Transcriptional Signatures and Network-Based Approaches Identified Master Regulators Transcription Factors Involved...

Area of Science:

• Oral biology and immunology
• Genomics and bioinformatics

Background:

• Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease causing irreversible tissue destruction.
• The exact transcriptional regulatory mechanisms driving periodontitis remain largely unknown.
• Dysbiotic oral biofilms trigger immune responses implicated in periodontitis pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify master transcriptional regulators of periodontitis.
• To build Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) for periodontitis.
• To elucidate transcriptional changes in periodontitis-affected oral mucosa.

Main Methods:

• RNA shotgun sequencing of oral mucosa from periodontitis-affected mice.
• Differential gene expression analysis to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
• Construction of Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) using co-expression modules.

Main Results:

• Identified 366 protein-coding and 42 non-coding DEGs, enriched in immune response pathways.
• Discovered 13 co-expression modules with varying gene representation and expression levels.
• Constructed a GRN with 166 nodes (33 Transcription Factors) and 201 connections, identifying 26 master regulators.

Conclusions:

• Transcriptomic analysis combined with GRN construction is effective for identifying periodontitis regulators.
• The identified master regulators represent potential therapeutic targets for periodontitis.
• This approach provides a comprehensive view of the transcriptional landscape in periodontitis.