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Multi-omics analysis to uncover constitutive priming and dynamic metabolic reprogramming conferring white rust resistance in Brassica juncea.

White rust, caused by Albugo candida, is one of the most devastating diseases of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), causing yield losses of up to 90%. Durable resistance sources within cultivated Brassica germplasm remain limited. In this study, near-isogenic lines (NILs) of B. juncea cv. Varuna harbouring resistance from an East European source (Donskaja-IV, possessing a single CC-NB-LRR protein-coding R gene) was used to investigate the molecular basis of resistance through integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses at 48 and 96 hours post-inoculation (hpi). Transcriptomic profiling revealed that the resistant Varuna_WRR line exhibited significantly higher unique transcript expression (18.76%) compared to the susceptible parent (8.41%) during the progression of infection. Principal component analysis showed clear separation between genotypes based on infection status, time, and genetic background. In the resistant line, upregulated genes were enriched in ethylene-activated signaling, protein phosphorylation, endoplasmic reticulum stress response, pectin biosynthesis, and hypersensitive response at 48 hpi, shifting toward programmed cell death, protein ubiquitination, abscisic acid metabolism, and starch biosynthesis at 96 hpi. Conversely, the susceptible line displayed broad downregulation of primary metabolic processes, indicating metabolic exhaustion. Metabolomic analysis demonstrated that the resistant genotype accumulated higher levels of defense-related amino acids (proline, glutamine, glutamic acid, serine, threonine, glycine), carbohydrates, organic acids, and polyamines, supporting enhanced nitrogen assimilation, energy reserves, membrane stability, and signaling. Together, these findings indicate that constitutive priming and dynamic activation of defense signaling, protein turnover, and osmoprotectant accumulation underpin the enhanced resistance in Varuna_WRR against Albugo candida. This integrated multi-omics approach provides valuable insights for breeding durable white rust resistance in Brassica juncea.

Brassica juncea↗

Shared genetic architecture between major depression and intrinsic brain functional connectome organization.

BACKGROUND: Major depression (MD) is increasingly understood as a disorder characterized by widespread abnormalities in intrinsic brain functional network organization. Although both MD and brain functional connectome architecture are highly heritable, the genetic architecture underlying their relationship remains poorly characterized. METHODS: We integrated genome-wide association studies of MD with 191 ICA-based resting-state functional connectome traits to investigate their shared genetic architecture. These traits captured intrinsic connectome organization across amplitude, functional connectivity, and global connectivity domains. Cross-trait genetic analyses were used to assess pleiotropic overlap between traits. Locus-level and gene-based analyses integrating multi-omics evidence were performed to characterize the biological relevance of shared genetic signals. RESULTS: We identified significant genetic overlap between MD and 148 of 191 brain functional connectome traits. Cross-trait analyses revealed widespread shared genetic signals organized into 627 genomic loci across amplitude, functional connectivity, and global connectivity measures. Among these, 193 loci showed evidence consistent with shared causal variants based on colocalization analyses. Gene-level integration mapped these loci to 1459 protein-coding genes (390 unique genes). Multi-layer prioritization identified 17 high-confidence genes supported by convergent genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic evidence, with enrichment in neurodevelopmental and lipid-related metabolism pathways. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a multi-scale characterization of the shared genetic architecture between MD and intrinsic brain functional connectome organization, revealing that shared genetic signals between MD and brain functional systems are distributed across multiple functional levels and converge at the molecular level.

Connectome↗

Dual genetic loci and flavonoid metabolism orchestrate fruiting body coloration in Flammulina filiformis: a multi-omic roadmap for fungal pigmentation.

BACKGROUND: The fruiting bodies of macrofungi exhibit diverse coloration, traditionally attributed to melanin and carotenoid biosynthesis. This study is the first to reveal that flavonoids, rather than these classical pigments, are the predominant contributors to yellow pigmentation in the Flammulina filiformis. OBJECTIVE: To uncover the genetic basis and key regulatory genes involved in pigment formation in F. filiformis fruiting bodies, and to establish a model framework for studying color genetics in macrofungi. METHODS: Metabolomic profiling was conducted on yellow and white F. filiformis fruiting bodies to identify key pigment components. A segregating population was constructed, followed by integrated multi-omics analyses-including bulk segregant analysis (BSA), genome-wide association study (GWAS), and transcriptomics-to map regulatory loci and candidate genes. Functional roles were validated via genetic transformation and protein structural modeling. RESULTS: Flavonoid accumulation was identified as the biochemical hallmark of pigmented fruiting bodies. Genetic analysis revealed a dual regulatory mechanism: a qualitative locus governing pigmentation presence and a quantitative trait determining color intensity. Combined BSA and GWAS pinpointed a major locus, Ffcrs, within a recombination-suppressed region. Transcriptomic analysis identified two key regulators, Ffakr (a transcriptional activator) and Ffpal (encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase). Functional verification via transformation, structural modeling, and metabolite profiling in transgenic lines confirmed their essential roles in flavonoid biosynthesis and pigmentation. CONCLUSION: This study uncovers a flavonoid-based pigmentation mechanism in F. filiformis and elucidates a complex genetic architecture shaped by both qualitative and quantitative loci, providing a new paradigm for understanding pigment formation in macrofungi. The identified regulatory factors establish a molecular foundation for the precise manipulation of economically important pigmentation traits in edible mushroom.

Flavonoids↗

The pseudouridine epitranscriptomic landscape of advanced prostate cancer therapeutic resistance identifies TIMM17A as a key player.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSIs) remains a major barrier of advanced prostate cancer (PCa) treatment. While RNA epitranscriptomic modifications are increasingly recognized as key regulators of tumor biology, the role of pseudouridine (Ψ) in therapeutic resistance is largely unexplored. METHODS: A darolutamide-resistant PCa cell model was established and subjected to integrated multi-omics profiling using bulk RNA sequencing and photo-crosslinking-assisted Ψ sequencing (PA-Ψ-seq). Differential expression and pseudouridylation analyses were combined to identify Ψ-associated genes. Public datasets validated expression and prognosis. Functional assays including RNA knockdown, cell proliferation, colony formation, and xenograft models were conducted. Single-cell RNA sequencing investigated tumor microenvironment (TME) interactions. RESULTS: We identified extensive transcriptomic and pseudouridylation alterations associated with ARSI resistance, with a significant positive correlation between Ψ modification and mRNA expression. Integrated analysis highlighted a subset of "hyper-up" genes enriched in resistance-related pathways. Thus, TIMM17A was identified as a novel candidate. TIMM17A expression was significantly elevated in PCa and correlated with disease progression and poor prognosis. Experimental validations demonstrated that TIMM17A promoted tumor growth and resistance, while its knockdown restored sensitivity to darolutamide both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, TIMM17A expression may be regulated by PUS1‑mediated pseudouridylation. Single-cell analysis further revealed that TIMM17A is enriched in malignant epithelial cells and associated with enhanced cell-cell communication within the TME. CONCLUSIONS: This study delineates the pseudouridine epitranscriptomic landscape in advanced PCa and identifies TIMM17A as a key mediator of therapeutic resistance. Targeting the Ψ-TIMM17A axis may offer a novel strategy to overcome ARSI resistance.

Advanced prostate cancer↗

Multi-Omics Biomarker Signatures for Precision Diagnosis and Prognosis in Primary Liver Cancer: A Literature Review.

Primary liver cancer (PLC) is a biologically heterogeneous group of malignancies dominated by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), and a smaller subset of combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA), and its clinical burden remains high because current diagnostic and prognostic tools do not adequately capture molecular diversity. Conventional imaging, serum markers, and histopathological assessment remain insufficient for precise early diagnosis, subtype-resolved classification, and outcome stratification, while tissue and liquid biopsy approaches have expanded the range of analytes available for clinical assessment. Recent studies have identified candidate biomarker signatures across genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and circulating layers, suggesting that integrated multi-omics profiling may better represent tumor lineage, clonal evolution, immune context, and therapeutic vulnerability than isolated molecular readouts. However, these layers are not equally mature for clinical use: genomic testing is closest to routine therapeutic application in iCCA, plasma methylation assays are advancing for HCC surveillance augmentation, and many proteomic or metabolomic panels remain validation-stage tools. Their clinical value remains constrained by sampling bias, biospecimen-dependent signal loss, assay standardization, cost, and the need for prospective validation across clinically diverse populations. This narrative review critically synthesizes current evidence on multi-omics biomarker signatures for precision diagnosis and prognosis in primary liver cancer and argues that clinically useful signatures should be question-specific, stage-aware, and specimen-aware rather than universal multi-analyte panels.

Humans↗

Integration of genomic and metabonomic data in systems biology--are we 'there' yet?

The measurement of genes, proteins and metabolites has gained increasing acceptance as a means by which to study the response of an organism to stimuli, whether they are environmental, genetic, pharmacological, toxicological, etc. Typically referred to as genomics, proteomics, and metabonomics or metabolomics, respectively, these methods as independent entities have undoubtedly provided new biological insight that was not attainable a decade ago. Not surprisingly, scientists continue to push the boundaries to extract knowledge from data, and it is currently recognized that the full realization of these technologies is limited by a lack of tools to enable data integration. Integration of these 'omic datasets, or integromics, is desirable as it links the individual biological elements together to provide a more complete understanding of dynamic biological processes. Accordingly, in addition to developing new data analysis methods to extract further details from each of the high-content datasets individually, effort is also being expended to create or improve statistical methods, databases, annotations and pathway mapping to maximize our learning. There are several recent examples, in both mammalian and non-mammalian systems, in which genes, proteins and/or metabolites have been integrated using either biology- or data-driven strategies. Herein, key findings are reviewed, gaps in our current tools and technologies are identified and illustrated, and perspective is provided on the potential of integromics in biological research.

Acetaminophen↗

Multi-omics identifies lipid accumulation in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome cell lines: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, evidence has indicated a metabolic shift towards increased demand for lipids in various lymphoid cell populations from people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). We previously screened the mitochondrial function and gene expression of B cell-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) generated from the blood of people with ME/CFS to characterise a model for hypothesis discovery and testing, observing elevated expression of gene products facilitating amino acid and fatty acid degradation for energy. METHOD: In this follow-up study we have expanded this characterisation by profiling the polar metabolomes and non-polar lipidomes of an all-female cohort of 17 healthy control and 15 ME/CFS LCLs, and we integrated this new data with the previously generated proteomic and transcriptomic data. RESULTS: In the polar metabolome we detected no significantly altered individual features, while integrated multi-omic analysis by MetaboAnalyst indicated 15 dysregulated pathways. Next, in the non-polar lipidome, we identified that PC(O-38:4) had significantly reduced levels in ME/CFS LCLs and was almost entirely discriminative of ME/CFS status. Among all detected classes of lipids we found that triradylglycerolipids ("triglycerides"), diradylglycerolipids and fatty acids were the most significantly affected and were elevated, and that most lipids exhibited average levels higher than in healthy controls. BioPAN pathway analysis of the lipidomic data predicted a more-active gene product that we confirmed to be significantly elevated in both our proteomic and transcriptomic data, this being phosphatidylserine synthase 1 (PTDSS1), plus 7 other gene products that were concordantly altered in expression in the transcriptomic data. We also found that ME/CFS LCLs exhibited a significant tendency towards more saturated lipid content. CONCLUSIONS: LCLs generated from circulating B cells from people with ME/CFS show accumulation of lipids, skewed lipid profiles and altered activity of related metabolic enzymes such as PTDSS1. These findings will inform future hypothesis-driven studies of primary lymphoid cell populations from people with ME/CFS to dissect specific immunometabolic mechanisms that may be involved in the syndrome, particularly relating to intersections between lipid abnormalities and potential effects on immune cell effector functions.

Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic↗

Urine-Derived Cells in Kidney Transplantation: Linking Cellular Phenotypes, Secretome Signatures and Multi-Omic Technologies.

Kidney transplant monitoring and early identification of graft dysfunction are central needs for long-term graft survival. Although kidney biopsy represents the gold standard in diagnostic procedures, its invasiveness may limit frequent longitudinal evaluation, highlighting the necessity of non-invasive diagnostic tools. Urine has emerged over the years as an easily obtainable source of cellular and molecular components derived from transplanted kidneys. Particularly, exfoliated cells and extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent complementary and interconnected markers able to reflect tissue injury, inflammatory signals, immune cell infiltration, and regenerative processes occurring in the graft. Also, recent advances in transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and single-cell technologies have expanded the diagnostic and mechanistic value of urinary liquid biopsy, enabling the identification of disease-specific molecular signatures associated with rejection, delayed graft function, fibrosis, and graft loss. This review discusses the emerging concept of an integrated urinary cell-EV ecosystem and highlights how integrated multi-omic approaches may transform non-invasive graft surveillance and advance precision medicine in kidney transplantation.

Humans↗

Cohort Studies and Multi-omics Approaches to Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation-Induced Cardiovascular Disease: A Comprehensive Review.

The effect of low-dose ionizing radiation exposure on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents a significant concern in the field of radiation protection. The prevailing approach to mitigating the adverse effects of low-dose or low-dose-rate radiation does not currently incorporate the potential risk of CVD, despite the possibility that such risk may be a substantial contributor to overall health hazards. Current evidence suggests a potential association between radiation exposure and CVD; however, the overall findings remain inconclusive. This is particularly due to the uncertainty surrounding the influence of significant non-radiation risk factors on the associations reported in epidemiological studies. It is difficult to discern the underlying connection in observational epidemiology when there is substantial variation in baseline risk factors. The paucity of epidemiological research in this domain is being partially offset by the advancement of multi-omics approaches. These methods assist in identifying radiosensitive targets, comprehending underlying biological processes, and pinpointing biomarkers. This, in turn, fortifies the evidence gleaned from epidemiological studies. In this review, we delve into the body of epidemiological research pertaining to CVD induced by low-dose ionizing radiation and the application of multi-omics techniques. The integration of these two methodologies holds the promise of identifying specific molecules or biological pathways that can be employed to validate endpoints related to radiation risk assessment.

Humans↗

Single-cell multi-omics dissects transcript isoform and immune repertoire dynamics in human immunosenescence.

Immunosenescence, a major hallmark of systemic aging, refers to the progressive functional decline of the immune system. This decline not only compromises host defense and immunological memory but also fuels chronic inflammation and tissue degeneration (collectively known as inflammaging). While single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has revealed transcriptomic alterations associated with immune aging, analyses restricted to transcript abundance fail to capture deeper regulatory layers, such as transcript isoform diversity and the remodeling of immune receptor repertoires. To address this limitation, we present a human peripheral immune single-cell multi-omics atlas that integrates gene expression, transcript isoform diversity, and immune receptor repertoires. By combining single-cell full-length transcriptome sequencing (scCycloneSEQ), short-read scRNA-seq, and single-cell immune receptor sequencing (scTCR/BCR-seq), we systematically profiled peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors aged 30-40 and 60-70 years. Our analyses uncovered extensive age-related remodeling of immune cell composition, functional states, and TCR/BCR diversity. Notably, we found that CD4+ effector memory T cells exhibited widespread differential isoform usage (DIU), 3'UTR length variation, and a marked reshaping of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clonotypes-all of which were closely associated with aging-related inflammation and cellular senescence. This multi-omics atlas delineates key molecular features of immunosenescence and provides a high-resolution resource for deciphering the regulatory architecture underlying immune aging.

TCR/BCR↗

Metabolism and gene expression models for the microbiome reveal how diet and metabolic dysbiosis impact disease.

The gut microbiome plays a critical role in human health, spurring extensive research using multi-omic technologies. Although these tools offer valuable insights, they often fall short in capturing the complexity of microbial interactions that associate with disease onset, progression, and treatment. Thus, integration of multi-omics datasets with metabolic models is needed to predict associations between microbial activity and disease. Here, we automated the reconstruction of 495 metabolic and gene expression models (ME-models), overcoming the main limitation preventing the wide use of this approach. We integrated them with multi-omics data from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), identifying taxa associated with variations in amino acids, short-chain fatty acids, and pH in the gut of IBD patients. In general, this approach provides testable hypotheses of the metabolic activity of the gut microbiota, and the automated pipeline opens the opportunity to study microbial interactions in other biologically relevant settings using ME-models.

Humans↗

Differentiating hemorrhagic shock and organophosphate poisoning through integrated skin microbiome-metabolome signatures.

Accurate determination of cause of death and estimation of postmortem interval (PMI) are critical yet challenging tasks in forensic science, particularly in cases with rapid demise and absence of obvious morphological abnormalities. We employed an integrative multi-omics approach to characterize postmortem microbial succession and metabolic alterations on facial skin in mouse models of hemorrhagic shock (HS) and organophosphorus poisoning (OP) across three decomposition stages: bloating (2 days), active decay (8 days), and advanced decay (16 days). Metagenomic profiling revealed significantly reduced &#x3b1;-diversity in HS compared with OP throughout all stages (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001), accompanied by stage-dependent compositional shifts, including early enrichment of Firmicutes in HS and Proteobacteria in OP. A total of 237 differential taxa were identified, with Providencia and Morganella predominating in OP, whereas Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium dominated bloating stage of HS. Untargeted metabolomics uncovered distinct cause-of-death-linked metabolites, notably elevated 2'-deoxycytidine-5'-diphosphate in early OP and persistent cholic acid/cholate accumulation in HS at later PMI. Functional analysis highlighted histidine and phosphate/phosphonate metabolism as key discriminatory pathways, exhibiting stage-specific oscillations and strong correlations with characteristic taxa. These findings demonstrate that skin-based metagenomic-metabolomic integration provides robust, mechanistically informed biomarkers for both PMI estimation and cause-of-death differentiation, offering a minimally invasive and temporally dynamic tool for forensic investigations.

Animals↗

Discovering hidden candidate plastic-degrading enzymes: Combined multi-omics and machine learning strategy.

Plastic pollution poses a major threat to the stability of natural ecosystems as well as human health. Microbial enzymes have long been considered a potential resource for targeted biodegradation but, except for a few successful cases, the discovery of efficient enzymes has proved challenging. Aiming to accelerate the process, we propose an approach combining metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and semi-supervised learning that selects promising plastic-degrading candidate enzymes from the proteome of relevant microorganisms. Tested on a dataset of over 10,000 microbial proteins, ranking models consistently prioritize known plastic-degrading enzymes, achieving an area under the cumulative distribution function curve above 0.96, with leave-one-family-out cross-validation indicating that performance is largely retained across protein families. As a case study, this work focuses on mixed microbial cultures exposed for extended periods to polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyurethane substrates. The prevalent species after selective enrichment were functionally characterized, finding Rhodococcus aetherivorans as the most relevant species in two of the five cultures under investigation. Among the top-ranked proteins, several have high structural similarity with known enzymes despite not being identified by sequence similarity search. Moreover, according to metatranscriptomics results, several of these enzymes were found to be expressed at the same level or above that of annotated enzymes, suggesting that they may have functional relevance. Overall, this work highlights the potential of integrating multi-omics with data-driven methods for enzyme discovery and for accelerating the development of biotechnological solutions to plastic pollution.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

Snail immunity to schistosomes: insights from omics studies.

Schistosomiasis is a serious public health concern, with transmission facilitated by a small number of freshwater snail intermediate host species. Infection outcomes vary greatly across the primary vector genera, Biomphalaria (for Schistosoma mansoni), Bulinus (for S. haematobium), and Oncomelania (for S. japonicum), even within species, ranging from full resistance to high compatibility. Omics methods have altered this field by correlating host genotype, baseline immunological status, and time-resolved responses to whether invading miracidia are eliminated or develop sporocysts. Evidence from genomes, transcriptomics, proteomics, and epigenomics suggests that resistance is frequently primed prior to exposure. However, the clearest divergence between resistant and susceptible trajectories occurs during a small early window (<12-48&#x202f;h) after penetration. During this time, recognition, hemocyte recruitment, and soluble effector deployment either come together quickly or are delayed and guided by parasite-derived modulators. Established infections cause the host to adapt to chronic conditions through immune regulation, metabolic reprogramming, tissue and neuroendocrine remodeling, microbiome modification, and parasite castration. Comparative genomics reveals that each vector genus has evolved its own immunogenomic profile, which includes lineage-specific expansions of recognition and effector gene families. Together, these findings can help with field surveillance and intervention by providing molecular compatibility markers, functional tools for testing candidate genes, and tactics that target parasite-derived immune modulators. Integrated multi-omics approaches are a top priority, yet they are still limited in snail vectors compared to other disease vector systems.

Animals↗

Integrated Genomic and Proteomic Analysis Reveals T-B Lymphocyte Signatures in the MYCN Driven "Immune Desert" of Specific Neuroblastoma Subtypes.

AIMS: This study aims to systematically dissect how MYCN amplification shapes the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in high-risk neuroblastoma, elucidating key mechanisms underlying immune evasion. METHODS: We performed an integrated multi-omics analysis of bulk RNA-seq (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;721), single-cell RNA-seq (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;9), proteomic data (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;49) and spatial transcriptomics (Visium, with external validation in melanoma). Analyses included unsupervised clustering, cell-cell communication inference, transcriptional regulatory network reconstruction, and spatial proximity assessment to map the immune landscape. RESULTS: A distinct molecular subtype (Class C), defined by MYCN amplification and poor prognosis, exhibited a comprehensive "immune desert" phenotype characterized by low immune scores and minimal leukocyte infiltration. Single-cell analysis confirmed significant depletion of T and B lymphocytes within the Class C TME. Dysregulated transcriptional networks were identified, including upregulation of REL and EOMES in T cells-with EOMES potentially driving exhaustion via regulation of Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) genes, and REL inhibition enhancing cytotoxic function in&#xa0;vitro. A unique immunosuppressive B-cell subset (B7) engaged in enhanced crosstalk with exhausted T cells and harbored a MYC-centered network linked to cell cycle dysregulation and poor survival. Spatial transcriptomics revealed significant proximity between B7-active regions and Treg/exhaustion-enriched areas, externally validated in melanoma. Proteomic data validated elevated REL expression in MYCN-amplified tumors. CONCLUSION: This work delineates the immunosuppressive architecture of MYCN-driven neuroblastoma, revealing novel regulatory nodes within specific lymphocyte compartments. Integrating single-cell, spatial, and proteomic evidence, we propose REL inhibition as a therapeutic candidate, the EOMES/TRP axis as a bioinformatically supported hypothesis, and the B7/MYC hub as a hypothesis supported by transcriptomic and spatial evidence.

Humans↗

Admission Gut and Plasma-Derived Signatures Associated With Severity and 90-day Outcome in Hepatitis A-Related and Drug-Induced Acute Liver Failure.

Acute liver failure (ALF) due to hepatitis A (ALF-A) has high mortality, but admission-day markers associated with disease severity and outcome are unknown. We aimed to define gut microbiome and plasma multi-omics signatures associated with severity and 90-day outcomes in ALF-A, compared to drug-induced ALF (ALF-D) as non-viral ALF group. ALF patients (aged 26&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;9&#x2009;years; 50.7% male, 49.3% female) with IgM HAV positive (ALF-A, n&#x2009;=&#x2009;33), ALF-D (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;38) were recruited along with acute viral hepatitis (AVH-A, n&#x2009;=&#x2009;27) and healthy subjects (HC, n&#x2009;=&#x2009;20). Stool bacteria profiling was done at D0; plasma cytokines, metabolites and barrier markers were analysed at D0, 3, 5, 7. Correlations with clinical severity parameters were assessed. Associations with 90-day mortality were assessed using severity-adjusted association analyses. ALF-A patients were more severe at the time of admission than ALF-D. In ALF-A, 90-day mortality was 33% versus 18.4% with increased severity scores like KCH 21% versus 10.5%, SOFA score 7.97&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;2.89 versus 5.87&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;2.32, SIRS 60.6% versus 18.4%, mechanical ventilation 39% versus 21%. At D0, ALF-A was enriched for lactate/ammonia/bile salt hydrolase/histamine-producing pathobionts like Enterococcus, Ruminococcus gnavus, Flavonifractor, Thomasclavelia correlating positively with severity (|r|&#x2009;>&#x2009;0.4, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05) showing higher baseline abundance in ALF-A non-survivors (NS). At D0 in ALF-A, histamine accumulation, reduced tryptophan, butyrate metabolism inversely correlated with severity and worsened in ALF-A_NS by D7. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, IFABP2 were elevated at Day 0 in ALF-A, correlated positively with severity, and remained increased through Day 7 in ALF-A_NS. In contrast, ALF-D_NS retained commensals, showed increased fatty acid, bile acid biosynthesis with low levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In ALF-A, gut and plasma integrated multi-omics features were associated with disease severity, 90-day outcomes and identified candidate biomarkers for future validation.

Humans↗

Comprehensive In Silico Analysis Identifies MSTO1 and LIG1 as Candidate Biomarkers With Diagnostic and Prognostic Relevance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Its poor clinical outcomes are largely attributed to late-stage diagnosis and the limited accuracy of currently available diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Therefore, identifying novel molecular markers with improved sensitivity, specificity, and therapeutic relevance is essential for enhancing early detection and guiding personalized treatment strategies. AIMS: To identify and prioritize novel candidate HCC biomarkers with diagnostic and prognostic value and potential therapeutic vulnerability using integrated multi-omics, survival, functional dependency, and tumor microenvironment analyses. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined the mRNA and protein expression levels of 8 DEGs in HCC tissues in the TCGA and CPTAC datasets using UALCAN, which showed that MSTO1 and LIG1 were overexpressed consistently in HCC relative to normal liver tissues. Moreover, elevated expression levels of these genes were significantly associated with higher tumor grade and advanced stage. Kaplan-Meier plotter survival data confirmed that increased expression of MSTO1 and LIG1 was associated with poorer overall survival. The DepMap CRISPR knockout data confirmed a functional dependency of both genes in HCC cell lines. CBioPortal analyses provided characterization of genomic alterations and enabled enrichment analysis of co-expressed genes, and the TCGA-UALCAN pan-cancer analyses supported the assessment of tissue specificity across tumor types. TIMER3 analyses linked candidate gene expression with immune cell infiltration patterns. Diagnostic performance by ROC analysis showed excellent discrimination for MSTO1 (AUC&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.987) and good discrimination for LIG1 (AUC&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.897). Multivariate Cox regression with Benjamini-Hochberg FDR correction across the eight genes supported MSTO1 as a candidate independent prognostic factor after adjustment for tumor stage, grade, etiology, age, and sex (HR&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.29, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.035), whilst LIG1 showed no independent prognostic value. Promoter methylation of MSTO1 and ADH4, assessed via UALCAN, showed that both genes were significantly differentially methylated in the promoter region of primary HCC tissues compared with normal liver tissues. Our study also confirmed the biological and clinical relevance of established HCC biomarkers: TERT, IRAK1, and ADH4. CONCLUSION: MSTO1 and LIG1 emerged as candidate diagnostic biomarkers in HCC. Additionally, MSTO1 showed a candidate prognostic association with overall survival that remained significant after adjusting for tumor stage, grade, and etiology, as well as patients' age, but not after further adjustment for AFP status. Functional data also highlighted MSTO1 as a candidate therapeutic dependency. On the other hand, LIG1 showed no independent prognostic association in either multivariate model. Their differential expression and functional essentiality in HCC cell lines highlighted their value for further experimental and independent-cohort validation before potential integration into biomarker development pipelines aimed at improving early detection and targeted therapy in HCC.

Humans↗

Comparative Analysis of Primary Sarcopenia and End-Stage Renal Disease-Related Muscle Wasting Using Multi-Omics Approaches.

BACKGROUND: Age-related primary sarcopenia and end-stage renal disease (ESRD)-related muscle wasting are discrete entities; however, both manifest as a decline in skeletal muscle mass and strength. The etiological pathways differ, with aging factors implicated in sarcopenia and a combination of uremic factors, including haemodialysis, contributing to ESRD-related muscle wasting. Understanding these molecular nuances is imperative for targeted interventions, and the integration of proteomic and metabolomic data elucidate these intricate processes. METHODS: We generated detailed clinical data and multi-omics data (plasma proteomics and metabolomics) for 78 participants to characterise sarcopenia (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;28; mean age, 72.6&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;7.0&#x2009;years) or ESRD (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;22; 61.6&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;5.5&#x2009;years) compared with controls (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;28; 69.3&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;5.7&#x2009;years). Muscle mass was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis and handgrip strength. Five-times sit-to-stand test performance was measured for all participants. Sarcopenia was diagnosed in accordance with the 2019 Consensus Guidelines from the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. An abundance of 234 metabolites and 722 protein groups was quantified in all plasma samples using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Muscle mass, handgrip strength and lower limb muscle function significantly lower in the sarcopenia group and the ESRD group compared with those in the control group. Metabolomics revealed altered metabolites, highlighting exclusive differences in ESRD-related muscle wasting. Metabolite set enrichment analysis revealed the involvement of numerous metabolic intermediates associated with urea cycle, amino acid metabolism and nucleic acid metabolism. Catecholamines, including epinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, are significantly elevated in the plasma of patients within the ESRD group. Proteomics data exhibited a clearer distinction among the three groups compared with the metabolomics data, particularly in distinguishing the control group from the sarcopenia group. The ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor was top-ranked in terms of the variable importance of projection scores. Plasma AHNAK protein levels was higher in the sarcopenia group but was lower in the ESRD group. Proteomic set enrichment analysis revealed enrichment of several pathways related to sarcopenia, such as hemopexin, defence response and cell differentiation, in sarcopenia group. Multi-omic integration analysis revealed associations between relevant metabolites, including catecholamines, and a group of annotated proteins in extracellular exosomes. CONCLUSIONS: We identified distinct multi-omic signatures in individuals with ESRD or sarcopenia, providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying ESRD-related muscle wasting, which differ from primary sarcopenia. These findings may support interventions for context-dependent muscle loss and contribute to the development of targeted treatments and preventive strategies for muscle wasting.

Humans↗