A blueprint of septin expression in human tissues

Septins are GTP-binding proteins that polymerize to form filaments involved in several important biological processes. In human, 13 distinct septins genes are classified in four groups. Filaments formed by septins are complex and usually involve members of each group in specific positions. Expression data from GTEx database, a publicly available expression database with thousands of samples derived from multiple human tissues, was used to evaluate the expression of septins. The brain is noticeably a hotspot for septin expression where few genes contribute to a large portion of septin transcript pool. Co-expression data between septins suggests two predominant specific complexes in brain tissues and one filament in other tissues. SEPT3 and SEPT5 are two genes highly expressed in the brain and with a strong co-expression in all brain tissues. Additional analysis shows that the expression of these two genes is highly variable between individuals, but significantly dependent on the individual's age. Age-dependent decrease of expression from those two septins involved in synapses reinforces their possible link with cognitive decay and neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging. Analysis of enrichment of Gene Ontology terms from lists of genes consistently co-expressed with septins suggests participation in diverse biological processes, pointing out some novel roles for septins. Interestingly, we observed strong consistency of some of these terms with experimentally described roles of septins. Coordination of septins expression with genes involved in DNA repair and cell cycle control may provide insights for previously described links between septins and cancer.