AUTHOR=Yang Cejun , Wang Wendi , Li Sang , Qiao Zhengkang , Ma Xiaoqian , Yang Min , Zhang Juan , Cao Lu , Yao Shanhu , Yang Zhe , Wang Wei 

TITLE=Identification of cuproptosis hub genes contributing to the immune microenvironment in ulcerative colitis using bioinformatic analysis and experimental verification

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1113385

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2023.1113385

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Instruction</title><p>Ulcerative colitis (UC) can cause a variety of immune-mediated intestinal dysfunctions and is a significant model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Colorectal cancer (CRC) mostly occurs in patients with ulcerative colitis. Cuproptosis is a type of procedural death that is associated with different types of diseases to various degrees.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>We used a combination of bioinformatic prediction and experimental verification to study the correlation between copper poisoning and UC. We used the Gene Expression Omnibus database to obtain disease gene expression data and then identified relevant genes involved in various expression levels in normal and UC samples. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis was performed to cluster the genes that are highly responsible and find the central interaction in gene crosstalk. Notably, <italic>DLD</italic>, <italic>DLAT</italic>, and <italic>PDHA1</italic> were present in high-scoring PPI networks. In addition, hub gene expression information in UC tissues was integrated to estimate the relationship between UC copper poisoning and the immune environment.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>In our study, the expression of <italic>DLD</italic>, <italic>DLAT</italic>, and <italic>PDHA1</italic> in UC tissues was lower than that in normal tissues. The key genes associated with cuproptosis have therapeutic effects on immune infiltration. We verified the expression of <italic>DLD</italic>, <italic>DLAT</italic>, and <italic>PDHA1</italic> using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in mouse models of UC induced by DSS.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>Notably, this study clearly indicates that bioinformatic analysis performed to verify the experimental methods provides evidence that cuproptosis is associated with UC. This finding suggests that immune cell infiltration in UC patients is associated with cuproptosis. The key genes associated with cuproptosis can be helpful for discovering the molecular mechanism of UC, thus facilitating the improvement of UC treatment and preventing the associated CRC.</p></sec>