Metagenomics and transcriptomics data from human colorectal cancer.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Microbiology
• Genomics

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a complex disease influenced by microbial dysbiosis.
• Molecular profiling has enabled stratification of CRC into distinct subtypes.
• The interplay between CRC molecular subtypes and the gut microbiome remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between molecular mechanisms that define colorectal cancer subtypes and the composition of the gut microbial community.
• To connect molecular aspects of colorectal cancer with the environmental influence of the gut microbiome.

Main Methods:

• RNA-sequencing gene expression profiles were used to classify 34 tumor samples into molecular subtypes.
• 16S rRNA amplicon metabarcoding and whole-genome metagenomics were employed to determine bacterial taxonomic group abundances.
• Metagenomic analysis utilized the non-human portion of the RNA-sequencing data.

Main Results:

• Molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer were identified based on gene expression profiles.
• The relative abundances of various bacterial taxonomic groups within the gut microbiome were determined for each sample.
• Data establishes a link between specific colorectal cancer molecular subtypes and distinct gut microbial community compositions.

Conclusions:

• The study provides novel insights into the association between colorectal cancer molecular subtypes and gut microbial dysbiosis.
• This research expands the available data on colorectal cancer, linking its molecular characteristics to microbial community impacts.
• Findings may inform future therapeutic strategies by considering the gut microbiome's role in colorectal cancer heterogeneity.