scholarly journals Altered Genes and Biological Functions in Response to Severe Burns

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Xinheng Liu ◽  
Yongxian Rong ◽  
Donglin Huang ◽  
Zhijie Liang ◽  
Xiaolin Yi ◽  
...  

Severe burns are acute wounds caused by local heat exposure, resulting in life-threatening systemic effects and poor survival. However, the specific molecular mechanisms remain unclear. First, we downloaded gene expression data related to severe burns from the GEO database (GSE19743, GSE37069, and GSE77791). Then, a gene expression analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The molecular mechanism was identified by enrichment analysis and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. In addition, STEM software was used to screen for genes persistently expressed during response to severe burns, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify key DEGs. A total of 2631 upregulated and 3451 downregulated DEGs were identified. PPI network analysis clustered these DEGs into 13 modules. Importantly, module genes mostly related with immune responses and metabolism. In addition, we identified genes persistently altered during the response to severe burns corresponding to survival and death status. Among the genes with high area under the ROC curve in the PPI network gene, CCL5 and LCK were identified as key DEGs, which may affect the prognosis of burn patients. Gene set variation analysis showed that the immune response was inhibited and several types of immune cells were decreased, while the metabolic response was enhanced. The results showed that persistent gene expression changes occur in response to severe burns, which may underlie chronic alterations in physiological pathways. Identifying the key altered genes may reveal potential therapeutic targets for mitigating the effects of severe burns.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomei Lei ◽  
Zhijun Feng ◽  
Xiaojun Wang ◽  
Xiaodong He

Abstract Background. Exploring alterations in the host transcriptome following SARS-CoV-2 infection is not only highly warranted to help us understand molecular mechanisms of the disease, but also provide new prospective for screening effective antiviral drugs, finding new therapeutic targets, and evaluating the risk of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) early.Methods. We downloaded three gene expression matrix files from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and extracted the gene expression data of the SARS-CoV-2 infection and non-infection in human samples and different cell line samples, and then performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), respectively. Thereafter, we integrated the results of GSEA and obtained co-enriched gene sets and co-core genes in three various microarray data. Finally, we also constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and molecular modules for co-core genes and performed Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis for the genes from modules to clarify their possible biological processes and underlying signaling pathway. Results. A total of 11 co-enriched gene sets were identified from the three various microarray data. Among them, 10 gene sets were activated, and involved in immune response and inflammatory reaction. 1 gene set was suppressed, and participated in cell cycle. The analysis of molecular modules showed that 2 modules might play a vital role in the pathogenic process of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The KEGG enrichment analysis showed that genes from module one enriched in signaling pathways related to inflammation, but genes from module two enriched in signaling of cell cycle and DNA replication. Particularly, necroptosis signaling, a newly identified type of programmed cell death that differed from apoptosis, was also determined in our findings. Additionally, for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, genes from module one showed a relatively high-level expression while genes from module two showed low-level. Conclusions. We identified two molecular modules were used to assess severity and predict the prognosis of the patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, these results provide a unique opportunity to explore more molecular pathways as new potential targets on therapy in COVID 19.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yannian Luo ◽  
Juan Xu ◽  
Mingzhen Zhou ◽  
Xiaomei Lei ◽  
Wen Cao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. Exploring alterations in the host transcriptome following SARS-CoV-2 infection is not only highly warranted to help us understand molecular mechanisms of the disease, but also provide new prospective for screening effective antiviral drugs, finding new therapeutic targets, and evaluating the risk of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) early.Methods. We downloaded three gene expression matrix files from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and extracted the gene expression data of the SARS-CoV-2 infection and non-infection in human samples and different cell line samples, and then performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), respectively. Thereafter, we integrated the results of GSEA and obtained co-enriched gene sets and co-core genes in three various microarray data. Finally, we also constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and molecular modules for co-core genes and performed Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis for the genes from modules to clarify their possible biological processes and underlying signaling pathway. Results. A total of 11 co-enriched gene sets were identified from the three various microarray data. Among them, 10 gene sets were activated, and involved in immune response and inflammatory reaction. 1 gene set was suppressed, and participated in cell cycle. The analysis of molecular modules showed that 2 modules might play a vital role in the pathogenic process of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The KEGG enrichment analysis showed that genes from module one enriched in signaling pathways related to inflammation, but genes from module two enriched in signaling of cell cycle and DNA replication. Particularly, necroptosis signaling, a newly identified type of programmed cell death that differed from apoptosis, was also determined in our findings. Additionally, for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, genes from module one showed a relatively high-level expression while genes from module two showed low-level. Conclusions. We identified two molecular modules were used to assess severity and predict the prognosis of the patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, these results provide a unique opportunity to explore more molecular pathways as new potential targets on therapy in COVID 19.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang-Jie Wu ◽  
Ai-Tao Nai ◽  
Gui-Cheng He ◽  
Fei Xiao ◽  
Zhi-Min Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Dihydropyrimidinase like 2 (DPYSL2) has been linked to tumor metastasis. However, the function of DPSY2L in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is yet to be explored. Methods Herein, we assessed DPYSL2 expression in various tumor types via online databases such as Oncomine and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER). Further, we verified the low protein and mRNA expressions of DPYSL2 in LUAD via the ULCAN, The TCGA and GEPIA databases. We applied the ROC curve to examine the role of DPYSL2 in diagnosis. The prognostic significance of DPYSL2 was established through the Kaplan–Meier plotter and the Cox analyses (univariate and multivariate). TIMER was used to explore DPYSL2 expression and its connection to immune infiltrated cells. Through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, the possible mechanism of DPYSL2 in LUAD was investigated. Results In this study, database analysis revealed lower DPYSL2 expression in LUAD than in normal tissues. The ROC curve suggested that expression of DPYSL2 had high diagnostic efficiency in LUAD. The DPYSL2 expression had an association with the survival time of LUAD patients in the Kaplan–Meier plotter and the Cox analyses. The results from TIMER depicted a markedly positive correlation of DPYSL2 expression with immune cells infiltrated in LUAD, such as macrophages, dendritic cells, CD4+ T cells, and neutrophils. Additionally, many gene markers for the immune system had similar positive correlations in the TIMER analysis. In Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, six immune-related signaling pathways were associated with DPYSL2. Conclusions In summary, DPYSL2 is a novel biomarker with diagnostic and prognostic potential for LUAD as well as an immunotherapy target. Highlights Expression of DPYSL2 was considerably lower in LUAD than in normal tissues. Investigation of multiple databases showed a high diagnostic value of DPYSL2 in LUAD. DPYSL2 can independently predict the LUAD outcomes. Immune-related mechanisms may be potential ways for DPYSL2 to play a role in LUAD.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liancheng Zhu ◽  
Mingzi Tan ◽  
Haoya Xu ◽  
Bei Lin

Abstract Background: Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is a novel serum biomarker for diagnosing epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) with high specificity and sensitivity, compared with CA125. Recent studies have focused on the roles of HE4 in promoting carcinogenesis and chemoresistance in EOC; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying its action remain poorly understood. This study was conducted to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying HE4 stimulation and identifying key genes and pathways mediating carcinogenesis in EOC by microarray and bioinformatics analysis.Methods: We established a stable HE4-silenced ES-2 ovarian cancer cell line labeled as “S”; the S cells were stimulated with the active HE4 protein, yielding cells labeled as “S4”. Human whole-genome microarray analysis was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in S4 and S cells. The “clusterProfiler” package in R, DAVID, Metascape, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis were used to perform gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis, and cBioPortal was used for WFDC2 coexpression analysis. The GEO dataset (GSE51088) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to validate the results. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and modular analyses were performed using Metascape and Cytoscape, respectively. Results: In total, 713 DEGs were identified (164 upregulated and 549 downregulated) and further analyzed by GO, pathway enrichment, and PPI analyses. We found that the MAPK pathway accounted for a significant large number of the enriched terms. WFDC2 coexpression analysis revealed ten WFDC2-coexpressed genes (TMEM220A, SEC23A, FRMD6, PMP22, APBB2, DNAJB4, ERLIN1, ZEB1, RAB6B, and PLEKHF1) whose expression levels were dramatically altered in S4 cells; this was validated using the GSE51088 dataset. Kaplan–Meier survival statistics revealed that all 10 target genes were clinically significant. Finally, in the PPI network, 16 hub genes and 8 molecular complex detections (MCODEs) were identified; the seeds of the five most significant MCODEs were subjected to GO and KEGG enrichment analyses and their clinical relevance was evaluated.Conclusions: Through microarray and bioinformatics analyses, we identified DEGs and determined a comprehensive gene network following active HE4 stimulation in EOC cells. We proposed several possible mechanisms underlying the action of HE4 and identified the therapeutic and prognostic targets of HE4 in EOC.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13s1 ◽  
pp. CIN.S13882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binghuang Cai ◽  
Xia Jiang

Analyzing biological system abnormalities in cancer patients based on measures of biological entities, such as gene expression levels, is an important and challenging problem. This paper applies existing methods, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Signaling Pathway Impact Analysis, to pathway abnormality analysis in lung cancer using microarray gene expression data. Gene expression data from studies of Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LUSC) in The Cancer Genome Atlas project, and pathway gene set data from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were used to analyze the relationship between pathways and phenotypes. Results, in the form of pathway rankings, indicate that some pathways may behave abnormally in LUSC. For example, both the cell cycle and viral carcinogenesis pathways ranked very high in LUSC. Furthermore, some pathways that are known to be associated with cancer, such as the p53 and the PI3K-Akt signal transduction pathways, were found to rank high in LUSC. Other pathways, such as bladder cancer and thyroid cancer pathways, were also ranked high in LUSC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Jianyi Li ◽  
Xiaojie Tang ◽  
Yukun Du ◽  
Jun Dong ◽  
Zheng Zhao ◽  
...  

Purpose. Osteosarcoma is the most common primary and highly invasive bone tumor in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study is to construct a multi-gene expression feature related to autophagy, which can be used to predict the prognosis of patients with osteosarcoma. Materials and methods. The clinical and gene expression data of patients with osteosarcoma were obtained from the target database. Enrichment analysis of autophagy-related genes related to overall survival (OS-related ARGs) screened by univariate Cox regression was used to determine OS-related ARGs function and signal pathway. In addition, the selected OS-related ARGs were incorporated into multivariate Cox regression to construct prognostic signature for the overall survival (OS) of osteosarcoma. Use the dataset obtained from the GEO database to verify the signature. Besides, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were applied to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms. Finally, the nomogram is established by combining the risk signature with the clinical characteristics. Results. Our study eventually included 85 patients. Survival analysis showed that patients with low riskScore had better OS. In addition, 16 genes were included in OS-related ARGs. We also generate a prognosis signature based on two OS-related ARGs. The signature can significantly divide patients into low-risk groups and high-risk groups, and has been verified in the data set of GEO. Subsequently, the riskScore, primary tumor site and metastasis status were identified as independent prognostic factors for OS and a nomogram were generated. The C-index of nomogram is 0.789 (95% CI: 0.703~0.875), ROC curve and calibration chart shows that nomogram has a good consistency between prediction and observation of patients. Conclusions. ARGs was related to the prognosis of osteosarcoma and can be used as a biomarker of prognosis in patients with osteosarcoma. Nomogram can be used to predict OS of patients and improve treatment strategies.


F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monther Alhamdoosh ◽  
Charity W. Law ◽  
Luyi Tian ◽  
Julie M. Sheridan ◽  
Milica Ng ◽  
...  

Gene set enrichment analysis is a popular approach for prioritising the biological processes perturbed in genomic datasets. The Bioconductor project hosts over 80 software packages capable of gene set analysis. Most of these packages search for enriched signatures amongst differentially regulated genes to reveal higher level biological themes that may be missed when focusing only on evidence from individual genes. With so many different methods on offer, choosing the best algorithm and visualization approach can be challenging. The EGSEA package solves this problem by combining results from up to 12 prominent gene set testing algorithms to obtain a consensus ranking of biologically relevant results.This workflow demonstrates how EGSEA can extend limma-based differential expression analyses for RNA-seq and microarray data using experiments that profile 3 distinct cell populations important for studying the origins of breast cancer. Following data normalization and set-up of an appropriate linear model for differential expression analysis, EGSEA builds gene signature specific indexes that link a wide range of mouse or human gene set collections obtained from MSigDB, GeneSetDB and KEGG to the gene expression data being investigated. EGSEA is then configured and the ensemble enrichment analysis run, returning an object that can be queried using several S4 methods for ranking gene sets and visualizing results via heatmaps, KEGG pathway views, GO graphs, scatter plots and bar plots. Finally, an HTML report that combines these displays can fast-track the sharing of results with collaborators, and thus expedite downstream biological validation. EGSEA is simple to use and can be easily integrated with existing gene expression analysis pipelines for both human and mouse data.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Zhou ◽  
Zhihong Liu ◽  
Cuifeng Zhang ◽  
Manman Jiang ◽  
Yuxiao Jin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) has become the second deadliest cancer in the world and severely threatens human health. An increasing number of studies have focused on the role of the RNA helicase DEAD-box (DDX) family in CRC. However, the mechanism of DDX10 in CRC has not been elucidated.Methods: In our study, we analysed the expression data of CRC samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. Subsequently, we performed cytological experiments and animal experiments to explore the role of DDX10 in CRC cells. Furthermore, we performed Gene Ontology (GO)/ Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses. Finally, we predicted the interacting protein of DDX10 by LC-MS/MS and verified it by coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and qPCR.Results: In the present study, we identified that DDX10 mRNA was extremely highly expressed in CRC tissues compared with normal colon tissues in the TCGA and GEO databases. The protein expression of DDX10 was measured by immunochemistry (IHC) in 17 CRC patients. The biological roles of DDX10 were explored via cell and molecular biology experiments in vitro and in vivo and cell cycle assays. We found that DDX10 knockdown markedly reduced CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Then, we constructed a PPI network with the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING). GO and KEGG enrichment analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that DDX10 was closely related to RNA splicing and E2F targets. Using LC-MS/MS and Co-IP assays, we discovered that RPL35 is the interacting protein of DDX10. In addition, we hypothesize that RPL35 is related to the E2F pathway and the immune response in CRC.Conclusions: In conclusion, provides a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of DDX10 in CRC and provides a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Zhang ◽  
Feng Xu ◽  
Fang Fang

Abstract Background: Sepsis-associated acute lung injury (ALI) is a potentially lethal complication associated with a poor prognosis and high mortality worldwide, especially in the outbreak of COVID-19. However, the fundamental mechanisms of this complication were still not fully elucidated. Thus, we conducted this study to identify hub genes and biological pathways of sepsis-associated ALI, mainly focus on two pathways of LPS and HMGB1. Methods: Gene expression profile GSE3037 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, including 8 patients with sepsis-induced acute lung injury, with 8 unstimulated blood neutrophils, 8 LPS- induced neutrophils and 8 HMGB1-induced neutrophils. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identifications, Gene Ontology (GO) function analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways analysis, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network constructions were performed to obtain hub genes and relevant biological pathways.Results: We identified 534 and 317 DEGs for LPS- and HMGB1-induced ALI, respectively. The biological pathways involved in LPS- and HMGB1-induced ALI were also identified accordingly. By PPI network analysis, we found that ten hub genes for LPS-induced ALI (CXCL8, TNF, IL6, IL1B, ICAM1, CXCL1, CXCL2, IL1A, IL1RN and CXCL3) and another ten hub genes for HMGB1-induced ALI (CCL20, CXCL2, CXCL1, CCL4, CXCL3, CXCL9, CCL21, CXCR6, KNG1 and SST). Furthermore, by combining analysis, the results revealed that genes of TNF, CCL20, IL1B, NFKBIA, CCL4, PTGS2, TNFAIP3, CXCL2, CXCL1 and CXCL3 were potential biomarkers for sepsis-associated ALI. Conclusions: Our study revealed that ten hub genes associated with sepsis-induced ALI were TNF, CCL20, IL1B, NFKBIA, CCL4, PTGS2, TNFAIP3, CXCL2, CXCL1 and CXCL3, which may serve as genetic biomarkers and be further verified in prospective experimental trials.


Author(s):  
Ishtiaque Ahammad

Cocaine addiction is a global health problem that causes substantial damage to the health of addicted individuals around the world. Dopamine synthesizing neurons in the brain play a vital role in the addiction to cocaine. But the underlying molecular mechanisms that help cocaine exert its addictive effect have not been very well understood. Bioinformatics can be a useful tool in the attempt to broaden our understanding in this area. In the present study, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was carried out on the upregulated genes from a dataset of Dopamine synthesizing neurons of post-mortem human brain of cocaine addicts. As a result of this analysis, 3 miRNAs have been identified as having significant influence on transcription of the upregulated genes. These 3 miRNAs hold therapeutic potential for the treatment of cocaine addiction.


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