Distinctive genes involved in steroidogenesis associated with follicular abnormal development in polycystic ovary syndrome model

Abstract

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a heterogeneous endocrine disorder, affects female reproductive function, but its etiology has not been elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the differential genes related to ovarian steroid biosynthesis in patients with PCOS, to explore the mechanism of PCOS. Methods: The GSE59456 data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ovaries between the female Sprague–Dawley rats those implanted with 5α-dehydrotestestrone (DHT) and those in control (CTL, implanted with empty capsule). Gene ontology, pathway enrichment analysis, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network construction were subsequently performed. Results: In total, 530 upregulated DEGs and 522 downregulated DEGs were identified. The identified DEGs were mostly associated with steroid biosynthesis. In the PPI network, the module M1 was mainly related to steroid biosynthesis, and five genes (Hsd17b7, Tm7sf2, Idi1, Msmo1, and Sqle) of the module M1 were from the aforementioned group of upregulated genes. Furthermore, the 19 DEGs (Idi1, Cga, C1qb, Thy1, Gpx1, Ctss, Lpl, A2m, Cited2, Plppr4, Prkar2b, Slc44a1, Inha, Rbp4, Pla2g2a, Gata4, Fabp3, Cpa2, and Cpa1) between DHT and CTL groups were associated with the process of the transformation of primordial follicles to primary follicles. Conclusions: These DEGs, such as Hsd17b7, Tm7sf2, Idi1, Msmo1, Sqle, Rbp4, Gata4, Inha, and Cited2, may be used to elucidate the etiology of PCOS, which may provide new insights into the exploration of pathological mechanism and biomarkers for polycystic ovary.

Keywords

• Anovulation; Differentially Expressed Genes; Gene Ontology; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome