Effects of cytomegalovirus infection on gene expression and signaling pathways in preauricular somatic cells
10.3760/cma.j.cn431274-20250423-00595
- VernacularTitle:巨细胞病毒感染对耳前体细胞基因表达与信号通路的影响
- Author:
Na CHENG
1
;
Lingzhang TIAN
;
Chengmin WANG
;
Danhua ZHANG
Author Information
1. 郑州大学第一附属医院外科，郑州 450052
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Cytomegalovirus infection;
Otic progenitor cell;
Signaling pathway;
Bioinformatics analysis;
Hearing impairment
- From:
Journal of Chinese Physician
2025;27(9):1366-1371
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To analyze the effects of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection on gene expression and signaling pathways in preauricular somatic cells, and to explore potential intervention approaches for neonatal hearing loss caused by CMV infection.Methods:CMV infection data (GSE234062) were retrieved and downloaded from the GEO database. R studio software was used to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the CMV-infected group and the control group. ExpressAnalyst and String tools were employed to analyze the enrichment of DEGs in signaling pathways, biological processes, molecular functions, and protein-protein interactions.Results:After CMV infection of preauricular somatic cells, the expression levels of viral RNA and green fluorescent protein (GFP) RNA increased significantly. Meanwhile, 233 genes were upregulated and 123 genes were downregulated post-infection. Signaling pathway analysis showed that the upregulated genes were mainly enriched in pathways such as calcium ion channels, GABA synapses, morphine addiction, and cGMP-PKG, while the downregulated genes were primarily enriched in pathways including focal adhesion, extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, amebiasis, and proteoglycans in cancer. Biological process analysis revealed that the upregulated genes were closely associated with neuron development and cell maturation, whereas the downregulated genes were mainly involved in actin filament-dependent processes, tissue development, and vascular development. Molecular function enrichment analysis indicated that the upregulated genes were mainly clustered in sequence-specific DNA binding, RNA polymerase Ⅱ distal enhancer binding, and G protein-coupled amine receptor activity, while the downregulated genes were closely related to molecular functions such as actin binding, structural molecule activity, and extracellular matrix structure.Conclusions:CMV infection can activate calcium ion channel and GABA synaptic pathways, and impair focal adhesion and ECM-receptor interaction pathways in preauricular somatic cells. This suggests that targeting these related pathways may help alleviate neonatal hearing impairment caused by CMV infection.
