The Association between rs2292239 Polymorphism in ERBB3 Gene and Type 1 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis

Integrative Analyses of Genes Associated with Fulminant Type 1 Diabetes

Objective

Fulminant type 1 diabetes (FT1D) is a type of type 1 diabetes, which is characterized by rapid onset of disease and severe metabolic disorders. We intend to screen for crucial genes and potential molecular mechanisms in FT1D in this study.

Method

We downloaded GSE44314, which includes six healthy controls and five patients with FT1D, from the GEO database. Identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was performed by NetworkAnalyst. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of DEGs were screened by an online tool-Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integration Discovery (DAVID). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and hub genes among DEGs were analyzed by NetworkAnalyst. And we also use NetworkAnalyst to find out the microRNAs (miRNAs) and transcription factors (TFs) which regulate the expression of DEGs.

Result

We identified 130 DEGs (60 upregulated and 70 downregulated DEGs) between healthy controls and FT1D patients. GO analysis results revealed that DEGs were mostly enriched in generation of precursor metabolites and energy, neurohypophyseal hormone activity, and mitochondrial inner membrane. KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated that DEGs were mostly involved in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Results indicated that NCOA1, SRF, ERBB3, EST1, TOP1, UBE2S, INO80, COX7C, ITGAV, and COX6C were the top hub genes in the PPI network. Furthermore, we recognized that LDLR, POTEM, IFNAR2, BAZ2A, and SRF were the top hub genes in the miRNA-target gene network, and SRF, TSPAN4, CD59, ETS1, and SLC25A25 were the top hub genes in the TF-target gene network.

Conclusion

Our study pinpoints key genes and pathways associated with FT1D by a sequence of bioinformatics analysis on DEGs. These identified genes and pathways provide more detailed molecular mechanisms of FT1D and may provide novel therapeutic targets.

Advances in Knowledge of Candidate Genes Acting at the Beta-Cell Level in the Pathogenesis of T1DM

T1DM (type 1 diabetes mellitus), which results from the irreversible elimination of beta-cells mediated by autoreactive T cells, is defined as an autoimmune disease. It is widely accepted that T1DM is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, but the precise underlying molecular mechanisms are still unknown. To date, more than 50 genetic risk regions contributing to the pathogenesis of T1DM have been identified by GWAS (genome-wide association studies). Notably, more than 60% of the identified candidate genes are expressed in islets and beta-cells, which makes it plausible that these genes act at the beta-cell level and play a key role in the pathogenesis of T1DM. In this review, we focus on the current status of candidate genes that act at the beta-cell level by regulating the innate immune response and antiviral activity, affecting susceptibility to proapoptotic stimuli and influencing the pancreatic beta-cell phenotype.