AUTHOR=Hu Rui-ting , Yu Qian , Zhou Shao-dan , Yin Yi-xin , Hu Rui-guang , Lu Hai-peng , Hu Bang-li 

TITLE=Co-expression Network Analysis Reveals Novel Genes Underlying Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2020.605961

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2020.605961

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background</bold>: The pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to identify the hub genes in AD pathogenesis and determine their functions and pathways.</p><p><bold>Methods</bold>: A co-expression network for an AD gene dataset with 401 samples was constructed, and the AD status-related genes were screened. The hub genes of the network were identified and validated by an independent cohort. The functional pathways of hub genes were analyzed.</p><p><bold>Results</bold>: The co-expression network revealed a module that related to the AD status, and 101 status-related genes were screened from the trait-related module. Gene enrichment analysis indicated that these status-related genes are involved in synaptic processes and pathways. Four hub genes (<italic>ENO2</italic>, <italic>ELAVL4</italic>, <italic>SNAP91</italic>, and <italic>NEFM</italic>) were identified from the module, and these hub genes all participated in AD-related pathways, but the associations of each gene with clinical features were variable. An independent dataset confirmed the different expression of hub genes between AD and controls.</p><p><bold>Conclusions</bold>: Four novel genes associated with AD pathogenesis were identified and validated, which provided novel therapeutic targets for AD.</p>