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Ossicle occurrence characteristics and related molecular mechanisms in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus.

To investigate the morphogenetic pattern and molecular mechanism of ossicle formation in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, this study systematically examined the morphological development and temporal sequence of spicules using the NaClO maceration method, in-situ squash preparation and microscopic observation. Comparative transcriptome sequencing was performed between doliolaria and pentactula larvae to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to ossicles formation, followed by pathway enrichment analysis. The function of the candidate key gene papilin-like was verified using siRNA-mediated gene silencing. The results were as follows: 1) Ossicles of A. japonicus first appeared at the late auricularia stage, initiating as X-shaped ossicles at the base of the oral tentacles. The number of X-shaped ossicles increased dramatically during the doliolaria stage. X-shaped ossicles were gradually replaced by table-shaped and rosette-shaped ossicles at the pentactula stage, suggesting that X-shaped ossicles may differentiate into these two ossicle types. The morphology of table-shaped ossicles showed a "simple-complex-simple" pattern with development. 2) Key genes related to ossicles formation, including CA1, COL1A2, and papilin-like, were identified by transcriptome analysis. After papilin-like knockdown, abnormal morphologies were observed in table-shaped ossicles of 1-year-old A. japonicus, such as spine-like protrusions on the outer margin of the disc and loss of table legs, confirming its crucial roles in maintaining ossicle morphology. This study clarified the morphological development pattern of ossicles in A. japonicus and identified a key regulatory gene (papilin-like) involved in ossicle morphogenesis, providing preliminary insights into the underlying molecular regulatory mechanism. These findings enrich our understanding on ossicles formation in echinoderms, and provide important morphological and molecular biological information for further studies on the developmental mechanism of ossicles in A. japonicus.

Animals↗

Full-length single-cell spatial transcriptomics reveals spatial and cell-type-specific transcript isoforms in the primate brain.

The primate brain exhibits complex RNA alternative splicing heterogeneity crucial for functional complexity, yet systematic spatial isoform characterization has been lacking. We developed Fullscope-seq, a full-length single-molecule large field-of-view spatial transcriptomics sequencing method at single-cell resolution, based on programmed concatenation cDNA for multiple long-read sequencing platforms. Applying Fullscope-seq to the macaque brain, we uncovered thousands of genes exhibiting differential transcript usage (DTU) across cortical layers, cell types and brain regions. Fullscope-seq resolved hundreds of major isoform switches across distinct brain regions and identified DTUs between superficial and deep cortical layers. Cortical layer-specific DTUs showed cell-composition dependence, whereas regional DTUs were regulated according to both cellular composition and spatial contexts. These isoform variations showed substantial enrichment for neuropsychiatric disorder-associated genes and were conserved across platforms and species. Our study establishes a scalable framework for spatial isoform analysis and provides a resource for understanding transcriptomic diversity in complex tissues.

Animals↗

Integrative Multi-Omics Analysis of Stem Growth Habit Divergence in Wild Soybean (Glycine soja).

Stem architecture is a major determinant of lodging resistance, biomass accumulation, and harvest efficiency in soybean. However, the molecular features associated with contrasting stem growth habits in wild soybean remain incompletely characterised. Here, we performed an integrated transcriptomic, metabolomic, and epigenomic analysis of stem growth-habit divergence in wild soybean, comparing the wild-type accession ZYD7068 with contrasting vining and erect mutant lines derived from carbon-ion beam mutagenesis. Pairwise transcriptomic comparisons identified between 20 311 and 28 705 differentially expressed genes per contrast, with a core set of 2672 genes consistently altered across the comparisons. Functional enrichment, gene set variation analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis converged on xylem and phloem pattern formation as a prominent molecular pathway associated with growth-habit divergence. Random forest analysis identified BBR-BPC and ARF transcription factor families as major molecular discriminators, while metabolomic profiling revealed distinct metabolic profiles involving amino-acid-derived and lipid-associated metabolites. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing revealed context-specific DNA methylation differences, including substantial variation in CHG methylation among erect mutant lines. Integrated network and in silico perturbation analyses prioritised four candidate genes associated with vascular development for future functional validation. Together, these results provide a multi-layer molecular resource for investigating stem growth-habit divergence in G. soja and establish testable candidate pathways and genes for subsequent functional studies and soybean improvement.

glycine soja↗

Spatial analysis reveals the evolving organization of IDH-mutant glioma.

Adult diffuse gliomas are composed of malignant cell states interwoven with the non-malignant brain microenvironment. Here, we combine spatial transcriptomics and spatial proteomics of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant gliomas to define organizational principles across histological grades. In low-grade tumors, spatial organization is shaped by underlying brain anatomy. We identify a functional white-gray matter junction that restricts cortical invasion and is associated with marked changes in tumor composition and cellular phenotypes. This junction is preferentially traversed by oligodendrocyte progenitor (OPC)-like malignant cells, suggesting a role in tumor expansion. In contrast, tumors with intermediate histological features are largely disorganized, with few recurring interactions between cancer cell states and microenvironmental cell types. In high-grade tumors, hypoxia-associated structure emerges, resembling IDH-wild-type glioblastoma. Together, these findings reveal two independent axes of spatial organization-from anatomy-driven structure in low-grade tumors to hypoxia-driven organization in high-grade tumors-and establish a framework linking tumor grade to recurrent spatial interactions.

Isocitrate Dehydrogenase↗

GSK3B inhibition partially reverses brain ethanol-induced transcriptomic changes in C57BL/6J mice: Expression network co-analysis with human genome-wide association studies.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic behavioral disease with greater than 50% of its risk due to complex genetic contributions. Existing pharmacological and behavioral treatments for AUD are minimally effective and underutilized. Animal model behavioral genetics and human genome-wide association studies have begun to identify individual genes contributing to the progressive compulsive consumption of ethanol that occurs with AUD, promising possible new therapeutic targets. Our laboratory has previously identified Gsk3b as a central member in a network of ethanol-responsive genes in mouse prefrontal cortex, which altered ethanol consumption with genetic manipulation and was also significantly associated with risk for alcohol dependence in human genome-wide association studies. Here we perform detailed brain RNA sequencing transcriptomic studies to characterize a highly specific and clinically available GSK3B pharmacological inhibitor, tideglusib, as a possible therapeutic for clinical trials on treatment of AUD. A model of chronic intermittent ethanol consumption was used to study gene expression changes in prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens in the presence or absence of tideglusib treatment. Multivariate analysis of differentially expressed genes showed that tideglusib largely reversed ethanol- induced expression changes for two prominent clusters of genes in both prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. Bioinformatic analysis showed these genes to have prominent roles in neuronal functioning and synaptic activity. Additionally, mouse brain differential gene expression data was analyzed together with human protein-protein interaction and genome-wide association studies on AUD to derive networks responding to tideglusib and relevant to human genetic risk for alcohol dependence. These studies identified discrete networks significantly enriched with genes provisionally associated with AUD, and provide key information on central hubs of such networks. Together these studies document tideglusib as a major modulator of chronic ethanol consumption-evoked brain gene expression signatures, and identify possible new targets for therapeutic modulation of AUD.

Journal Article↗

Species-specific transcriptomic changes upon respiratory syncytial virus infection in cotton rats.

The cotton rat (Sigmodon) is the gold standard pre-clinical small animal model for respiratory viral pathogens, especially for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). However, without a reference genome or a published transcriptome, studies requiring gene expression analysis in cotton rats are severely limited. The aims of this study were to generate a comprehensive transcriptome from multiple tissues of two species of cotton rats that are commonly used as animal models (Sigmodon fulviventer and Sigmodon hispidus), and to compare and contrast gene expression changes and immune responses to RSV infection between the two species. Transcriptomes were assembled from lung, spleen, kidney, heart, and intestines for each species with a contig N50 > 1600. Annotation of contigs generated nearly 120,000 gene annotations for each species. The transcriptomes of S. fulviventer and S. hispidus were then used to assess immune response to RSV infection. We identified 238 unique genes that are significantly differentially expressed, including several genes implicated in RSV infection (e.g., Mx2, I27L2, LY6E, Viperin, Keratin 6A, ISG15, CXCL10, CXCL11, IRF9) as well as novel genes that have not previously described in RSV research (LG3BP, SYWC, ABEC1, IIGP1, CREB1). This study presents two comprehensive transcriptome references as resources for future gene expression analysis studies in the cotton rat model, as well as provides gene sequences for mechanistic characterization of molecular pathways. Overall, our results provide generalizable insights into the effect of host genetics on host-virus interactions, as well as identify new host therapeutic targets for RSV treatment and prevention.

Animals↗

Cardiovascular Complications Are Increased in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Path Toward Achievement of a Personalized Risk Estimation.

Background/Objectives: The global burden of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) continues to rise, with up to 50% of patients experiencing extraintestinal manifestations. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are of particular concern, ranking as the second leading cause of mortality in this population. Despite a comparatively lower prevalence of traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, the persistent inflammatory milieu and immune dysregulation inherent to IBD may contribute to heightened CVD risk. In this study, following a review of the current literature, an ongoing prospective trial designed to clarify CV risk profiles in IBD patients is detailed. Methods: A cohort of patients with IBD is being enrolled for comprehensive baseline evaluation of CV risk factors, lifestyle metrics, and disease characteristics. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) will be tracked and contrasted with a gender- and age-matched non-IBD cohort over a 2-year follow-up period. In cases of MACE occurrence, a multi-omics analysis-including genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic, and microbiome profiling-will be performed, along with a parallel evaluation in matched IBD controls without MACE. An artificial intelligence (AI) framework will support the analysis of this complex dataset. Results: To date, over 150 patients with IBD have been enrolled, and detailed phenotypic data and biological samples have been collected. Conclusions: We aim to introduce an IBD-specific correction factor for existing CV risk scores upon study completion. This is particularly relevant for individuals under 40 years of age, who are often inadequately assessed by current risk stratification models.

Crohn’s disease↗

Complement Activation Linked to Type II Interferon Signaling in Still Disease.

OBJECTIVE: Still disease (SD) is an autoinflammatory syndrome characterized by innate immune dysregulation. Although complement can drive inflammation, its involvement in SD remains to be defined. Thus, we aimed to assess complement activation in SD. METHODS: Complement was assessed using transcriptomic, proteomic, and in vitro approaches. RNA sequencing of monocytes was performed in healthy donors (n = 15), those with nonsystemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA; n = 8), patients with SD at onset (n = 19) and remission (n = 18), and those with macrophage activation syndrome (n = 2). Whole-blood NanoString analysis of complement and interferon (IFN)-related gene expression was conducted in patients with SD (active n = 41, inactive n = 33) and JIA (n > 600). Complement products and inflammatory mediators were measured by Luminex and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Functional complement activity was evaluated in SD (active n = 30, inactive n = 67) and JIA sera (n = 12). In vitro assays examined monocytic C1q induction and complement-mediated CD8+ T cell activation. RESULTS: Transcriptomic analysis of monocytes from patients with SD at onset revealed enrichment of the complement cascade compared with patients in remission (adjusted P = 3.7 × 10-36), ranking among the top 10 up-regulated pathways. Classical complement genes (C1QB/C1QC) were markedly up-regulated in onset SD compared with patients with remission SD and JIA. Patients with active SD showed increased C1q, C3a, C5a, and terminal complement complex protein levels, with enhanced functional classical complement activity. Whole-blood C1QB/C1QC expression correlated with IFN-related markers, including interleukin-18, CXCL9, and CXCL10. Recombinant IFN-γ induced monocytic C1q, whereas C1q enhanced IFN-γ production by CD8+ T cells, supporting a feed-forward loop. CONCLUSION: SD is characterized by complement activation with marked up-regulation of C1q, which is closely linked to IFN-γ/type II signaling.

Journal Article↗

Deep learning-based multimodal pathogenomics integration for precision cancer prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have revealed valuable prognostic insights in haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained histological sections and transcriptomic profiles, suggesting potential applications in machine learning. However, existing methods lack sufficient intra- and inter-modal interactions, and face challenges in clinical validation due to incomplete multimodal data. METHODS: We proposed PathoGems (PathoGenomics-based integrative survival prediction), a weakly-supervised, interpretable multimodal learning framework that integrates histology and genomic profiles for precise cancer prognosis prediction. To evaluate the robustness of PathoGems, we initially curated a dataset of 1965 cases across four cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), including breast, colorectal, glioblastoma, and esophageal cancers. For external validation, PathoGems was further evaluated on four independent cohorts, consisting of 76 breast cancer and 41 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cases from Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, as well as 102 colorectal cancer and 58 glioblastoma cases from the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC). RESULTS: PathoGems effectively stratified patients into favorable and unfavorable risk groups, revealing significant differences in histological patterns, genomic features, and overall survival (log-rank test, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05). Moreover, the model&#x2019;s predictions are further supported by visualization and transcriptomic analysis, enhancing interpretability and reliability. CONCLUSIONS: By fusing histological and clinicogenomic multimodal models, PathoGems will provide a solid foundation for developing an innovative tool that aids clinicians in making informed decisions and selection personalized treatment strategies for cancer patients.

Humans↗

Discovery and validation of a prognostic SPP1/PLAU signature in HPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify and validate robust prognostic biomarkers for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), with a specific focus on the high-risk HPV-negative subtype. METHODS: Integrated bioinformatics analysis was performed on transcriptomic data from four GEO datasets (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;418 samples). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed for the most dysregulated genes. Key modules were analyzed via survival analysis and multivariate Cox regression. The top candidate genes were validated at the protein level using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in an independent cohort of 304 OPSCC patients. RESULTS: A 33-gene module related to extracellular matrix organization showed significant prognostic association. It stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups with markedly different overall survival (HR&#x2009;=&#x2009;2.71, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). From this module, SPP1 and PLAU were identified as independent prognostic factors through multi-step screening. Both genes were significantly overexpressed in tumors (approximately 20-fold and 10-fold, respectively, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001), with high expression strongly correlated with advanced tumor stage (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.01) and, notably, the HPV-negative subtype (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). In survival analysis, high expression of either SPP1 or PLAU was associated with poorer overall survival (SPP1: p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001; PLAU: p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001) and progression-free survival (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). IHC validation confirmed high protein expression in 69.7% (SPP1) and 54.8% (PLAU) of cancer tissues. A prognostic nomogram integrating the SPP1/PLAU signature with clinical variables was constructed with strong predictive accuracy (C-index&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.75). CONCLUSION: The SPP1/PLAU dual-gene signature is a robust and independent prognostic biomarker for OPSCC, with particular clinical utility for stratifying high-risk HPV-negative patients.

Humans↗

iSoMAs: Finding isoform expression and somatic mutation associations in human cancers.

Aberrant alternative splicing, prevalent in cancer, impacts various cancer hallmarks involving proliferation, angiogenesis, and invasion. Splicing disruption often results from somatic point mutations rewiring functional pathways to support cancer cell survival. We introduce iSoMAs (iSoform expression and somatic Mutation Association), an efficient computational pipeline leveraging principal component analysis technique, to explore how somatic mutations influence transcriptome-wide gene expression at the isoform level. Applying iSoMAs to 33 cancer types comprising 9,738 tumor samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas, we identified 908 somatically mutated genes significantly associated with altered isoform expression across three or more cancer types. Mutations linked to differential isoform expression occurred through both cis- and trans-acting mechanisms, involving well-known oncogenes/suppressor genes, RNA binding protein and splicing factor genes. With wet-lab experiments, we verified direct association between TP53 mutations and differential isoform expression in cell cycle genes. Additional iSoMAs genes have been validated in the literature with independent cohorts and/or methods. Despite the complexity of cancer, iSoMAs attains computational efficiency via dimension reduction strategy and reveals critical associations between regulatory factors and transcriptional landscapes.

Humans↗

RNAseq analysis of oocyte maturation from the germinal vesicle stage to metaphase II in pig and human.

During maturation oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage progress to metaphase II (MII). However, during in vitro maturation a proportion often fail to progress. To understand these processes, we employed RNA sequencing to examine the transcriptome profile of these three groups of oocytes from the pig. We compared our findings with similar public oocyte data from humans. The transcriptomes in oocytes that failed to progress was similar to those that did. We found in both species, the most upregulated genes in MII oocytes were associated with chromosome segregation and cell cycle processes, while the most down regulated genes were relevant to ribosomal and mitochondrial pathways. Moreover, those genes involved in chromosome segregation during GV to MII transition were conserved in pig and human. We also compared MII and GV oocyte transcriptomes at the isoform transcript level in both species. Several thousands of genes (including DTNBP1, MAPK1, RAB35, GOLGA7, ATP1A1 and ATP2B1) identified as not different in expression at a gene transcript level were found to have differences in isoform transcript levels. Many of these genes were involved in ATPase-dependent or GTPase-dependent intracellular transport in pig and human, respectively. In conclusion, our study suggests the failure to progress to MII in vitro may not be regulated at the level of the genome and that many genes are differentially regulated at the isoform level, particular those involved ATPase- or GTPase-dependent intracellular transport.

Humans↗

Evolutionary fingerprints of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Mesenchymal plasticity has been extensively described in advanced epithelial cancers; however, its functional role in malignant progression is controversial1-5. The function of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell plasticity in tumour heterogeneity and clonal evolution is poorly understood. Here we clarify the contribution of EMT to malignant progression in pancreatic cancer. We used somatic mosaic genome engineering technologies to trace and ablate malignant mesenchymal lineages along the EMT continuum. The experimental evidence clarifies the essential contribution of mesenchymal lineages to pancreatic cancer evolution. Spatial genomic analysis, single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of EMT clarifies its contribution to the emergence of genomic instability, including events of chromothripsis. Genetic ablation of mesenchymal lineages robustly abolished these mutational processes and evolutionary patterns, as confirmed by cross-species analysis of pancreatic and other human solid tumours. Mechanistically, we identified that malignant cells with mesenchymal features display increased chromatin accessibility, particularly in the pericentromeric and centromeric regions, in turn resulting in delayed mitosis and catastrophic cell division. Thus, EMT favours the emergence of genomic-unstable, highly fit tumour cells, which strongly supports the concept of cell-state-restricted patterns of evolution, whereby cancer cell speciation is propagated to progeny within restricted functional compartments. Restraining the evolutionary routes through ablation of clones capable of mesenchymal plasticity, and extinction of the derived lineages, halts the malignant potential of one of the most aggressive forms of human cancer.

Animals↗

Single-cell transcriptomics reveals distinct microglial state remodeling associated with the (R)-nicotine/diosmetin combination and galantamine in LPS-challenged BV2 cells.

BACKGROUND: Microglial neuroinflammation contributes to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, yet it remains challenging to attenuate inflammatory responses while preserving cellular function. The effects of (R)-nicotine, diosmetin, their combined administration, and galantamine on heterogeneous BV2 transcriptional states have not been compared at single-cell resolution. METHODS: LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial-like cells were treated with (R)-nicotine, diosmetin, their combination (DR), or galantamine. Single-cell RNA sequencing was performed with three biological replicates per group and integrated with RNA velocity and SCENIC regulon inference to characterize treatment-associated state redistribution, inferred local transcriptional directionality and regulon-activity patterns. Functional validation included CCK-8 metabolic activity assays, multiplex cytokine ELISA, BDNF/GDNF quantification, qPCR, and high-content immunofluorescence analysis of iNOS and Arg1 at single-cell resolution. RESULTS: LPS decreased the relative abundance of the Itgae+/Plk4+ cluster while increasing the Nmur1+/Limk2+ cluster and inflammatory effector programs. DR treatment suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine release without significantly reducing CCK-8-assessed metabolic activity, increased the Itgae+/Plk4+ cluster proportion, and increased BDNF/GDNF relative to LPS. RNA velocity and SCENIC analyses suggested that DR and galantamine showed distinct transcriptional and regulatory patterns: DR attenuated Batf-associated inflammatory regulons and was associated with increased Atf3-linked stress-response activity, whereas galantamine preferentially engaged DNA repair and genome-maintenance programs. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that the DR condition was associated with remodeling of LPS-challenged BV2 microglial-like states, attenuation of inflammatory programs, and increased neurotrophic outputs relative to LPS, without significantly reducing CCK-8-assessed metabolic activity. This study provides a single-cell characterization of distinct treatment-associated responses to (R)-nicotine, diosmetin, their combined administration, and galantamine.

Microglia↗

Regulation of the Arabidopsis transcriptome by oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress, resulting from an imbalance in the accumulation and removal of reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), is a challenge faced by all aerobic organisms. In plants, exposure to various abiotic and biotic stresses results in accumulation of H(2)O(2) and oxidative stress. Increasing evidence indicates that H(2)O(2) functions as a stress signal in plants, mediating adaptive responses to various stresses. To analyze cellular responses to H(2)O(2), we have undertaken a large-scale analysis of the Arabidopsis transcriptome during oxidative stress. Using cDNA microarray technology, we identified 175 non-redundant expressed sequence tags that are regulated by H(2)O(2). Of these, 113 are induced and 62 are repressed by H(2)O(2). A substantial proportion of these expressed sequence tags have predicted functions in cell rescue and defense processes. RNA-blot analyses of selected genes were used to verify the microarray data and extend them to demonstrate that other stresses such as wilting, UV irradiation, and elicitor challenge also induce the expression of many of these genes, both independently of, and, in some cases, via H(2)O(2).

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Integrated proteomic network analysis reveals PTPRC as a central hub protein orchestrating co-expression modules and metabolic dysregulation in renal carcinoma: PTPRC protein molecular action.

The occurrence of renal carcinoma is closely related to a variety of molecular mechanisms and metabolic disorders. PTPRC (protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor C), as an important regulatory protein, was studied to reveal the role of PTPRC in renal carcinoma through comprehensive proteomic network analysis, especially its core position in the coordination of co-expression modules and metabolic disorders. This study was the first to download and process multiple publicly available renal cancer transcriptome data to conduct differential gene expression analysis across datasets. Functional enrichment and disease ontology analysis were performed on the transcriptome of renal cancer, and weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA) was constructed. The results showed that comprehensive principal component analysis revealed significant differences in the transcriptome of renal cancer, and functional annotation revealed specific pathways associated with renal cancer. WGCNA analysis identified tumor-associated co-expression modules, while multi-omics analysis further identified core regulatory networks including PTPRC. As a central hub protein, PTPRC plays an important coordinating role in the co-expression module and metabolic dysregulation of renal carcinoma. This discovery provides a new perspective for understanding the molecular mechanism of kidney cancer.

Humans↗

Understanding the biological processes of kidney carcinogenesis: an integrative multi-omics approach.

Biological mechanisms related to cancer development can leave distinct molecular fingerprints in tumours. By leveraging multi-omics and epidemiological information, we can unveil relationships between carcinogenesis processes that would otherwise remain hidden. Our integrative analysis of DNA methylome, transcriptome, and somatic mutation profiles of kidney tumours linked ageing, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and xenobiotic metabolism to kidney carcinogenesis. Ageing process was represented by associations with cellular mitotic clocks such as epiTOC2, SBS1, telomere length, and PBRM1 and SETD2 mutations, which ticked faster as tumours progressed. We identified a relationship between BAP1 driver mutations and the epigenetic upregulation of EMT genes (IL20RB and WT1), correlating with increased tumour immune infiltration, advanced stage, and poorer patient survival. We also observed an interaction between epigenetic silencing of the xenobiotic metabolism gene GSTP1 and tobacco use, suggesting a link to genotoxic effects and impaired xenobiotic metabolism. Our pan-cancer analysis showed these relationships in other tumour types. Our study enhances the understanding of kidney carcinogenesis and its relation to risk factors and progression, with implications for other tumour types.

Kidney Neoplasms↗