Exploration and validation of m7G-related genes as signatures in the immune microenvironment and prognostic indicators in low-grade glioma

Wen Zhen; Xueshi Shan; Xiangdong Cui; Pengxiang Ji; Ping Zhang; Minghua Wang; Zhan Cai

Exploration and validation of m7G-related genes as signatures in the immune microenvironment and prognostic indicators in low-grade glioma

Am J Transl Res. 2023 Jun 15;15(6):3882-3899. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Wen Zhen^{1

2}, Xueshi Shan¹, Xiangdong Cui³, Pengxiang Ji¹, Ping Zhang¹, Minghua Wang², Zhan Cai¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, Suzhou Ruihua Orthopedic Hospital Suzhou 215104, Jiangsu, China.
² Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College, Soochow University Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China.
³ School of Marine Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, China.

PMID: 37434820
PMCID: PMC10331695

Abstract

Objectives: Currently, an increasing number of studies are focusing on the impact of m7G modification in cancer. This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of m7G-related genes in low-grade glioma (LGG).

Methods: LGG samples were obtained from the CGGA database, and normal samples were obtained from GTEx. Differentially expressed m7G-related genes were identified, and genes highly associated with macrophage M2 in LGG patients were identified by immuno-infiltration and WGCNA analysis. The intersection of differentially expressed m7G-related genes and macrophage M2-associated genes yielded candidate genes, and hub genes were identified using 5 algorithms in CytoHubba. Enrichment analysis verified the relevant pathways of hub genes, and their performance in tumor classification was evaluated.

Results: A total of 3329 differentially expressed m7G-related genes were identified. 1289 genes were highly associated with macrophage M2 in LGG patients. The intersection of m7G-related genes and results in WGCNA yielded 840 candidate genes, and six hub genes (STXBP1, CPLX1, PAB3A, APBA1, RIMS1, and GRIN2B) were identified. Hub genes were enriched in synaptic transmission-related pathways and showed good performance for tumor classification. There were significant differences in survival levels between clusters.

Conclusions: The identified m7G-related genes may provide new insight into the treatment and prognosis of LGG.

Keywords: Low-grade glioma (LGG); N7-methylguanosine; WGCNA; immune microenvironment; prognostic signature.