Loss of connectivity in cancer co-expression networks

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 28;9(1):e87075. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087075. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Differential gene expression profiling studies have lead to the identification of several disease biomarkers. However, the oncogenic alterations in coding regions can modify the gene functions without affecting their own expression profiles. Moreover, post-translational modifications can modify the activity of the coded protein without altering the expression levels of the coding gene, but eliciting variations to the expression levels of the regulated genes. These considerations motivate the study of the rewiring of networks co-expressed genes as a consequence of the aforementioned alterations in order to complement the informative content of differential expression. We analyzed 339 mRNAomes of five distinct cancer types to find single genes that presented co-expression patterns strongly differentiated between normal and tumor phenotypes. Our analysis of differentially connected genes indicates the loss of connectivity as a common topological trait of cancer networks, and unveils novel candidate cancer genes. Moreover, our integrated approach that combines the differential expression together with the differential connectivity improves the classic enrichment pathway analysis providing novel insights on putative cancer gene biosystems not still fully investigated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Gene Regulatory Networks*
  • Genes, Neoplasm
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor

Grants and funding

This work was partially supported by grants from Regione Puglia PO FESR 2007--2013 Progetto BISIMANE (Cod. n. 44), Progetto FIRB RBAP11B2SX, Progetto di Ricerca Finalizzata 2009 RF/2009-1471624. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.