Identification of potential hub genes involved in alcohol use disorder via bioinformatics analysis

Abstract

BackgroundAlcohol use disorder （AUD） is a type of chronic relapsing brain disorder. Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of AUD. And screening for molecular markers of AUD is of great significance for further elucidating the pathogenesis of the disease， discovering novel therapeutic targets and preventing relapse.ObjectiveTo explore relevant hub genes and potential signal pathways associated with the development of AUD through bioinformatics analysis， and to provide a new direction for the prevention and treatment of AUD.MethodsThe GSE161986 dataset was acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus （GEO） database. The limma package in R was utilized to identify differentially expressed genes （DEGs）. Gene set enrichment analysis （GSEA） was carried out using the Database for Annotation， Visualization and Integrated Discovery （DAVID）. A protein–protein interaction （PPI） network of DEGs was assessed using the STRING database and visualized by Cytoscape software. Finally， hub genes were validated in GSE44456 dataset.ResultsA total of 114 DEGs were identified. GSEA revealed that these genes were mainly involved in the regulation of signal transduction， protein binding， membrane trafficking and MAPK signaling pathway. PPI network and validation study indicated that GAD1， TIMP1 and CD44 were potential hub genes involved in AUD.ConclusionAberrant expression of GAD1 and TIMP1 as well as MAPK signaling pathway may play a key role in the pathogenesis of AUD， and may serve as potential molecular targets for the diagnosis and treatment of AUD. ［Funded by "Flying Project" of Shanghai Mental Health Center （number， 2022-FX-01）］

Keywords

• alcohol use disorder
• geo
• differentially expressed genes
• hub genes