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A protein interactions map of multiple organ systems associated with COVID-19 disease
1Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India.
Insights
Understanding COVID-19 involves analyzing gene and protein interactions across organ systems. This study maps these interactions, identifying key proteins like CAV1 and CTNNB1 for potential therapeutic targets in coronavirus disease 2019.
Area of Science:
- Genomics and Systems Biology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic with complex effects, including antibody level fluctuations and multi-organ failure.
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying COVID-19 across different organ systems is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differentially regulated genes and protein interactions associated with COVID-19 across multiple organ systems.
- To identify key molecular players and potential therapeutic targets for COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Utilized RNA sequencing data to identify differentially expressed genes in COVID-19 patients.
- Constructed a protein-protein interaction network map for multiple organ systems.
- Analyzed subnetworks to identify functional modules and critical bridging proteins.
Main Results:
- Identified CAV1 and CTNNB1 as central nodes in the protein interaction network.
- Uncovered AR, CTNNB1, CAV1, and PIK3R1 as crucial bridging proteins connecting different functional modules.
- Highlighted potential druggable targets for COVID-19 drug repurposing strategies.
Conclusions:
- The protein interaction map provides insights into the systemic effects of COVID-19.
- Identifying key proteins and pathways can guide the development of novel therapeutics for coronavirus disease 2019.
- This research encourages further investigation into drug repurposing for COVID-19 treatment.
Abstract:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an on-going pandemic disease infecting millions of people across the globe. Recent reports of reduction in antibody levels and the re-emergence of the disease in recovered patients necessitated the understanding of the pandemic at the core level. The cases of multiple organ failures emphasized the consideration of different organ systems while managing the disease. The present study employed RNA sequencing data to determine the disease associated differentially regulated genes and their related protein interactions in several organ systems. It signified the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of the disease. A map of protein interactions of multiple organ systems was built and uncovered CAV1 and CTNNB1 as the top degree nodes. A core interactions sub-network was analyzed to identify different modules of functional significance. AR, CTNNB1, CAV1, and PIK3R1 proteins were unfolded as bridging nodes interconnecting different modules for the information flow across several pathways. The present study also highlighted some of the druggable targets to analyze in drug re-purposing strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the protein interactions map and the modular interactions of the differentially regulated genes in the multiple organ systems would incline the scientists and researchers to investigate in novel therapeutics for the COVID-19 pandemic expeditiously.
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