Transcriptomic Analysis of Gingival Tissues: Insights Into Gene Expression Profiles

Area of Science:

• Oral biology
• Genomics
• Molecular biology

Background:

• Human gingiva comprises distinct connective tissue (CT) and gingival epithelium (GE) layers.
• Understanding the molecular basis of their specialized functions is crucial for periodontal health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the distinct transcriptomic profiles and molecular pathways of human gingival connective tissue and epithelium.
• To elucidate the molecular drivers of their unique functional characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Differential gene expression analysis of publicly available datasets (GSE38617, GSE7224) from healthy human gingival tissues.
• Utilized R package 'limma' for analysis with stringent statistical cutoffs (log2 fold change ≥ 1, adjusted p-value < 0.05).

Main Results:

• Identified 11,096 differentially expressed genes between CT and GE.
• CT upregulated genes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, collagen synthesis, and immunomodulation (e.g., COL1A1, COL3A1).
• GE upregulated genes related to epithelial barrier integrity, antimicrobial defense, and keratinocyte differentiation (e.g., DEFB1, KRT10).
• Pathway analysis revealed PI3K-Akt signaling and ECM-receptor interaction in CT, and tight junctions and IL-17 signaling in GE.

Conclusions:

• Transcriptional landscapes of CT and GE highlight specialized functions in maintaining periodontal health.
• CT primarily supports ECM structure and immune modulation, while GE focuses on barrier defense and antimicrobial functions.