Heterogeneous DNA methylation contributes to tumorigenesis through inducing the loss of coexpression connectivity in colorectal cancer.

ABSTRACT: Increasing evidence indicates the high heterogeneity of cancer cells. Recent studies have revealed distinct subtypes of DNA methylation in colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the mechanism of heterogeneous methylation remains poorly understood. Gene expression is a natural, intermediate quantitative trait that bridges genotypic and phenotypic features. In this work, we studied the role of heterogeneous DNA methylation in tumorigenesis via gene expression analyses. Specifically, we integrated methylation and expression data in normal and tumor tissues, and examined the perturbations in coexpression patterns. We found that the heterogeneity of methylation leads to significant loss of coexpression connectivity in CRC; this finding was validated in an independent cohort. Functional analyses show

SUBMITTER: Wang Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4785867 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature