Analysis of differentially expressed genes in various stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy by using a network view

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), which is caused by mutations in the X-linked dystrophin gene, is a severe and progressive neuromuscular disease with no available cure. By integrating 2 microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus, we identified differentially expressed genes in 2 stages of DMD and systematically explored their potential disease-related mechanisms using a network view. Twenty differentially expressed genes were detected in various stages of DMD. According to the network with dystrophin as its center, none of the 20 proteins interacts with dystrophin directly. IQ motif-containing GTPase-activating protein 1 was found in the 2nd-level neighbors with a degree of 21. Microtubule-associated protein tau, membrane metallo-endopeptidase, interleukin 13 receptor alpha 1, and multiple epidermal growth factor-like domains 6 were found in the 3rd-level neighbors. These identifications require further investigation, as this report is the first of possible associations between DMD and these proteins. Analysis of differentially expressed genes through this network view may provide important information for further exploration of underlying mechanisms of DMD.