You Leiming, Liu Aijie, Sang Xiaopu, Gao Xinhui, Li Ting'An, Zhang Shen, Li Kunyu, Wang Wei, Huang Guangrui, Wang Ting, Xu Anlong
School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Jul 16;2020:8518053. doi: 10.1155/2020/8518053. eCollection 2020.
We adopted RNA-sequencing approach to identify differential lncRNAs and genes in leukocytes, clustered expression profiles, and analyzed biological functions and pathways of differential genes to decode their potential roles in contributing to characteristics and functions of leukocytes. In addition, interaction networks were created to detail the interactions between differential genes. In particular, we explored differential lncRNAs-mediated regulation of differential genes and predicted the subcellular location of lncRNAs to reveal their potential roles.
Compared with TCM-defined balanced constitution (BC), 183 and 93 genes as well as 749 and 651 lncRNAs were differentially expressed ( < 0.05 and |log (fold change)| ≥1) in leukocytes of individuals from case populations 1 (QDC) and 2 (PQDS), respectively. Of them, 12 genes and 111 lncRNAs were common to each case population. Several networks were created to detail the interactions among case-specific genes, especially case-specific lncRNAs-mediated regulation of case-specific genes. Also, interaction networks were created for the common lncRNAs and genes. HCL analyses showed that differential genes and lncRNAs, especially the common genes and lncRNAs, kept similar expression patterns in both case populations. Furthermore, function enrichment analyses just indicated the common biological processes, namely, extracellular matrix organization and cell adhesion via plasma membrane adhesion molecules. In addition, most common genes underwent very tight and complex regulation of many - and -acting lncRNAs. In particular, of them, ADAMTSL5, COL26A1, COL27A1, MSH5, and LOC390937 could be regulated by multiple case-specific and common lncRNAs, including the means that directs binding of the common lncRNAs to their coded proteins. The common changes in the extracellular matrix and integral components of plasma membrane related to cell-cell adhesion/junction and communication may implicate the linkage between QDC and PQDS, contributing to alterations in characteristics and functions of leukocytes.
These results may provide new insights into the characteristic and functional changes of leukocytes in QDC and PQDS, especially the mechanism underlying the linkage of QDC to PQDS, with potential leukocytes biomarkers for future application in integrative medicine.
我们采用RNA测序方法来鉴定白细胞中的差异长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）和基因，对表达谱进行聚类，并分析差异基因的生物学功能和途径，以解读它们在促成白细胞特征和功能方面的潜在作用。此外，构建相互作用网络以详细阐述差异基因之间的相互作用。特别是，我们探索了差异lncRNA介导的对差异基因的调控，并预测lncRNA的亚细胞定位以揭示其潜在作用。
与中医定义的平和质（BC）相比，病例组1（QDC）和病例组2（PQDS）个体的白细胞中分别有183个和93个基因以及749个和651个lncRNA差异表达（<0.05且|log2（倍数变化）|≥1）。其中，12个基因和111个lncRNA在每个病例组中都存在。构建了几个网络以详细阐述病例特异性基因之间的相互作用，特别是病例特异性lncRNA介导的对病例特异性基因的调控。此外，还为共同的lncRNA和基因构建了相互作用网络。层次聚类分析表明，差异基因和lncRNA，尤其是共同的基因和lncRNA，在两个病例组中保持相似的表达模式。此外，功能富集分析仅表明了共同的生物学过程，即细胞外基质组织和通过质膜粘附分子的细胞粘附。此外，大多数共同基因受到许多起作用lncRNA的非常紧密和复杂的调控。特别是其中的ADAMTSL5、COL26A1、COL27A1、MSH5和LOC390937可受到多种病例特异性和共同lncRNA的调控，包括共同lncRNA与其编码蛋白直接结合的方式。与细胞间粘附/连接和通讯相关的细胞外基质和质膜整体成分的共同变化可能暗示QDC和PQDS之间的联系，促成白细胞特征和功能的改变。
这些结果可能为QDC和PQDS中白细胞的特征和功能变化提供新的见解，尤其是QDC与PQDS之间联系的潜在机制，为未来中西医结合应用提供潜在的白细胞生物标志物。
