PLX203926

GSE146254: Comparative RNA-Seq transcriptome analyses reveal dynamic time dependent effects of 56Fe, 16O, and 28Si irradiation on the induction of murine hepatocellular carcinoma

• Organsim mouse
• Type RNASEQ
• Target gene
• Project ARCHS4

One of the health risks posed to astronauts during deep space flights is exposure to high charge, high-energy (HZE) ions (Z>13) which can lead to induction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We performed comparative RNA-Seq transcriptomic analysis to assess the carcinogenic effects of 600 MeV/n 56Fe (0.2 Gy), 1 GeV/n 16O (0.2 Gy), and 350 MeV/n 28Si (0.2 Gy) ions in a mouse model for radiation-induced hepatocellular carcinoma. C3H/HeNCrl mice were subjected to total body irradiation to simulate space HZE-irradiation environment and liver tissues were extracted at five different time points post-irradiation to investigate the time-dependent gradual carcinogenic response at the transcriptomic level. Our data demonstrated a clear difference in the effects of these HZE ions, particularly immunological, on the carcinogenic process of HCC, suggesting different molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis. Also seen in this study was novel unmapped transcripts that were significantly affected by HZE. To investigate the biological functions of these transcripts, we used a machine learning technique known as self-organizing maps (SOMs) to characterize the transcriptome expression profiles of 60 samples (45 HZE-irradiated, 15 non-irradiated control) from liver tissues. A handful of localized modules in the maps emerged as groups of co-regulated and co-expressed transcripts. The functional context of these modules was discovered using overrepresentation analysis. We found that these spots typically contained enriched populations of transcripts related to specific immunological molecular processes. Taken together, these findings not only led to a better understanding of biological mechanisms underlying risks for HCC after HZE irradiation but also have important implications for discovery of potential countermeasures and identification of biomarkers of HZE-induced HCC. SOURCE: Anna Nia (anna.nia@ucla.edu) - Mark R. Emmett University of Texas Medical Branch