title: Shortest path analyses in the protein-protein interaction network of NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) overexpression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) is a novel cancer-related protein involves multiple functions in many cancers and other diseases. We previously overexpressed NGAL to analyze its role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In this study, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) was constructed and the shortest paths from NGAL to transcription factors in the network were analyzed. We found 28 shortest paths from NGAL to RELA, most of them obeying the principle of extracellular to cytoplasm, then nucleus. These shortest paths were also prioritized according to their normalized intensity from the microarray by the order of interaction cascades. A systems approach was developed in this study by linking differentially expressed genes with publicly available PPI data, Gene Ontology and subcellular localizaton for the integrated analyses. These shortest paths from NGAL to DEG transcription factors or other transcription factors in the PPI network provide important clues for future experimental identification of new pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China E-mail : blwu@stu.edu.cn; lyxu@stu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ze-Peng
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Bing-Li
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shao-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jin-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xuan-Hao
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chun-Peng
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiao-Yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Xiao-Fen
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Li-Yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: En-Min
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D006801:Humans; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D060066:Protein Interaction Maps / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors