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Mangiapane G, Pascut D, Dalla E, Antoniali G, Degrassi M, Crocè LS, De Sanctis V, Piazza S, Canarutto G, Tiribelli C, Tell G. Clinical Significance of Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endodeoxyribonuclease 1 and MicroRNA Axis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2023; 11:1291-1307. [PMID: 37719963 PMCID: PMC10500290 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2022.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Identification of prognostic factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) opens new perspectives for therapy. Circulating and cellular onco-miRNAs are noncoding RNAs which can control the expression of genes involved in oncogenesis through post-transcriptional mechanisms. These microRNAs (miRNAs) are considered novel prognostic and predictive factors in HCC. The apurinic/apyrimidinic endodeoxyribonuclease 1 (APE1) contributes to the quality control and processing of specific onco-miRNAs and is a negative prognostic factor in several tumors. The present work aims to: a) define APE1 prognostic value in HCC; b) identify miRNAs regulated by APE1 and their relative target genes and c) study their prognostic value. Methods We used The Cancer Genome Atlas (commonly known as TCGA) data analysis to evaluate the expression of APE1 in HCC. To identify differentially-expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) upon APE1 depletion through specific small interfering RNA, we used NGS and nanostring approaches in the JHH-6 HCC tumor cell line. Bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify signaling pathways involving APE1-regulated miRNAs. Microarray analysis was performed to identify miRNAs correlating with serum APE1 expression. Results APE1 is considerably overexpressed in HCC tissues compared to normal liver, according to the TCGA-liver HCC (known as LIHC) dataset. Enrichment analyses showed that APE1-regulated miRNAs are implicated in signaling and metabolic pathways linked to cell proliferation, transformation, and angiogenesis, identifying Cyclin Dependent Kinase 6 and Lysosomal Associated Membrane Protein 2 as targets. miR-33a-5p, miR-769, and miR-877 are related to lower overall survival in HCC patients. Through array profiling, we identified eight circulating DE-miRNAs associated with APE1 overexpression. A training phase identified positive association between sAPE1 and miR-3180-3p and miR-769. Conclusions APE1 regulates specific miRNAs having prognostic value in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Mangiapane
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Devis Pascut
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato - ONLUS, Liver Cancer Unit, Trieste, Italy
| | - Emiliano Dalla
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giulia Antoniali
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Monica Degrassi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Lory Saveria Crocè
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato - ONLUS, Liver Cancer Unit, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Clinica Patologie Fegato, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Silvano Piazza
- Computational Biology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, ICGEB, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giulia Canarutto
- Computational Biology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, ICGEB, Trieste, Italy
| | - Claudio Tiribelli
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato - ONLUS, Liver Cancer Unit, Trieste, Italy
| | - Gianluca Tell
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
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Minadakis G, Christodoulou K, Tsouloupas G, Spyrou GM. PathIN: an integrated tool for the visualization of pathway interaction networks. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 21:378-387. [PMID: 36618987 PMCID: PMC9798270 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PathIN is a web-service that provides an easy and flexible way for rapidly creating pathway-based networks at several functional biological levels: genes, compounds and reactions. The tool is supported by a database repository of reference pathway networks across a large set of species, developed through the freely available information included in the KEGG, Reactome and Wiki Pathways database repositories. PathIN provides networks by means of five diverse methodologies: (a) direct connections between pathways of interest, (b) direct connections as well as the first neighbours of the given pathways, (c) direct connections, the first neighbours and the connections in between them, and (d) two additional methodologies for creating complementary pathway-to-pathway networks that involve additional (missing) pathways that interfere in-between pathways of interest. PathIN is expected to be used as a simple yet informative reference tool for understanding networks of molecular mechanisms related to specific diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Minadakis
- Bioinformatics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- PO Box 23462, 1683, Nicosia, Cyprus,Correspondence to: George Minadakis, Bioinformatics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- PO Box 23462, 1683, Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Kyproula Christodoulou
- Neurogenetics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- PO Box 23462, 1683, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - George Tsouloupas
- HPC Facility, The Cyprus Institute, 20 Konstantinou Kavafi Street, Aglantzia, 2121, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - George M. Spyrou
- Bioinformatics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- PO Box 23462, 1683, Nicosia, Cyprus
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Antoniali G, Dalla E, Mangiapane G, Zhao X, Jing X, Cheng Y, De Sanctis V, Ayyildiz D, Piazza S, Li M, Tell G. APE1 controls DICER1 expression in NSCLC through miR-33a and miR-130b. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:446. [PMID: 35876890 PMCID: PMC9314295 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04443-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests different, not completely understood roles of microRNA biogenesis in the development and progression of lung cancer. The overexpression of the DNA repair protein apurinic/apyrimidinic endodeoxyribonuclease 1 (APE1) is an important cause of poor chemotherapeutic response in lung cancer and its involvement in onco-miRNAs biogenesis has been recently described. Whether APE1 regulates miRNAs acting as prognostic biomarkers of lung cancer has not been investigated, yet. In this study, we analyzed miRNAs differential expression upon APE1 depletion in the A549 lung cancer cell line using high-throughput methods. We defined a signature of 13 miRNAs that strongly correlate with APE1 expression in human lung cancer: miR-1246, miR-4488, miR-24, miR-183, miR-660, miR-130b, miR-543, miR-200c, miR-376c, miR-218, miR-146a, miR-92b and miR-33a. Functional enrichment analysis of this signature revealed its biological relevance in cancer cell proliferation and survival. We validated DICER1 as a direct functional target of the APE1-regulated miRNA-33a-5p and miR-130b-3p. Importantly, IHC analyses of different human tumors confirmed a negative correlation existing between APE1 and Dicer1 protein levels. DICER1 downregulation represents a prognostic marker of cancer development but the mechanisms at the basis of this phenomenon are still completely unknown. Our findings, suggesting that APE1 modulates DICER1 expression via miR-33a and miR-130b, reveal new mechanistic insights on DICER1 regulation, which are of relevance in lung cancer chemoresistance and cancer invasiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Antoniali
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Emiliano Dalla
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giovanna Mangiapane
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Xiaolong Zhao
- Cancer Center of Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinming Jing
- Cancer Center of Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi Cheng
- Cancer Center of Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Veronica De Sanctis
- Next Generation Sequence Facility, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Dilara Ayyildiz
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Silvano Piazza
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.,Computational Biology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, ICGEB, Trieste, Italy
| | - Mengxia Li
- Cancer Center of Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Gianluca Tell
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
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Kakouri AC, Votsi C, Oulas A, Nicolaou P, Aureli M, Lunghi G, Samarani M, Compagnoni GM, Salani S, Di Fonzo A, Christophides T, Tanteles GA, Zamba-Papanicolaou E, Pantzaris M, Spyrou GM, Christodoulou K. Transcriptomic characterization of tissues from patients and subsequent pathway analyses reveal biological pathways that are implicated in spastic ataxia. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:29. [PMID: 35277195 PMCID: PMC8917697 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-022-00754-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spastic ataxias (SAs) encompass a group of rare and severe neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by an overlap between ataxia and spastic paraplegia clinical features. They have been associated with pathogenic variants in a number of genes, including GBA2. This gene codes for the non-lysososomal β-glucosylceramidase, which is involved in sphingolipid metabolism through its catalytic role in the degradation of glucosylceramide. However, the mechanism by which GBA2 variants lead to the development of SA is still unclear. METHODS In this work, we perform next-generation RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), in an attempt to discover differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in lymphoblastoid, fibroblast cell lines and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons derived from patients with SA, homozygous for the GBA2 c.1780G > C missense variant. We further exploit DEGs in pathway analyses in order to elucidate candidate molecular mechanisms that are implicated in the development of the GBA2 gene-associated SA. RESULTS Our data reveal a total of 5217 genes with significantly altered expression between patient and control tested tissues. Furthermore, the most significant extracted pathways are presented and discussed for their possible role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Among them are the oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, sphingolipid signaling and metabolism, PI3K-Akt and MAPK signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our work examines for the first time the transcriptome profiles of GBA2-associated SA patients and suggests pathways and pathway synergies that could possibly have a role in SA pathogenesis. Lastly, it provides a list of DEGs and pathways that could be further validated towards the discovery of disease biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C. Kakouri
- Department of Neurogenetics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Christina Votsi
- Department of Neurogenetics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Anastasis Oulas
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Paschalis Nicolaou
- Department of Neurogenetics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Massimo Aureli
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, 20090 Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Lunghi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, 20090 Milano, Italy
| | - Maura Samarani
- Unité de Trafic Membranaire ét PathogénèseDépartement de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Giacomo M. Compagnoni
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Monza, Milan Italy
| | - Sabrina Salani
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessio Di Fonzo
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | | | - George A. Tanteles
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Genomics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Eleni Zamba-Papanicolaou
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
- Neurology Clinic D, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Marios Pantzaris
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
- Neurology Clinic C, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - George M. Spyrou
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Kyproula Christodoulou
- Department of Neurogenetics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus
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Yang Q, Liu J, Wang Y, Zhao W, Wang W, Cui J, Yang J, Yue Y, Zhang S, Chu M, Lyu Q, Ma L, Tang Y, Hu Y, Miao K, Zhao H, Tian J, An L. A proteomic atlas of ligand-receptor interactions at the ovine maternal-fetal interface reveals the role of histone lactylation in uterine remodeling. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101456. [PMID: 34861240 PMCID: PMC8733267 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Well-orchestrated maternal–fetal cross talk occurs via secreted ligands, interacting receptors, and coupled intracellular pathways between the conceptus and endometrium and is essential for successful embryo implantation. However, previous studies mostly focus on either the conceptus or the endometrium in isolation. The lack of integrated analysis impedes our understanding of early maternal–fetal cross talk. Herein, focusing on ligand–receptor complexes and coupled pathways at the maternal–fetal interface in sheep, we provide the first comprehensive proteomic map of ligand–receptor pathway cascades essential for embryo implantation. We demonstrate that these cascades are associated with cell adhesion and invasion, redox homeostasis, and the immune response. Candidate interactions and their physiological roles were further validated by functional experiments. We reveal the physical interaction of albumin and claudin 4 and their roles in facilitating embryo attachment to endometrium. We also demonstrate a novel function of enhanced conceptus glycolysis in remodeling uterine receptivity by inducing endometrial histone lactylation, a newly identified histone modification. Results from in vitro and in vivo models supported the essential role of lactate in inducing endometrial H3K18 lactylation and in regulating redox homeostasis and apoptotic balance to ensure successful implantation. By reconstructing a map of potential ligand–receptor pathway cascades at the maternal–fetal interface, our study presents new concepts for understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms that fine-tune conceptus–endometrium cross talk during implantation. This provides more direct and accurate insights for developing potential clinical intervention strategies to improve pregnancy outcomes following both natural and assisted conception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianying Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Cui
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiajun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Yue
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Meiqiang Chu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qingji Lyu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lizhu Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yawen Tang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yupei Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Miao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Haichao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianhui Tian
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei An
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
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Onisiforou A, Spyrou GM. Identification of viral-mediated pathogenic mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases using network-based approaches. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:bbab141. [PMID: 34237135 PMCID: PMC8574625 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During the course of a viral infection, virus-host protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play a critical role in allowing viruses to replicate and survive within the host. These interspecies molecular interactions can lead to viral-mediated perturbations of the human interactome causing the generation of various complex diseases. Evidences suggest that viral-mediated perturbations are a possible pathogenic etiology in several neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). These diseases are characterized by chronic progressive degeneration of neurons, and current therapeutic approaches provide only mild symptomatic relief; therefore, there is unmet need for the discovery of novel therapeutic interventions. In this paper, we initially review databases and tools that can be utilized to investigate viral-mediated perturbations in complex NDs using network-based analysis by examining the interaction between the ND-related PPI disease networks and the virus-host PPI network. Afterwards, we present our theoretical-driven integrative network-based bioinformatics approach that accounts for pathogen-genes-disease-related PPIs with the aim to identify viral-mediated pathogenic mechanisms focusing in multiple sclerosis (MS) disease. We identified seven high centrality nodes that can act as disease communicator nodes and exert systemic effects in the MS-enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways network. In addition, we identified 12 KEGG pathways, 5 Reactome pathways and 52 Gene Ontology Immune System Processes by which 80 viral proteins from eight viral species might exert viral-mediated pathogenic mechanisms in MS. Finally, our analysis highlighted the Th17 differentiation pathway, a disease communicator node and part of the 12 underlined KEGG pathways, as a key viral-mediated pathogenic mechanism and a possible therapeutic target for MS disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Onisiforou
- Department of Bioinformatics, Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, and the Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Cyprus
| | - George M Spyrou
- Department of Bioinformatics, Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, and professor at the Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Cyprus
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Minadakis G, Muñoz-Pomer Fuentes A, Tsouloupas G, Papatheodorou I, Spyrou GM. PathExNET: A tool for extracting pathway expression networks from gene expression statistics. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4336-4344. [PMID: 34429851 PMCID: PMC8363825 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental issue related to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms, is the way in which common pathways act across different biological experiments related to complex diseases. Using network-based approaches, this work aims to provide a numeric characterization of pathways across different biological experiments, in the prospect to create unique footprints that may characterise a specific disease under study at a pathway network level. In this line we propose PathExNET, a web service that allows the creation of pathway-to-pathway expression networks that hold the over- and under expression information obtained from differential gene expression analyses. The unique numeric characterization of pathway expression status related to a specific biological experiment (or disease), as well as the creation of diverse combination of pathway networks generated by PathExNET, is expected to provide a concrete contribution towards the individualization of disease, and further lead to a more precise personalised medicine and management of treatment. PathExNET is available at: https://bioinformatics.cing.ac.cy/PathExNET and at https://pathexnet.cing-big.hpcf.cyi.ac.cy/.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Minadakis
- Bioinformatics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - George Tsouloupas
- HPC Facility, The Cyprus Institute, 20 Konstantinou Kavafi Street, 2121, Aglantzia, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Irene Papatheodorou
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, UK
| | - George M. Spyrou
- Bioinformatics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
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8
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Abstract
Signal transduction tasks as well as other complex biological processes involve many different changes in groups of genes, proteins, and metabolites linked together in chains or networks called pathways or networks of pathways. In a classical functional analysis, the biomolecules found to play a role in the biological status under investigation are members of a group of pathways that are not necessarily interconnected. However, interconnectivity is a critical factor for functionality. Thus, it is necessary to be able to construct "connected functional stories" to understand better the complex biological processes. PathwayConnector is a recently introduced web-tool that facilitates the construction of complementary pathway-to-pathway networks, bringing to our attention missing pathways that are crucial links towards the understanding of the molecular mechanisms related to complex diseases. Current version of the web-tool draws from an expanded pathway reference network and provides information deriving from 19 different organisms and 2 different pathway repositories: the KEGG and the REACTOME. Novel genes, proteins, and pathways derived from any experimental/computational method either in large-scale (omics) or even in smaller scale (specific laboratory experiments) can potentially be projected and analyzed through PathwayConnector. This chapter describes in details the pipeline and methodologies used for the latest updated version of PathwayConnector, providing an easy way for rapidly relating human or other organism's pathways together. Recent studies have shown that pathway networks and subnetworks, generated by PathwayConnector, are an integral part towards the individualization of disease, leading to a more precise and personalized management of the treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Minadakis
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - George M Spyrou
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
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9
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Christodoulou CC, Zachariou M, Tomazou M, Karatzas E, Demetriou CA, Zamba-Papanicolaou E, Spyrou GM. Investigating the Transition of Pre-Symptomatic to Symptomatic Huntington's Disease Status Based on Omics Data. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21197414. [PMID: 33049985 PMCID: PMC7582902 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is a rare neurodegenerative disease caused by a cytosine–adenine–guanine (CAG) trinucleotide expansion in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Although Huntington’s disease (HD) is well studied, the pathophysiological mechanisms, genes and metabolites involved in HD remain poorly understood. Systems bioinformatics can reveal synergistic relationships among different omics levels and enables the integration of biological data. It allows for the overall understanding of biological mechanisms, pathways, genes and metabolites involved in HD. The purpose of this study was to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), pathways and metabolites as well as observe how these biological terms differ between the pre-symptomatic and symptomatic HD stages. A publicly available dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was analyzed to obtain the DEGs for each HD stage, and gene co-expression networks were obtained for each HD stage. Network rewiring, highlights the nodes that change most their connectivity with their neighbors and infers their possible implication in the transition between different states. The CACNA1I gene was the mostly highly rewired node among pre-symptomatic and symptomatic HD network. Furthermore, we identified AF198444 to be common between the rewired genes and DEGs of symptomatic HD. CNTN6, DEK, LTN1, MST4, ZFYVE16, CEP135, DCAKD, MAP4K3, NUPL1 and RBM15 between the DEGs of pre-symptomatic and DEGs of symptomatic HD and CACNA1I, DNAJB14, EPS8L3, HSDL2, SNRPD3, SOX12, ACLY, ATF2, BAG5, ERBB4, FOCAD, GRAMD1C, LIN7C, MIR22, MTHFR, NABP1, NRG2, OTC, PRAMEF12, SLC30A10, STAG2 and Y16709 between the rewired genes and DEGs of pre-symptomatic HD. The proteins encoded by these genes are involved in various biological pathways such as phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase activity, cAMP response element-binding protein binding, protein tyrosine kinase activity, voltage-gated calcium channel activity, ubiquitin protein ligase activity, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding, and protein serine/threonine kinase. Additionally, prominent molecular pathways for each HD stage were then obtained, and metabolites related to each pathway for both disease stages were identified. The transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling (pre-symptomatic and symptomatic stages of the disease), calcium (Ca2+) signaling (pre-symptomatic), dopaminergic synapse pathway (symptomatic HD patients) and Hippo signaling (pre-symptomatic) pathways were identified. The in silico metabolites we identified include Ca2+, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, sphingosine 1-phosphate, dopamine, homovanillate and L-tyrosine. The genes, pathways and metabolites identified for each HD stage can provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that become altered in each disease stage. Our results can guide the development of therapies that may target the altered genes and metabolites of the perturbed pathways, leading to an improvement in clinical symptoms and hopefully a delay in the age of onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana C. Christodoulou
- Bioinformatics Department; Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics; Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus; (C.C.C.); (M.Z.); (M.T.)
- Neurology Clinic D; Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics; Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus;
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Margarita Zachariou
- Bioinformatics Department; Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics; Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus; (C.C.C.); (M.Z.); (M.T.)
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Marios Tomazou
- Bioinformatics Department; Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics; Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus; (C.C.C.); (M.Z.); (M.T.)
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Evangelos Karatzas
- Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece;
| | - Christiana A. Demetriou
- Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus;
| | - Eleni Zamba-Papanicolaou
- Neurology Clinic D; Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics; Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus;
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - George M. Spyrou
- Bioinformatics Department; Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics; Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus; (C.C.C.); (M.Z.); (M.T.)
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 2371 Nicosia, Cyprus
- Correspondence:
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10
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Stefani S, Kousiappa I, Nicolaou N, Papathanasiou ES, Oulas A, Fanis P, Neocleous V, Phylactou LA, Spyrou GM, Papacostas SS. Neurophysiological and Genetic Findings in Patients With Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. Front Integr Neurosci 2020; 14:45. [PMID: 32973469 PMCID: PMC7468511 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2020.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive procedure, stimulates the cortex evaluating the central motor pathways. The response is called motor evoked potential (MEP). Polyphasia results when the response crosses the baseline more than twice (zero crossing). Recent research shows MEP polyphasia in patients with generalized genetic epilepsy (GGE) and their first-degree relatives compared with controls. Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME), a GGE type, is not well studied regarding polyphasia. In our study, we assessed polyphasia appearance probability with TMS in JME patients, their healthy first-degree relatives and controls. Two genetic approaches were applied to uncover genetic association with polyphasia. Methods 20 JME patients, 23 first-degree relatives and 30 controls underwent TMS, obtaining 10–15 MEPs per participant. We evaluated MEP mean number of phases, proportion of MEP trials displaying polyphasia for each subject and variability between groups. Participants underwent whole exome sequencing (WES) via trio-based analysis and two-case scenario. Extensive bioinformatics analysis was applied. Results We identified increased polyphasia in patients (85%) and relatives (70%) compared to controls (47%) and significantly higher mean number of zero crossings (i.e., occurrence of phases) (patients 1.49, relatives 1.46, controls 1.22; p < 0.05). Trio-based analysis revealed a candidate polymorphism, p.Glu270del,in SYT14 (Synaptotagmin 14), in JME patients and their relatives presenting polyphasia. Sanger sequencing analysis in remaining participants showed no significant association. In two-case scenario, a machine learning approach was applied in variants identified from odds ratio analysis and risk prediction scores were obtained for polyphasia. The results revealed 61 variants of which none was associated with polyphasia. Risk prediction scores indeed showed lower probability for non-polyphasic subjects on having polyphasia and higher probability for polyphasic subjects on having polyphasia. Conclusion Polyphasia was present in JME patients and relatives in contrast to controls. Although no known clinical symptoms are linked to polyphasia this neurophysiological phenomenon is likely due to common cerebral electrophysiological abnormality. We did not discover direct association between genetic variants obtained and polyphasia. It is likely these genetic traits alone cannot provoke polyphasia, however, this predisposition combined with disturbed brain-electrical activity and tendency to generate seizures may increase the risk of developing polyphasia, mainly in patients and relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefani Stefani
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Neurology Clinic B, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Ioanna Kousiappa
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Neurology Clinic B, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Nicoletta Nicolaou
- Medical School, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Centre for Neuroscience and Integrative Brain Research (CENIBRE), University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Eleftherios S Papathanasiou
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Neurology Clinic B, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Anastasis Oulas
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Bioinformatics Group, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Pavlos Fanis
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Vassos Neocleous
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Leonidas A Phylactou
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - George M Spyrou
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Bioinformatics Group, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Savvas S Papacostas
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Neurology Clinic B, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Medical School, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Centre for Neuroscience and Integrative Brain Research (CENIBRE), University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
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11
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Minadakis G, Sokratous K, Spyrou GM. ProtExA: A tool for post-processing proteomics data providing differential expression metrics, co-expression networks and functional analytics. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:1695-1703. [PMID: 32670509 PMCID: PMC7340977 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
ProTExA is a web-tool that provides a post-processing workflow for the analysis of protein and gene expression datasets. Using network-based bioinformatics approaches, ProTExA facilitates differential expression analysis and co-expression network analysis as well as pathway and post-pathway analysis. Specifically, for a given set of protein-gene expression data across samples, ProTExA: (1) performs statistical analysis and filtering to highlight the differentially expressed proteins-genes, (2) performs enrichment analysis to identify top-scored pathways, (3) generates pathway-to-pathway and pathway-to-gene networks (4) generates protein and gene co-expression networks using a variety of methodologies, and (5) applies clustering methodologies to identify sub-networks of co-expressed proteins-genes. The proposed web-tool is a simple yet informative tool, towards understanding and exploitation of protein and gene expression datasets, especially for those that do not have the expertise and local resources to replicate specific analyses in the context of collaborative and scientific data exchanging.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Minadakis
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 International Airport Avenue, 2370 Nicosia, P.O. Box 23462, 1683 Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 International Airport Avenue, 2370 Nicosia, P.O. Box 23462, 1683 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Kleitos Sokratous
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 International Airport Avenue, 2370 Nicosia, P.O. Box 23462, 1683 Nicosia, Cyprus
- OMass Therapeutics, The Schrödinger Building, Heatley Road, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, UK
| | - George M Spyrou
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 International Airport Avenue, 2370 Nicosia, P.O. Box 23462, 1683 Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 International Airport Avenue, 2370 Nicosia, P.O. Box 23462, 1683 Nicosia, Cyprus
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12
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Zhao B, Hui X, Jiao L, Bi L, Wang L, Huang P, Yang W, Yin Y, Jin S, Wang C, Zhang X, Xu L. A TCM Formula YYWY Inhibits Tumor Growth in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Enhances Immune-Response Through Facilitating the Maturation of Dendritic Cells. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:798. [PMID: 32595493 PMCID: PMC7301756 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In worldwide, lung cancer has a major socio-economic impact and is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths. Current therapies for lung cancer are still quite unsatisfactory, urging for alternative new treatments. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is currently increasingly popular and exhibits a complicated intervention in cancers therapy. In this study, we evaluated the anti-tumor effect and explored the mechanisms of a TCM formula Yangyinwenyang (YYWY) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) models. YYWY induced the apoptosis of lung cancer cells in vitro. In Lewis NSCLC-bearing mice model, YYWY significantly inhibited the tumor growth. Further, RNA-seq analysis and immunostaining of the tumor tissue implied the critical role of YYWY in the regulation of immune response, especially the dendritic cells (DCs) in the effect of YYWY. Therefore, we focused on DCs, which were the initiator and modulator of the immune response. YYWY facilitated the maturation of DCs through MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways and promoted the release of the cytokines IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α by DCs. Moreover, the YYWY-matured DCs enhanced the proliferation of T cells and promoted the differentiation of T cells into T helper Th1 and cytotoxic T cell (CTL). In addition, YYWY increased the ratio of Th1/Th2 (IFN-γ/IL-4 radio). Collectively, our findings clearly suggested that YYWY exerted an anti-tumor effect on NSCLC, at least partially through facilitating the mature DCs to activate the proliferation and differentiation of T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Zhao
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaodan Hui
- Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Lijing Jiao
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Clinical Immunology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Bi
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Wang
- A Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Piao Huang
- A Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenxiao Yang
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinan Yin
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shenyi Jin
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengyan Wang
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- A Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Xu
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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13
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Functional Interactomes of Genes Showing Association with Type-2 Diabetes and Its Intermediate Phenotypic Traits Point towards Adipo-Centric Mechanisms in Its Pathophysiology. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10040601. [PMID: 32294959 PMCID: PMC7226597 DOI: 10.3390/biom10040601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogenic mechanisms causing type 2 diabetes (T2D) are still poorly understood; a greater awareness of its causation can lead to the development of newer and better antidiabetic drugs. In this study, we used a network-based approach to assess the cellular processes associated with protein–protein interaction subnetworks of glycemic traits—HOMA-β and HOMA-IR. Their subnetworks were further analyzed in terms of their overlap with the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in pancreatic, muscle, and adipose tissue in diabetics. We found several DEGs in these tissues showing an overlap with the HOMA-β subnetwork, suggesting a role of these tissues in β-cell failure. Many genes in the HOMA-IR subnetwork too showed an overlap with the HOMA-β subnetwork. For understanding the functional theme of these subnetworks, a pathway-to-pathway complementary network analysis was done, which identified various adipose biology-related pathways, containing genes involved in both insulin secretion and action. In conclusion, network analysis of genes showing an association between T2D and its intermediate phenotypic traits suggests their potential role in beta cell failure. These genes enriched the adipo-centric pathways and were expressed in both pancreatic and adipose tissue and, therefore, might be one of the potential targets for future antidiabetic treatment.
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14
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Malliaraki N, Lakiotaki K, Vamvoukaki R, Notas G, Tsamardinos I, Kampa M, Castanas E. Translating vitamin D transcriptomics to clinical evidence: Analysis of data in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, followed by clinical data meta-analysis. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2020; 197:105505. [PMID: 31669573 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2019.105505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Vitamin D (VitD) continues to trigger intense scientific controversy, regarding both its bi ological targets and its supplementation doses and regimens. In an effort to resolve this dispute, we mapped VitD transcriptome-wide events in humans, in order to unveil shared patterns or mechanisms with diverse pathologies/tissue profiles and reveal causal effects between VitD actions and specific human diseases, using a recently developed bioinformatics methodology. Using the similarities in analyzed transcriptome data (c-SKL method), we validated our methodology with osteoporosis as an example and further analyzed two other strong hits, specifically chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. The latter revealed no impact of VitD on known molecular pathways. In accordance to this finding, review and meta-analysis of published data, based on an objective measure (Forced Expiratory Volume at one second, FEV1%) did not further reveal any significant effect of VitD on the objective amelioration of either condition. This study may, therefore, be regarded as the first one to explore, in an objective, unbiased and unsupervised manner, the impact of VitD levels and/or interventions in a number of human pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niki Malliaraki
- Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology, University of Crete, School of Medicine, Heraklion, Greece; Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry/Biochemistry, University Hospital, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Kleanthi Lakiotaki
- Department of Computer Science, University of Crete, School of Sciences, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Rodanthi Vamvoukaki
- Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology, University of Crete, School of Medicine, Heraklion, Greece
| | - George Notas
- Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology, University of Crete, School of Medicine, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ioannis Tsamardinos
- Department of Computer Science, University of Crete, School of Sciences, Heraklion, Greece; Gnosis Data Analysis PC, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Marilena Kampa
- Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology, University of Crete, School of Medicine, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Elias Castanas
- Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology, University of Crete, School of Medicine, Heraklion, Greece.
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15
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Kim TR, Jeong HH, Sohn KA. Topological integration of RPPA proteomic data with multi-omics data for survival prediction in breast cancer via pathway activity inference. BMC Med Genomics 2019; 12:94. [PMID: 31296204 PMCID: PMC6624183 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-019-0511-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The analysis of integrated multi-omics data enables the identification of disease-related biomarkers that cannot be identified from a single omics profile. Although protein-level data reflects the cellular status of cancer tissue more directly than gene-level data, past studies have mainly focused on multi-omics integration using gene-level data as opposed to protein-level data. However, the use of protein-level data (such as mass spectrometry) in multi-omics integration has some limitations. For example, the correlation between the characteristics of gene-level data (such as mRNA) and protein-level data is weak, and it is difficult to detect low-abundance signaling proteins that are used to target cancer. The reverse phase protein array (RPPA) is a highly sensitive antibody-based quantification method for signaling proteins. However, the number of protein features in RPPA data is extremely low compared to the number of gene features in gene-level data. In this study, we present a new method for integrating RPPA profiles with RNA-Seq and DNA methylation profiles for survival prediction based on the integrative directed random walk (iDRW) framework proposed in our previous study. In the iDRW framework, each omics profile is merged into a single pathway profile that reflects the topological information of the pathway. In order to address the sparsity of RPPA profiles, we employ the random walk with restart (RWR) approach on the pathway network. RESULTS Our model was validated using survival prediction analysis for a breast cancer dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Our proposed model exhibited improved performance compared with other methods that utilize pathway information and also out-performed models that did not include the RPPA data utilized in our study. The risk pathways identified for breast cancer in this study were closely related to well-known breast cancer risk pathways. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that RPPA data is useful for survival prediction for breast cancer patients under our framework. We also observed that iDRW effectively integrates RNA-Seq, DNA methylation, and RPPA profiles, while variation in the composition of the omics data can affect both prediction performance and risk pathway identification. These results suggest that omics data composition is a critical parameter for iDRW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Rim Kim
- Department of Computer Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499 South Korea
| | - Hyun-Hwan Jeong
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030 USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Kyung-Ah Sohn
- Department of Computer Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499 South Korea
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16
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Inhibition of Breast Cancer Cell Invasion by Ras Suppressor-1 (RSU-1) Silencing Is Reversed by Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15). Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20010163. [PMID: 30621163 PMCID: PMC6337329 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM)-related adhesion proteins are important in metastasis. Ras suppressor-1 (RSU-1), a suppressor of Ras-transformation, is localized to cell–ECM adhesions where it interacts with the Particularly Interesting New Cysteine-Histidine rich protein (PINCH-1), being connected to Integrin Linked Kinase (ILK) and alpha-parvin (PARVA), a direct actin-binding protein. RSU-1 was also found upregulated in metastatic breast cancer (BC) samples and was recently demonstrated to have metastasis-promoting properties. In the present study, we transiently silenced RSU-1 in BC cells, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. We found that RSU-1 silencing leads to downregulation of Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15), which has been associated with both actin cytoskeleton reorganization and metastasis. RSU-1 silencing also reduced the mRNA expression of PINCH-1 and cell division control protein-42 (Cdc42), while increasing that of ILK and Rac regardless of the presence of GDF-15. However, the downregulation of actin-modulating genes PARVA, RhoA, Rho associated kinase-1 (ROCK-1), and Fascin-1 following RSU-1 depletion was completely reversed by GDF-15 treatment in both cell lines. Moreover, complete rescue of the inhibitory effect of RSU-1 silencing on cell invasion was achieved by GDF-15 treatment, which also correlated with matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression. Finally, using a graph clustering approach, we corroborated our findings. This is the first study providing evidence of a functional association between RSU-1 and GDF-15 with regard to cancer cell invasion.
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Domingo-Fernández D, Hoyt CT, Bobis-Álvarez C, Marín-Llaó J, Hofmann-Apitius M. ComPath: an ecosystem for exploring, analyzing, and curating mappings across pathway databases. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2018; 5:3. [PMID: 30564458 PMCID: PMC6292919 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-018-0078-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Although pathways are widely used for the analysis and representation of biological systems, their lack of clear boundaries, their dispersion across numerous databases, and the lack of interoperability impedes the evaluation of the coverage, agreements, and discrepancies between them. Here, we present ComPath, an ecosystem that supports curation of pathway mappings between databases and fosters the exploration of pathway knowledge through several novel visualizations. We have curated mappings between three of the major pathway databases and present a case study focusing on Parkinson’s disease that illustrates how ComPath can generate new biological insights by identifying pathway modules, clusters, and cross-talks with these mappings. The ComPath source code and resources are available at https://github.com/ComPath and the web application can be accessed at https://compath.scai.fraunhofer.de/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Domingo-Fernández
- 1Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing, 53754 Sankt Augustin, Germany.,2Bonn-Aachen International Center for IT, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Charles Tapley Hoyt
- 1Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing, 53754 Sankt Augustin, Germany.,2Bonn-Aachen International Center for IT, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Carlos Bobis-Álvarez
- 3Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Josep Marín-Llaó
- 1Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing, 53754 Sankt Augustin, Germany.,4Rovira i Virgili University, 43003 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Martin Hofmann-Apitius
- 1Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing, 53754 Sankt Augustin, Germany.,2Bonn-Aachen International Center for IT, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
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