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CRSD: a comprehensive web server for composite regulatory signature discovery.

Transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs play important roles in the regulation of human gene expression, and the study of their combinatory regulations of gene expression is a new research field. We constructed a comprehensive web server, the composite regulatory signature database (CRSD), that can be applied in investigating complex regulatory behaviors involving gene expression signatures (GESs), microRNA regulatory signatures (MRSs) and TF regulatory signatures (TRSs). Six well-known and large-scale databases, including the human UniGene, mature microRNAs, putative promoter, TRANSFAC, pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) databases, were integrated to provide the comprehensive analysis in CRSD. Two new genome-wide databases, of MRSs and TRSs, were also constructed and further integrated into CRSD. To accomplish the microarray data analysis at one go, several methods, including microarray data pretreatment, statistical and clustering analysis, iterative enrichment analysis and motif discovery, were closely integrated in the web server, which has not been the case in previous studies. Our implementation showed that the published literature could demonstrate the results of genome-wide enrichment analysis. We conclude that CRSD is a powerful and useful bioinformatic web server and may provide new insights into gene regulation networks. CRSD and the online tutorial are publicly available at http://biochip.nchu.edu.tw/crsd1/.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Inflammatory pathways and immune dysregulation in pediatric postoperative septic shock: A study integrating transcriptomics, machine learning and molecular docking.

This study elucidates the molecular and immune regulatory mechanisms of pediatric postoperative septic shock. Transcriptomic data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes were identified using the limma package, and gene co-expression modules were constructed using Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis. Functional enrichment was performed via gene set enrichment analysis, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses. Immune cell infiltration was assessed using ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT. Mendelian randomization was applied to explore causal relationships between gene expression and septic shock. Feature genes were selected using machine learning algorithms, and a diagnostic nomogram model was constructed. Finally, molecular docking analysis was performed to screen and evaluate the binding affinity of traditional Chinese medicine monomers to core target proteins. A total of 1331 differentially expressed genes were identified, and the turquoise module was strongly correlated with septic shock. Enrichment analysis revealed significant activation of IL-6/JAK/STAT3, TNF-α/NF-κB, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways. Immune infiltration analysis indicated suppressed immune scores and imbalances in neutrophils, macrophages, T cells, and B cells. Mendelian randomization confirmed causal associations for 6 genes, including PIM3. The predictive model based on feature genes demonstrated high diagnostic performance. Molecular docking suggested that quercetin and astramembrannin I could stably bind PIM3. This study systematically identified core genes, dysregulated immune pathways, and candidate small-molecule interventions in pediatric septic shock, providing novel insights for early diagnosis and targeted therapy.

Humans↗

Luteolin is associated with alleviation of cigarette smoke-induced cellular senescence and inflammation in mice involving the CREB/c-Fos/NQO1 pathway.

Cigarette smoke (CS) exposure is a major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is closely associated with cellular senescence. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of luteolin in treating aging-related symptoms. This study aims to elucidate the therapeutic potential of luteolin against CS-induced cellular senescence. Using a CS-exposed mouse model and cigarette smoke extract (CSE) treated mouse lung epithelial cells (TC-1), we demonstrate that luteolin significantly attenuates CS-induced histopathological alterations and inflammatory cytokine release while alleviating cellular senescence. Transcriptome sequencing suggests that NQO1 and Fos may serve as a common molecular target for both CS-induced pathology and luteolin treatment. Subsequent Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) enrichment analysis and pathway validation experiments revealed that the cAMP agonist Forskolin inhibits senescence marker expression by activating the CREB pathway, exhibiting a mechanism similar to that of luteolin. Notably, luteolin activation of this pathway may not depend on PKA activation. Ultimately, the study found that luteolin mitigates inflammatory responses and prevents lung epithelial cell senescence via the CREB/c-Fos/NQO1 pathway. These findings not only suggest the pivotal role of NQO1 in regulating CS-induced cellular senescence but also underscore the potential of luteolin as a therapeutic drug.

Animals↗

MiNEApy: enhancing enrichment network analysis in metabolic networks.

MOTIVATION: Modeling genome-scale metabolic networks (GEMs) helps understand metabolic fluxes in cells at a specific state under defined environmental conditions or perturbations. Elementary flux modes (EFMs) are powerful tools for simplifying complex metabolic networks into smaller, more manageable pathways. However, the enumeration of all EFMs, especially within GEMs, poses significant challenges due to computational complexity. Additionally, traditional EFM approaches often fail to capture essential aspects of metabolism, such as co-factor balancing and by-product generation. The previously developed Minimum Network Enrichment Analysis (MiNEA) method addresses these limitations by enumerating alternative minimal networks for given biomass building blocks and metabolic tasks. MiNEA facilitates a deeper understanding of metabolic task flexibility and context-specific metabolic routes by integrating condition-specific transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics data. This approach offers significant improvements in the analysis of metabolic pathways, providing more comprehensive insights into cellular metabolism. RESULTS: Here, I present MiNEApy, a Python package reimplementation of MiNEA, which computes minimal networks and performs enrichment analysis. I demonstrate the application of MiNEApy on both a small-scale and a genome-scale model of the bacterium Escherichia coli, showcasing its ability to conduct minimal network enrichment analysis using minimal networks and context-specific data. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: MiNEApy can be accessed at: https://github.com/vpandey-om/mineapy.

Metabolic Networks and Pathways↗

The association of cardiovascular health with new-onset pulmonary hypertension and the mediating role of proteomic signatures.

BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics have been reported to play an important role in the development of noncommunicable chronic diseases, yet its link to pulmonary hypertension (PH) risk and the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association of CVH with PH risk and elucidate the mediating role of plasma proteomic signatures. METHODS: A total of 279 220 participants without PH at enrollment of the UK Biobank were included. Cox regression was used to quantify the association between CVH and incident PH. Proteome-wide association analysis, mediation analysis, and functional enrichment analysis were conducted to identify protein mediators. Key hub proteins were further validated at the transcriptional level through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in an animal model of PH, as well as at the protein level, and by macrophage-specific knockdown of interleukin (IL)-6 and CCL4 to evaluate its impact on rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) migration and proliferation. RESULTS: Over a median 13.2-year follow-up, 1325 PH cases occurred. Compared to the lowest CVH, participants with moderate and high CVH had 59% [hazard ratio (HR): 0.41; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.33-0.49] and 82% (HR: 0.18; 95% CI: 0.14-0.23) lower risk, respectively. Proteomic analyses revealed that this association was significantly mediated by a distinct plasma protein signature. Pathway enrichment analysis indicates that proteins are significantly enriched in inflammatory/immune pathways, and key hub proteins were identified as participating in the central mechanism pathway. In the lung tissue of PH rat models, the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-6 and C-C motif chemokine ligand 4 (CCL4) were significantly elevated. Furthermore, functional assays demonstrated that knockdown of IL-6 or CCL4 in macrophages significantly attenuated the migration and proliferation of rat PASMCs in vitro. CONCLUSION: High CVH level, defined by Life's Essential 8 (LE8), is significantly linked to a reduced risk of developing PH. This protective effect is primarily mediated by a proteomic signature, revealing the role of signaling pathways such as cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction in the prevention of PH.

Hypertension, Pulmonary↗

Kynurenine metabolism-related gene signature for prognostic stratification in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major global health burden with high mortality rates and limited therapeutic options. The identification of reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction is urgently needed. Kynurenine metabolism, a critical pathway in immune regulation and tumor progression, has been implicated in various cancers. However, its prognostic value in HCC has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to develop a prognostic risk model based on kynurenine metabolism-related genes (KMRGs) for HCC patients. METHODS: Transcriptomic and clinical data of HCC patients were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases. A prognostic risk model was established using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression analyses. Survival analysis and functional enrichment analysis were conducted to validate the predictive performance of the model and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. ALDH8A1 was ultimately identified as a target gene based on survival analysis, and its impact on tumor cell migration was assessed using the HCC cell line. RESULTS: A prognostic model based on seven KMRGs was established. The high-risk group exhibited significantly worse overall survival compared to the low-risk group. Functional enrichment analysis in high-risk patients highlighted significant enrichment in core biological processes, including spliceosome assembly and ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis. Furthermore, a nomogram integrating the risk score and clinical pathological features was developed, demonstrating moderate predictive performance for HCC prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: This study successfully constructed a prognostic risk model based on seven KMRGs, providing a valuable tool for predicting clinical outcomes in HCC patients. These findings highlight the potential role of kynurenine metabolism in HCC progression and offer new insights for future therapeutic strategies.

ALDH8A1↗

Establishment of the epithelial-specific transcriptome of normal and malignant human breast cells based on MPSS and array expression data.

INTRODUCTION: Diverse microarray and sequencing technologies have been widely used to characterise the molecular changes in malignant epithelial cells in breast cancers. Such gene expression studies to identify markers and targets in tumour cells are, however, compromised by the cellular heterogeneity of solid breast tumours and by the lack of appropriate counterparts representing normal breast epithelial cells. METHODS: Malignant neoplastic epithelial cells from primary breast cancers and luminal and myoepithelial cells isolated from normal human breast tissue were isolated by immunomagnetic separation methods. Pools of RNA from highly enriched preparations of these cell types were subjected to expression profiling using massively parallel signature sequencing (MPSS) and four different genome wide microarray platforms. Functional related transcripts of the differential tumour epithelial transcriptome were used for gene set enrichment analysis to identify enrichment of luminal and myoepithelial type genes. Clinical pathological validation of a small number of genes was performed on tissue microarrays. RESULTS: MPSS identified 6,553 differentially expressed genes between the pool of normal luminal cells and that of primary tumours substantially enriched for epithelial cells, of which 98% were represented and 60% were confirmed by microarray profiling. Significant expression level changes between these two samples detected only by microarray technology were shown by 4,149 transcripts, resulting in a combined differential tumour epithelial transcriptome of 8,051 genes. Microarray gene signatures identified a comprehensive list of 907 and 955 transcripts whose expression differed between luminal epithelial cells and myoepithelial cells, respectively. Functional annotation and gene set enrichment analysis highlighted a group of genes related to skeletal development that were associated with the myoepithelial/basal cells and upregulated in the tumour sample. One of the most highly overexpressed genes in this category, that encoding periostin, was analysed immunohistochemically on breast cancer tissue microarrays and its expression in neoplastic cells correlated with poor outcome in a cohort of poor prognosis estrogen receptor-positive tumours. CONCLUSION: Using highly enriched cell populations in combination with multiplatform gene expression profiling studies, a comprehensive analysis of molecular changes between the normal and malignant breast tissue was established. This study provides a basis for the identification of novel and potentially important targets for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy in breast cancer.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Mechanic evaluation of Jisheng Shenqi Wan on calcium oxalate kidney stones: an integrated network pharmacology and metabolomics.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the efficacy of Jisheng Shenqi Wan (JSSQW, ) in treating calcium oxalate kidney stones (KS) and to investigate the mechanism of JSSQW action by combining network pharmacology with metabolomics analysis based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem electrostatic field orbital trap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q/Orbitrap HRMS). METHODS: The chemical components of JSSQW absorbed into rat blood were identified by UHPLC-Q/Orbitrap HRMS. The identified components were introduced into the Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine platform to screen for target genes, followed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis and disease enrichment analysis. A KS rat model was generated using the oxalic acid precursor method to examine the efficacy of JSSQW for treating KS. Serum metabolomics was used to monitor changes in endogenous substances in KS rats after JSSQW intervention. RESULTS: Twenty-three chemicals from JSSQW were identified in the blood of JSSQW gavage-administered rats. KEGG enrichment analysis predicted the top 20 signaling pathways affected by these 23 chemicals. Disease enrichment analysis showed that the target genes of these 23 chemicals were enriched in diseases of the urinary system and endocrine system, including kidney stones. In a KS rat model, JSSQW inhibited the aggregation of calcium oxalate crystals, reduced renal tubular injury, lowered the renal index, and improved biochemical indicators (blood creatinine, blood urea nitrogen). Serum metabolomics identified 25 differential metabolites that responded to JSSQW treatment. They were mainly lipids, with phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphorylcholine and their derivatives accounting for the highest proportion. Metabolic pathway analysis showed that the changes in differential metabolites were related to multiple metabolic pathways, especially sphingolipid metabolism and sphingolipid signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: JSSQW can inhibit the aggregation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys, reduce tubular injury, and improve kidney function in KS rats. Its mechanism of action may be related to regulating disordered metabolites and metabolic pathways, especially glycerol phospholipid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and sphingolipid signaling.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal↗

hypeR-GEM: connecting metabolite signatures to enzyme-coding genes via genome-scale metabolic models.

MOTIVATION: Enrichment analysis is a cornerstone of "omics" data interpretation, enabling researchers to connect analysis results to biological processes and generate testable hypotheses. Enrichment analysis in metabolomics poses distinct challenges for interpretation and multi-omics integration due to the lack of well-defined and consistent connections to well-curated gene-centered biological knowledge repositories. To address these challenges, we developed hypeR-GEM, a methodology and associated R package that adapts gene set enrichment analysis to metabolomics. hypeR-GEM leverages genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) to infer reaction-based links between metabolites and enzyme-coding genes, enabling the mapping of metabolite signatures to gene signatures and their subsequent annotation via gene set enrichment analysis. RESULTS: We validated hypeR-GEM using paired metabolomics-proteomics and metabolomics-transcriptomics datasets by assessing whether genes mapped from metabolites significantly overlapped with differentially expressed proteins or transcripts. We further evaluated whether pathways enriched via hypeR-GEM-mapped genes corresponded to those derived from paired proteomic or transcriptomic data. In most datasets analyzed, both the predicted enzyme-coding genes and the associated enriched pathways showed significant concordance with independently derived omics signatures, supporting the utility and robustness of hypeR-GEM. Finally, we applied hypeR-GEM to the analysis of age-associated metabolic signatures from the New England Centenarian Study. The results revealed consistent enrichment of lipid-related pathways, aligning with the well-established role of lipid metabolism in aging, and highlighted additional pathways not captured in the metabolites' annotation, demonstrating hypeR-GEM's practical utility in a real-world use case. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The hypeR-GEM R package, documentation, and workflow examples are freely available at https://github.com/montilab/hypeR-GEM and archived at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20586748.

Metabolomics↗

Exploring the shared genetic basis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and obstructive sleep apnea: A multi-omics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have suggested an association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but these findings are often inconsistent due to potential biases from medication use, and varying diagnostic criteria. Genetic analyses can help mitigate these confounding factors, providing additional evidence. METHODS: This study evaluated the genetic correlations between ADHD and OSA using Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data, applying linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) and SUPER GeNetic cOVariance Analyzer (SUPERGNOVA). Cross-trait association and colocalization analysis identify potential pleiotropic loci. Tissue enrichment analysis and gene-level analysis of shared genes between OSA and ADHD was conducted. Additionally, bidirectional Mendelian randomization was used to assess potential causal relationships. RESULTS: We found significant genetic correlations between ADHD and OSA (rg = 0.309, p = 3.252E-27), and identified 8 novel pleiotropic loci through cross-trait association analysis. Tissue enrichment analysis showed that these shared genes were primarily concentrated in brain tissues, particularly in deep gray matter regions, and were associated with immune and inflammatory pathways. Forward Mendelian Randomization analysis showed that ADHD was significantly associated with the risk of OSA (OR 1.070, 95 % CI 1.013-1.130, p = 0.016), and reverse analysis showed that OSA was significantly associated with the risk of ADHD (OR 1.240, 95 % CI 1.106-1.390, p = 2.213E-4). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study show a significant positive genetic correlation between ADHD and OSA and each is a risk factor for the other. Inflammation in specific brain regions may be the underlying mechanism for their comorbidity.

Humans↗

Association Analysis of the Circulating Proteome With Sarcopenia-Related Traits Reveals Potential Drug Targets for Sarcopenia.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia severely affects the physical health of the elderly. Currently, there is no specific drug available for sarcopenia. This study aims to identify pathogenic proteins and druggable targets for sarcopenia through Mendelian randomization (MR)-based analytical framework. METHODS: A sequential stepwise screening method that includes two-sample MR, Steiger filtering test and colocalization (MRSC) was applied to identify causal proteins associated with sarcopenia-related traits. In the MR analyses, 4372 circulating proteins with valid instrumental variables (IVs) from eight proteomic genome-wide association studies were utilized as exposures, and nine sarcopenia-related traits were utilized as outcomes. IVs were classified into cis-protein quantitative trait loci (pQTLs) and trans-pQTLs based on their positions. We conducted cis-only MRSC analyses and cis&#x2009;+&#x2009;trans MRSC analyses using cis-pQTLs and cis&#x2009;+&#x2009;trans pQTLs as IVs, respectively. Post-MRSC analyses were conducted on the prioritized findings of MRSC, including annotation of protein-altering variants (PAVs), assessment of overlap between pQTLs and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, pathway enrichment analysis and annotation of drug targets. Utilizing data from the UK Biobank, we performed an observational study to explore the associations between baseline circulating protein levels and the longitudinal changes in nine sarcopenia-related traits. RESULTS: A total of 181 causal associations for 65 proteins were prioritized by the cis-only MRSC analyses and 227 associations for 91 proteins were prioritized by the cis&#x2009;+&#x2009;trans MRSC analyses. Among the prioritized proteins, the majority of them employed non-PAVs as IVs and most of their cis-pQTLs overlapped with corresponding eQTLs and exhibited consistent directionality, with only one trans-pQTL overlapping with an eQTL. The PPI network of cis-only MRSC-prioritized proteins (p&#x2009;=&#x2009;4.04&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10-4) and cis&#x2009;+&#x2009;trans MRSC-prioritized proteins (p&#x2009;=&#x2009;8.76&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10-5) showed significantly more interactions than expected. Reactome, KEGG and GO pathway enrichment analyses for cis-only MRSC-prioritized proteins identified 52, 12 and 79 enriched pathways, respectively (adjusted p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05). For proteins identified by cis&#x2009;+&#x2009;trans MRSC analyses, only 15 pathways were enriched through the GO pathway enrichment analyses. In the observational study, 197 circulating proteins were identified to be associated with one or more sarcopenia-related traits (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05/2923). Among them, the significant associations of CTSB (negative association) and ASGR1 (positive association) with sarcopenia-related traits were observed to have consistent directional associations in both MR-based studies and observational studies. Drug target annotations suggested that 52 MRSC-prioritized proteins and 145 biomarkers are drug targets or druggable. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified 89 potential pathogenic proteins and 197 candidate biomarkers for sarcopenia, providing valuable clues for the development of therapeutic drugs for sarcopenia.

Humans↗

Identification and validation of prognostic genes associated with mitochondrial nuclear genes in gastric cancer.

Mitochondrial-related nuclear genes (MNGs) have shown great importance in cancer diagnosis and prognosis, but their role in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. GC-related transcriptome data from the gene expression omnibus and cancer genome atlas databases were analyzed to identify differentially expressed MNGs. A prognostic risk model was constructed through univariate Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, validated by Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curve and receiver operating characteristic curve. This was followed by immune infiltration analysis, independent prognostic analysis, functional enrichment analysis, drug sensitivity analysis, drug prediction, molecular docking and construction of regulatory networks. Three prognostic genes (ATP8A2, COX15 and TARS2) were identified. The expression of TARS2 and COX15 was positively correlated with CNV, while ATP8A2 was unaffected. The risk model and nomogram, integrating risk score and clinicopathological factors, exhibited excellent predictive performance. A significant correlation was observed between prognostic genes and differential immune cells, such as T cells, B cells, and NK cells. BMS-754807, Gefitinib, JQ1, Lapatinib, and Sapitinib exhibited significant differences in sensitivity between the high-risk group and the low-risk group. The results of molecular docking showed TP8A2 has stable binding ability with cytosine, COX15 with indomethacin, and TARS2 with bisacodyl. RT-qPCR revealed downregulation of ATP8A2 and upregulation of COX15 and TARS2 in GC samples. MNGs, including ATP8A2, COX15, and TARS2, demonstrated significant associations with immune infiltration, CNV, and prognostic outcomes of GC.

Humans↗

Integrative analysis of the cancer transcriptome.

DNA microarrays have been widely applied to the study of human cancer, delineating myriad molecular subtypes of cancer, many of which are associated with distinct biological underpinnings, disease progression and treatment response. These primary analyses have begun to decipher the molecular heterogeneity of cancer, but integrative analyses that evaluate cancer transcriptome data in the context of other data sources are often capable of extracting deeper biological insight from the data. Here we discuss several such integrative computational and analytical approaches, including meta-analysis, functional enrichment analysis, interactome analysis, transcriptional network analysis and integrative model system analysis.

Animals↗

PPRC1 is a prognostic biomarker and key regulator of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable haematological malignancy, underscoring the need for novel prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and biological significance of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-related protein 1 (PPRC1) in MM. METHODS: Expression and clinical data were obtained from public databases and an independent local cohort. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate prognostic value. Differential expression analysis, pathway enrichment analysis and single-cell RNA-seq data analysis were used to explore biological functions. PPRC1 was silenced in MM cell lines using siRNA to assess its effects on cell survival and oxidative phosphorylation. RESULTS: PPRC1 was significantly upregulated in MM and was associated with advanced disease stage and poor overall survival. Multivariate Cox analysis identified PPRC1 as an independent prognostic factor. A nomogram incorporating PPRC1 and revised-ISS improved survival prediction. Functional analyses revealed that PPRC1 was positively correlated with oxidative phosphorylation and oncogenic signalling pathways. A potential connection between PPRC1 expression and immune cell infiltration was observed. PPRC1 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and impaired oxidative phosphorylation in MM. CONCLUSIONS: PPRC1 acts as a prognostic biomarker and metabolic regulator in MM by sustaining mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. These findings highlight PPRC1 as a potential therapeutic target in MM.

Humans↗

Enrichment and analysis of desmosine and isodesmosine in biological fluids.

A method has been developed for the enrichment and analysis of the elastin crosslinks, desmosine and isodesmosine, in biological fluids and tissues. It is adapted from published methods, offering improved recovery, sensitivity, resolution, and speed of analysis. Samples were hydrolyzed in 6 M HCl, after which the desmosines were enriched by CF1 cellulose chromatography and analyzed by HPLC with a C18 column. Isodesmosine and desmosine were quantitated based on absorbance at 275 nm, with a limit of detection of approximately 30 pmol and recovery of approximately 66% in urine. Their tR values on our HPLC system were approximately 9 and 12 min, respectively. This method was used to evaluate the daily and weekly variation in the concentrations of desmosine and isodesmosine in human urine. The results suggest that this method can be used to process large numbers of biological samples for analysis of desmosine and isodesmosine.

Animals↗

Role of IFIT1 and IFIT3 in systemic lupus erythematosus: modeling a diagnosis and exploring immune regulation.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disorder characterized by multi-organ involvement and a protracted clinical course. Current diagnostic strategies, which rely heavily on clinical symptoms and serology, are often insufficient for early detection. Therefore, highly accurate diagnostic biomarkers are urgently needed to facilitate early intervention and optimize personalized treatment strategies. D atasets GSE61635 and GSE135779 were integrated to identify differentially expressed genes. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to isolate the module with the strongest clinical relevance. Mendelian randomization and single&#x2011;cell RNA&#x2011;seq were used to identify key disease&#x2011;relevant genes. A diagnostic model was then constructed, and gene set variation analysis (GSVA), along with gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), was conducted to elucidate the underlying molecular pathways. IFIT1 and IFIT3 were identified as 2 core genes highly expressed in monocytes and T cells of SLE patients. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were enriched in immune-related pathways, metabolic pathways related to inflammation and genomic stability. The diagnostic model showed good accuracy, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.974 on the training set and 0.912 on the validation set. IFIT1 and IFIT3 represent promising biomarkers for diagnosing SLE and appear to mediate key immune and metabolic disturbances. Furthermore, the developed model serves as an accurate and reliable instrument for early diagnosis and personalized therapy. Large-scale clinical studies are warranted to further validate these findings and evaluate their clinical application.

Humans↗

Genetic association between epilepsy and gliomas: Insights from Mendelian randomization and single-cell transcriptomic analyses.

BACKGROUND: Seizures are prevalent in glioma patients, especially in those with low-grade gliomas. The interaction between gliomas and epilepsy involves complex biological mechanisms that are not fully understood. METHODS: We collected Genome-Wide Association Study data for epilepsy and gliomas, performed differential expression analysis, and conducted Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis on the identified genes. Single-cell RNA sequencing data (scRNA-seq) from GSE221534 dataset in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were used to analyze cell-cell interactions within glioma samples from patients with and without epilepsy. RESULTS: Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis revealed significant associations between genetic variants related to epilepsy and glioma risk, suggesting a potential causal relationship, especially in astrocytomas. Differential expression analysis identified epilepsy-related genes that were significantly upregulated in astrocytoma tissues compared to normal brain tissues. GO enrichment analysis indicated that these genes are involved in critical biological processes such as neurogenesis and cellular signaling. The scRNA-seq analysis showed, compared to non-epileptic samples, glioma stem cells, microglia, and NK cells are increased in the core regions of astrocytomas in epileptic patients. Additionally, intercellular communication between tumor cells and other non-tumor cells is markedly enhanced in astrocytoma samples from epileptic patients. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence of a genetic association between epilepsy and gliomas and elucidates the biological mechanisms through which epilepsy may influence glioma progression.

Humans↗

Comparative transcriptome analysis provides insights into dorso-ventral color pattern formation of Holothuria edulis.

Animal body color patterns are highly diverse and play critical roles in camouflage, intraspecific communication, and environmental adaptation. Holothuria edulis, an important echinoderm inhabiting tropical waters, exhibits a typical dorsoventral dichromatism. This unique body color difference represents a key phenotypic trait for its habitat adaptation; however, the core differential genes regulating this trait remain to be elucidated. In this study, comparative transcriptome sequencing was performed on the dorsal and ventral body wall tissues of H. edulis, leading to the identification of a number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), followed by GO functional annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. GO enrichment analysis indicated that the DEGs were significantly enriched in functional categories such as extracellular region, peptidase inhibitor activity, and tetrapyrrole binding. KEGG pathway analysis further revealed significant enrichment of protein digestion and absorption, the TNF signaling pathway, and cholesterol metabolism. Notably, the pigmentation-related gene FMO2 was highly expressed in the dorsal body wall tissue, whereas cyp1a1, ZIC1, Slc7a11, WNT-1, and ADAMTS20 were highly expressed in the ventral body wall tissue. This study identified DEGs and enriched pathways associated with dorsoventral body color differences in H. edulis, providing new insights into the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying body color pattern formation. From the perspective of aquaculture applications, body color is one of the important traits affecting the quality and market value of sea cucumber products. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of body color variation can provide a scientific basis for molecular marker-assisted breeding of superior sea cucumber variety.

Animals↗