Integrated Bioinformatics and Network Analysis Identifies Key Molecular Targets and Hub Genes in Zika Virus-induced...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience and Virology
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Background:

• Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is linked to severe neurodevelopmental and neurological problems.
• The precise molecular mechanisms driving ZIKV-induced neuroinflammation remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify molecular targets and pathways implicated in ZIKV infection using a bioinformatics approach.
• To uncover potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ZIKV-related neurological disorders.

Main Methods:

• Integrated bioinformatics analysis of microarray data from 65 samples (35 ZIKV-positive, 30 controls) from the GEO database.
• Differential gene expression (DEG) analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis.
• Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to identify key genes and their diagnostic potential.

Main Results:

• Identified 1,268 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ZIKV-infected samples.
• Discovered ten crucial hub genes (e.g., ITGAM, CD86, CCR5) through PPI network analysis, with CCR5 showing diagnostic potential.
• Found significant enrichment of genes related to neurogenesis, synaptic organization, immune response, and amyloid beta binding, suggesting ZIKV modulates these pathways.

Conclusions:

• Immune response pathways are critically involved in ZIKV infection and neuroinflammation.
• ZIKV infection can modulate key hub genes and regulatory factors (transcription factors, microRNAs) to induce neuroinflammation.
• Identified potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets, particularly CCR5, for ZIKV-induced neurological conditions.