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Integrated bioinformatics analysis for identifying key genes and pathways in female and male patients with dilated
Min Zhang1, Xinzhou Wang2, Wenbo Chen3
1College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
Insights
This study reveals distinct genetic and pathway differences in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) between sexes. Identifying sex-specific genes and immune responses offers new insights into DCM progression.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Genetics
- Molecular Medicine
Background:
- Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a prevalent cause of heart failure, disproportionately affecting males.
- Understanding sex-specific molecular mechanisms in DCM is crucial for targeted therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify sex-specific genes, regulatory elements, and pathways implicated in dilated cardiomyopathy.
- To elucidate the molecular basis of sex differences in DCM pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to identify key differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
- Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis and pathway enrichment (KEGG, GSEA) to determine hub genes and biological processes.
- Network pharmacology and dual-luciferase reporter assays to validate gene targets and miRNA interactions.
Main Results:
- Identified sex-specific key DEGs, hub genes, transcription factors (TFs), and microRNAs (miRNAs) in DCM.
- Discovered shared and sex-exclusive enriched pathways, including immune response and TGF-β signaling (males).
- Validated seven key DEGs as potential therapeutic targets, with OLR1 exclusive to males.
Conclusions:
- This research highlights significant sex differences in the genetic architecture and molecular pathways of DCM.
- The findings provide a novel understanding of DCM progression and potential sex-specific therapeutic strategies.
Abstract:
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common cause of heart failure, and males are more likely to suffer from DCM than females. This research aimed at exploring possible DCM-associated genes and their latent regulatory effects in female and male patients. WGCNA analysis found that in the yellow module, 341 and 367 key DEGs were identified in females and males, respectively. A total of 22 hub genes in females and 17 hub genes in males were identified from the PPI networks of the key DEGs based on Metascape database. And twelve and eight potential TFs of the key DEGs were also identified in females and males, respectively. Eight miRNAs of 15 key DEGs were screened in both females and males, which may be differentially expressed in females and males. Dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-21-5P could directly target the key gene MATN2. Furthermore, Sex differences in KEGG pathways were identified. Both KOBAS and GSEA analysis identified 19 significantly enriched pathways related to immune response in both females and males, and the TGF-β signaling pathway was exclusively identified in males. Network pharmacology analysis revealed that seven key DEGs were potential targets for the treatment of DCM, of which the OLR1 gene was only identified in males, the expression levels of the seven genes were verified by RT-PCR. The above results could offer a novel understanding of sex differences in key genes and pathways in DCM progression.
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