Molecular Network Analyses Implicate Death-Associated Protein Kinase 3 (DAPK3) as a Key Factor in Colitis-Associated Dysplasia Progression
Date
2022-05-23
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Oxford University Press
Abstract
Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a progressive disorder that elevates the risk of colon cancer development through a colitis-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence. Gene expression profiling of colitis-associated lesions obtained from patients with varied extents of UC can be mined to define molecular panels associated with colon cancer development.
Methods: Differential gene expression profiles of 3 UC clinical subtypes and healthy controls were developed for the GSE47908 microarray data set of healthy controls, left-sided colitis, pancolitis, and colitis-associated dysplasia (CAD) using limma R.
Results: A gene ontology enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed a shift in the transcriptome landscape as UC progressed from left-sided colitis to pancolitis to CAD, from being immune-centric to being cytoskeleton-dependent. Hippo signaling (via Yes-associated protein [YAP]) and Ephrin receptor signaling were the top canonical pathways progressively altered in concert with the pathogenic progression of UC. A molecular interaction network analysis of DEGs in left-sided colitis, pancolitis, and CAD revealed 1 pairwise line, or edge, that was topologically important to the network structure. This edge was found to be highly enriched in actin-based processes, and death-associated protein kinase 3 (DAPK3) was a critical member and sole protein kinase member of this network. Death-associated protein kinase 3 is a regulator of actin-cytoskeleton reorganization that controls proliferation and apoptosis. Differential correlation analyses revealed a negative correlation for DAPK3-YAP in healthy controls that flipped to positive in left-sided colitis. With UC progression to CAD, the DAPK3-YAP correlation grew progressively more positive.
Conclusion: In summary, DAPK3 was identified as a candidate gene involved in UC progression to dysplasia.
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Keywords
colon cancer, death-associated protein kinase, zipper-interacting protein kinase, differential-gene expression, ulcerative colitis, dysplasia
Citation
Huey-Miin Chen, PhD, Justin A MacDonald, PhD, Molecular Network Analyses Implicate Death-Associated Protein Kinase 3 (DAPK3) as a Key Factor in Colitis-Associated Dysplasia Progression, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2022;, izac098, https://doi.org/10.1093/ibd/izac098