Construction of a lncRNA-mRNA Co-Expression Network for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Chunmei Fan; Fang Xiong; Yanyan Tang; Panchun Li; Kunjie Zhu; Yongzhen Mo; Yumin Wang; Shanshan Zhang; Zhaojiang Gong; Qianjin Liao; Guiyuan Li; Zhaoyang Zeng; Can Guo; Wei Xiong; He Huang

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.809760

Construction of a lncRNA-mRNA Co-Expression Network for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Front Oncol. 2022 Jul 7:12:809760. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.809760. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Chunmei Fan^{1

2

3}, Fang Xiong^{1

2

3}, Yanyan Tang¹, Panchun Li⁴, Kunjie Zhu¹, Yongzhen Mo⁵, Yumin Wang³, Shanshan Zhang³, Zhaojiang Gong⁴, Qianjin Liao¹, Guiyuan Li^{1

5}, Zhaoyang Zeng^{1

5}, Can Guo^{1

5}, Wei Xiong^{1

5}, He Huang²

Affiliations

¹ NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.
² Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.
³ Department of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
⁴ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) widely regulate gene expression and play important roles in the pathogenesis of human diseases, including malignant tumors. However, the functions of most lncRNAs remain to be elucidated. In order to study and screen novel lncRNAs with important functions in the carcinogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), we constructed a lncRNA expression profile of 10 NPC tissues and 6 controls through a gene microarray. We identified 1,276 lncRNAs, of which most are unknown, with different expression levels in the healthy and NPC tissues. In order to shed light on the functions of these unknown lncRNAs, we first constructed a co-expression network of lncRNAs and mRNAs using bioinformatics and systematic biological approach. Moreover, mRNAs were clustered and enriched by their biological functions, and those lncRNAs have similar expression trends with mRNAs were defined as functional molecules with potential biological significance. The module may help identify key lncRNAs in the carcinogenesis of NPC and provide clues for in-depth study of their functions and associated signaling pathways. We suggest the newly identified lncRNAs may have clinic value as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for NPC diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: MYC; genomic instability; long non-coding RNA; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; p53; weighted gene co-expression network analysis.