional enrichment analysis was also applied on these co-expressed genes. We integrated the genes into a human protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to expand seed genes and build a co-expression network. For further analysis of the dataset, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to identify seed genes and their correlation to cervical cancer prognosis. Verification was further conducted by qPCR and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database to measure the expression of hub genes.ResultsUsing WGCNA, we identified 25 co-expression modules from 10,016 genes in 128 human cervical cancer samples. After functional enrichment analysis, the magenta, brown, and darkred modules were selected as the three most correlated modules for cancer progression. Additionally, seed genes in the three modules were combined with a PPI network to identify 31 tumor-specific genes. Hierarchical clustering and Gepia results indicated that the expression quantity of hub genes NDC80, TIPIN, MCM3, MCM6, POLA1, and PRC1 may determine the prognosis of cervical cancer. Finally, TIPIN and POLA1 were further filtered by a LASSO model. In addition, their expression was identified by immunohistochemistry in HPA database as well as a biological experiment.ConclusionOur research provides a co-expression network of gene modules and identifies TIPIN and POLA1 as stable potential prognostic biomarkers for cervical cancer.


2011 ◽  
pp. 233-242
Author(s):  
T Dewey ◽  
Katie Streicher ◽  
Stephen Ethier ◽  
T Dewey ◽  
Katie Streicher ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Yan ◽  
Shijie Zhu ◽  
Miao Zhu ◽  
Chunsheng Wang ◽  
Changfa Guo

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common tachyarrhythmia in the clinic, leading to high morbidity and mortality. Although many studies on AF have been conducted, the molecular mechanism of AF has not been fully elucidated. This study was designed to explore the molecular mechanism of AF using integrative bioinformatics analysis and provide new insights into the pathophysiology of AF.Methods: The GSE115574 dataset was downloaded, and Cibersort was applied to estimate the relative expression of 22 kinds of immune cells. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified through the limma package in R language. Weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to cluster DEGs into different modules and explore relationships between modules and immune cell types. Functional enrichment analysis was performed on DEGs in the significant module, and hub genes were identified based on the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Hub genes were then verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).Results: A total of 2,350 DEGs were identified and clustered into eleven modules using WGCNA. The magenta module with 246 genes was identified as the key module associated with M1 macrophages with the highest correlation coefficient. Three hub genes (CTSS, CSF2RB, and NCF2) were identified. The results verified using three other datasets and qRT-PCR demonstrated that the expression levels of these three genes in patients with AF were significantly higher than those in patients with SR, which were consistent with the bioinformatic analysis.Conclusion: Three novel genes identified using comprehensive bioinformatics analysis may play crucial roles in the pathophysiological mechanism in AF, which provide potential therapeutic targets and new insights into the treatment and early detection of AF.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teng-di Fan ◽  
Di-kai Bei ◽  
Song-wei Li

Abstract Objective: To design a weighted co-expression network and build gene expression signature-based nomogram (GESBN) models for predicting the likelihood of bone metastasis in breast cancer (BC) patients. Methods: Dataset GSE124647 was used as a training set, and GSE14020 was taken as a validation set. In the training cohort, limma package in R was adopted to obtain differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between BC non-bone metastasis and bone metastasis patients, which were used for functional enrichment analysis. After weighted co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), univariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier plotter analyses were performed to screen potential prognosis-related genes. Then, GESBN models were constructed and evaluated. Further, the expression levels of genes in the models were explored in the training set, which was validated in GSE14020. Finally, the prognostic value of hub genes in BC was explored. Results: A total of 1858 DEGs were obtained. WGCNA result showed that the blue module was most significantly related to bone metastasis and prognosis. After survival analyses, GAJ1, SLC24A3, ITGBL1, and SLC44A1 were subjected to construct a GESBN model for overall survival. While GJA1, IGFBP6, MDFI, ITGFBI, ANXA2, and SLC24A3 were subjected to build a GESBN model for progression-free survival. Kaplan-Meier plotter and receiver operating characteristic analyses presented the reliable prediction ability of the models. Besides, GJA1, IGFBP6, ITGBL1, SLC44A1, and TGFBI expressions were significantly different between the two groups in GSE124647 and GSE14020. The hub genes had a significant impact on patient prognosis. Conclusion: Both the four-gene signature and six-gene signature could accurately predict patient prognosis, which may provide novel treatment insights for BC bone metastasis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 559-559
Author(s):  
Nina D'Abreo ◽  
Abhinav Rohatgi ◽  
Douglas Kanter Marks ◽  
Heather Kling ◽  
Josien Haan ◽  
...  

559 Background: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI), the passage of carcinoma cells through lymphatic and blood vessels, is an important early step in metastasis; however, LVI is excluded from most breast cancer (BC) clinical risk assessments. Previous studies assessed the prognostic value of LVI to estimate clinical outcomes. To gain understanding of the molecular basis of LVI, we evaluated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between tumors with LVI versus those without LVI, stratified by the 70-gene signature (MammaPrint/MP) and 80-gene molecular subtyping signature (BluePrint/BP). Methods: The prospective, observational FLEX Study (NCT03053193) includes stage I-III BC patients who receive MP/BP testing and consent to full transcriptome and clinical data collection. Patients with LVI (n=581) and without LVI (n=600, randomly selected), enrolled from 2017 to present, were included. LVI was assessed by local pathology laboratories. Differential gene expression analysis of 44k Agilent microarray data was performed with R limma package. DEGs were compared within all samples, BP Luminal subtype, MP risk groups (Low Risk [LR]/Luminal A and High Risk [HR]/Luminal B), and by lymph node (LN) status. DEGs with FDR<0.05 were considered significant. Results: Of tumors with LVI (LVI+), 66% were MP HR; notably, 51% of tumors without LVI (LVI-) were MP HR. LVI was associated with larger T stage, LN involvement, high grade, negative ER status by IHC, and younger patient age (LVI+ vs. LVI-, p<0.05 for all comparisons). Patient ethnicity, obesity, and tumor type did not differ by LVI status; however, prevalence of type 2 diabetes trended higher in patients with LVI+ HR tumors (21%), compared with LVI- HR (15%, p=0.09) and LVI+ LR (11%, p=0.004). There were significant transcriptomic differences between LVI+ and LVI, with most DEGs evident in the Luminal B subset. DEGs in LVI+, LN-negative (LN-) tumors overlapped substantially with the overall Luminal group analysis. Functional enrichment analysis showed dysregulation of cell cycle, extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, cell adhesion, and cytokine receptor pathways. Gene sets related to insulin growth factor pathways were also enriched in LVI+ tumors. Conclusions: DEGs associated with LVI were primarily found in MP HR Luminal, LN-negative tumors; enrichment analysis suggested dysregulation of ECM organization and cell adhesion pathways, consistent with previous reports. DEGs were not associated with LVI presence in LN+ tumors, suggesting that LVI assessment may be less relevant in LN+ breast cancer. Future studies will assess clinical outcomes, as well as LVI-associated gene expression in BP Basal- and HER2-type tumors. However, the current analysis indicates few DEGs in LVI+ MP LR tumors; thus, the potential prognostic information gained from LVI-associated gene expression is likely already captured by the MP and BP signatures. Clinical trial information: NCT03053193.


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