Is cross-species horizontal gene transfer responsible for gallbladder carcinogenesis

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Cross-species horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the movement of genetic material between species.
• Emerging evidence suggests HGT may contribute to disease development and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential cross-species origins of differentially expressed antisense RNAs (asRNAs) in gallbladder cancer (GBC).
• To explore the evolutionary connections of asRNAs in GBC using transcriptomic and genomic analyses.

Main Methods:

• Transcriptomic data from GBC patients were analyzed for differential asRNA expression.
• Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) was employed for cross-species genomic comparisons.
• Functional enrichment and network analyses were performed to understand asRNA functions.

Main Results:

• Seventeen differentially expressed asRNAs were identified in GBC tissues.
• Fifteen asRNAs showed sequence similarities to bacterial and viral genomes, with two (VPS9D1-AS1 and SLC2A1-AS1) exhibiting high similarity to specific viruses and bacteria.
• These similarities suggest potential horizontal gene transfer events during evolution.

Conclusions:

• Differentially expressed asRNAs in GBC share sequence similarities with microbial and ancient human genomes, indicating a potential shared evolutionary origin.
• These non-coding RNAs are methylated and linked to cancer pathways like P53 and PI3K-AKT, suggesting a role in tumor development.