The role of ANKHD1 in controlling atherosclerosis via microRNAs

Abstract

ANKHD1 is a microRNA binding protein yet its role in atherosclerosis is currently unknown. For this MSc project, I performed a bioinformatics analysis of two sets of microRNAs, which were previously obtained by next-generation sequencing (Fragiadaki lab, unpublished). These comprise of 30 ANKHD1-regulated microRNAs and 37 ANKHD1-binding MicroRNAs. I identified the genes affected by these 67 microRNAs through Diana computational tool. I then performed pathway analysis through the GSEA website and focused on HALLMARK pathways. Besides, any overlap of genes was detected through the interactivinn website. After that, for the most significant pathways associated with the 2 sets of microRNAs, I performed a literature review. The specific terms I used were to identify pathways that are involved in atherosclerosis, hence reveal potentially how ANKHD1 may be driving this disease. Some of the most notable pathways that my research identified are the interferon and estrogen, and I found that both of these have been strongly associated with atherosclerosis. Taken together, my project shows the potential involvement of ANKHD1 in cardiovascular disease by shedding light on the mechanism by which ANKHD1 potentially controls important disease-causing pathways via altering subsets of microRNAs.