• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.38.1-38.8
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• 2023

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is an important cause of cancer-associated deaths worldwide. Therefore, the exact molecular mechanisms of NSCLC are unidentified. The present investigation aims to identify the miRNAs with predictive value in NSCLC. The two datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNA) and mRNAs (DEmRNA) were selected from the normalized data. Next, miRNA-mRNA interactions were determined. Then, co-expression network analysis was completed using the WGCNA package in R software. The co-expression network between DEmiRNAs and DEmRNAs was calculated to prioritize the miRNAs. Next, the enrichment analysis was performed for DEmiRNA and DEmRNA. Finally, the drug-gene interaction network was constructed by importing the gene list to dgidb database. A total of 3,033 differentially expressed genes and 58 DEmiRNA were recognized from two datasets. The co-expression network analysis was utilized to build a gene co- expression network. Next, four modules were selected based on the Z_summary score. In the next step, a bipartite miRNA-gene network was constructed and hub miRNAs (let-7a-2-3p, let-7d-5p, let-7b-5p, let-7a-5p, and let-7b-3p) were selected. Finally, a drug-gene network was constructed while SUNITINIB, MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE, DOFETILIDE, HALOPERIDOL, and CALCITRIOL drugs were recognized as a beneficial drug in NSCLC. The hub miRNAs and repurposed drugs may act a vital role in NSCLC progression and treatment, respectively; however, these results must validate in further clinical and experimental assessments.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.185-192
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• 2013

Many countries have implemented genetic evaluation for fertility traits in recent years. In particular, reproductive trait is a complex trait and need to require a system-level approach for identifying candidate genes related to the trait. To find the candidate gene associated with reproductive trait, we applied a weighted gene co-expression network analysis from expression value of bovine genes. We identified three co-expressed modules associated with reproductive trait from bovine microarray data. Hub genes (ZP4, FHL2 and EGR4) were determined in each module; they were topologically centered with statistically significant value in the gene co-expression network. We were able to find the highly co-expressed gene pairs with a correlation coefficient. Finally, the crucial functions of co-expressed modules were reported from functional enrichment analysis. We suggest that the network-based approach in livestock may an important method for analyzing the complex effects of candidate genes associated with economic traits like reproduction.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.45.1-45.11
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• 2023

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common type of chronic liver disease, with severity levels ranging from nonalcoholic fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The extent of liver fibrosis indicates the severity of NASH and the risk of liver cancer. However, the mechanism underlying NASH development, which is important for early screening and intervention, remains unclear. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) is a useful method for identifying hub genes and screening specific targets for diseases. In this study, we utilized an mRNA dataset of the liver tissues of patients with NASH and conducted WGCNA for various stages of liver fibrosis. Subsequently, we employed two additional mRNA datasets for validation purposes. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to analyze gene function enrichment. Through WGCNA and subsequent analyses, complemented by validation using two additional datasets, we identified five genes (BICC1, C7, EFEMP1, LUM, and STMN2) as hub genes. GSEA analysis indicated that gene sets associated with liver metabolism and cholesterol homeostasis were uniformly downregulated. BICC1, C7, EFEMP1, LUM, and STMN2 were identified as hub genes of NASH, and were all related to liver metabolism, NAFLD, NASH, and related diseases. These hub genes might serve as potential targets for the early screening and treatment of NASH.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.19-29
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• 2013

Marbling (intramuscular fat) is an important trait that affects meat quality and is a casual factor determining the price of beef in the Korean beef market. It is a complex trait and has many biological pathways related to muscle and fat. There is a need to identify functional modules or genes related to marbling traits and investigate their relationships through a weighted gene co-expression network analysis based on the system level. Therefore, we investigated the co-expression relationships of genes related to the 'marbling score' trait and systemically analyzed the network topology in Hanwoo (Korean cattle). As a result, we determined 3 modules (gene groups) that showed statistically significant results for marbling score. In particular, one module (denoted as red) has a statistically significant result for marbling score (p = 0.008) and intramuscular fat (p = 0.02) and water capacity (p = 0.006). From functional enrichment and relationship analysis of the red module, the pathway hub genes (IL6, CHRNE, RB1, INHBA and NPPA) have a direct interaction relationship and share the biological functions related to fat or muscle, such as adipogenesis or muscle growth. This is the first gene network study with m.logissimus in Hanwoo to observe co-expression patterns in divergent marbling phenotypes. It may provide insights into the functional mechanisms of the marbling trait.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제26권8호
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• pp.904-910
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• 2016

가축의 경제형질은 대부분 복합형질 상태이며, 많은 유전자와 생물대사회로에 의해 조절된다. 시스템 생물학은 생명현상을 하나의 복합체로 가정하고, 형질에 관여하는 유전자들에 대한 기능적 관계를 분석하는 학문이다. 유전자 네트워크는 시스템 생물학의 하나의 연구분야로써, 유전자 기능의 상관관계를 지도화하여 오믹스 데이터를 통합 분석하여 해석한다. 유전자 네트워크는 단백질-단백질 상호작용, 공발현, 조절인자, 유전자형 기반으로 다양한 유전자의 기능적 상호작용을 표현할 수 있다. 또한, 네트워크를 구성하기 위해서는 유전자 간 연결 정도에 가중치를 두거나, 인접한 유전자 수 계산 등의 네트워크 토폴로지 알고리즘이 적용된다. 가축에서는 이러한 연구가 단형질에 대한 유전자 발현, 단백질 상호작용 등에 국한되어 있는 실정이다. 본 논문에서는 유전자 공발현 네트워크와 단백질-단백질 상호작용 네트워크 분석법을 확립하고 소의 102개 경제형질에 대하여 유전자 네트워크 분석 결과에 대한 데이터베이스를 구축하였다. 102개의 경제형질은 Animal Trait Ontology (ATO) 명명법에 의하여 분류하여 제공하였다. 각 형질에 포함된 유전자 리스트는 Animal QTL database에서 제공하는 양적유전형질좌위의 물리적 위치에 존재하는 유전자군을 추출하였다. 유전자 공발현 네트워크는 R의 WGCNA 패키지를 활용하였으며, 단백질-단백질 상호작용 네트워크는 Human Protein Reference Database에서 사람과 소의 orthologous group에 포함된 유전자를 대상으로 단백질 상호작용 관계를 규명하였다. 네트워크 분석 결과는 관계형 테이블로 구축하였으며, 구축한 데이터베이스를 관련 연구진에게 공유하기 위하여 웹 기반의 유전자 네트워크 가시화 시스템을 구현하였다(http://www.nabc.go.kr/cg). 웹 데이터베이스 구현을 위하여 Ontle 프로그램을 활용하여 다양한 방식으로 유전자 네트워크 가시화 작업을 수행하였다. 이 시스템을 통하여 사용자는 관련 형질의 후보 유전자군 탐색, 유전자 네트워크 분석 결과, 유전자 사이의 기능적 연결관계를 손쉽게 살펴볼 수 있게 될 것이다.

• 원예과학기술지
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.243-251
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• 2017

Plants have evolved to adapt to abiotic stresses, such as salt, cold, and drought stress. In this study, we conducted an in-depth analysis of drought resistance mechanisms by constructing a gene co-expression network in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis L.). This drought stress co-expression network has 1,560 nodes, 4,731 edges, and 79 connected components. Based on genes that showed significant co-expression in the network, drought tolerance was associated with the induction of reactive oxygen species removal by raffinose family oligosaccharides and inositol metabolism. This network could be a useful tool for predicting the functions of genes involved in drought stress resistance in Chinese cabbage.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.26.1-26.6
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• 2020

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has been widely applied to provide insights into the cell-by-cell expression difference in a given bulk sample. Accordingly, numerous analysis methods have been developed. As it involves simultaneous analyses of many cell and genes, efficiency of the methods is crucial. The conventional cell type annotation method is laborious and subjective. Here we propose a semi-automatic method that calculates a normalized score for each cell type based on user-supplied cell type-specific marker gene list. The method was applied to a publicly available scRNA-seq data of mouse cardiac non-myocyte cell pool. Annotating the 35 t-stochastic neighbor embedding clusters into 12 cell types was straightforward, and its accuracy was evaluated by constructing co-expression network for each cell type. Gene Ontology analysis was congruent with the annotated cell type and the corollary regulatory network analysis showed upstream transcription factors that have well supported literature evidences. The source code is available as an R script upon request.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.128-135
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• 2020

Background: Classical acupuncture is being used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To explore the biological response to acupuncture, a network-based analysis was performed on gene expression data collected from an animal model of RA treated with acupuncture. Methods: Gene expression data were obtained from published microarray studies on blood samples from rats with collagen induced arthritis (CIA) and non-CIA rats, both treated with manual acupuncture. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to identify gene clusters expressed in association with acupuncture treatment time and RA status. Gene ontology and pathway analyses were applied for functional annotation and network visualization. Results: A cluster of 347 genes were identified that differentially downregulated expression in association with acupuncture treatment over time; specifically in rats with CIA with module-RA correlation at 1 hour after acupuncture (-0.27; p < 0.001) and at 34 days after acupuncture (-0.33; p < 0.001). Functional annotation showed highly significant enrichment of porphyrin-containing compound biosynthetic processes (p < 0.001). The network-based analysis also identified a module of 140 genes differentially expressed between CIA and non-CIA in rats (p < 0.001). This cluster of genes was enriched for antigen processing and presentation of exogenous peptide antigen (p < 0.001). Other functional gene clusters previously reported in earlier studies were also observed. Conclusion: The identified gene expression networks and their hub-genes could help with the understanding of mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of RA, as well understanding the effects of acupuncture treatment of RA.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.234-238
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• 2012

Genetic epidemiology studies have established that the natural variation of gene expression profiles is heritable and has genetic bases. A number of proximal and remote DNA variations, known as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), that are associated with the expression phenotypes have been identified, first in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines and later expanded to other cell and tissue types. Integration of the eQTL information and the network analysis of transcription modules may lead to a better understanding of gene expression regulation. As these network modules have relevance to biological or disease pathways, these findings may be useful in predicting disease susceptibility.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제25권10호
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• pp.1481-1492
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• 2012

The interaction of the genes involved in intestinal development is the molecular basis of the regulatory mechanisms of intestinal development. The objective of this study was to identify the significant pathways and key genes that regulate intestinal development in Landrace piglets, and elucidate their rules of operation. The differential expression of genes related to intestinal development during suckling time was investigated using a porcine genome array. Time sequence profiles were analyzed for the differentially expressed genes to obtain significant expression profiles. Subsequently, the most significant profiles were assayed using Gene Ontology categories, pathway analysis, network analysis, and analysis of gene co-expression to unveil the main biological processes, the significant pathways, and the effective genes, respectively. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR was carried out to verify the reliability of the results of the analysis of the array. The results showed that more than 8000 differential expression transcripts were identified using microarray technology. Among the 30 significant obtained model profiles, profiles 66 and 13 were the most significant. Analysis of profiles 66 and 13 indicated that they were mainly involved in immunity, metabolism, and cell division or proliferation. Among the most effective genes in these two profiles, CN161469, which is similar to methylcrotonoyl-Coenzyme A carboxylase 2 (beta), and U89949.1, which encodes a folate binding protein, had a crucial influence on the co-expression network.