Tissue-Specific Multi-Omics Integration Demonstrates Molecular Signatures Connecting Obesity to Immune Vulnerability

Area of Science:

• Metabolomics and Systems Biology
• Genomics and Bioinformatics
• Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Adipose tissue secretes various molecules, influencing organ function and contributing to obesity-related disorders.
• Obesity's systemic effects necessitate investigating inter-tissue crosstalk to understand its mechanisms.
• Understanding molecular patterns across tissues is crucial for addressing obesity's complex health impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify candidate molecules and molecular mechanisms underlying obesity.
• To characterize inter-tissue molecular patterns associated with obesity using an integrative network approach.
• To explore potential links between obesity, immune responses, and host-pathogen interactions.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed gene expression profiles from liver, skeletal muscle, blood, and adipose tissues.
• Performed differential gene expression (DEG) analysis, functional enrichment, and protein-protein interaction network analysis.
• Utilized network-based centrality measures and host-pathogen interaction analysis to identify key genes and pathways.

Main Results:

• Muscle, subcutaneous adipose tissue, and blood showed the highest number of DEGs.
• Obesity is associated with cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, and gastric cancer.
• Influenza A virus interactions were prominent in the host-pathogen network; common metabolites included 2-Oxoglutarate and Adenosine.

Conclusions:

• Obesity may be linked to immune-related biological processes and viral infection pathways.
• Host-pathogen interactions and immune signaling pathways may overlap with obesity-associated molecular signatures.
• Obesity might affect insulin response and glucose metabolism, indicating interactions between immune and metabolic processes, requiring further validation.