Integrated Network and Gene Ontology Analysis Identifies Key Genes and Pathways for Coronary Artery Diseases

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) in developing countries is on the rise, owing to rapidly changing lifestyle. Therefore, it is imperative that the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms be understood to develop specific treatment strategies. Comprehensive disease network and Gene Ontology (GO) studies aid in prioritizing potential candidate genes for CAD and also give insights into gene function by establishing gene and disease pathway relationships. Methods: In the present study, CAD-associated genes were collated from different data sources and protein-protein interaction network was constructed using STRING. Highly interconnected network clusters were inferred and GO analysis was performed. Results: Interrelation between genes and pathways were analyzed on ClueGO and 38 candidates were identified from 1475 CAD-associated genes, which were significantly enriched in CAD-related pathways such as metabolism and regulation of lipid molecules, platelet activation, macrophage derived foam cell differentiation, and blood coagulation and fibrin clot formation. Discussion: Integrated network and ontology analysis enables biomarker prioritization for common complex diseases such as CAD. Experimental validation and future studies on the prioritized genes may reveal valuable insights into CAD development mechanism and targeted treatment strategies.