Background: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disorder with unclear molecular mechanisms. Ferroptosis, a regulated iron-dependent cell death, may play a key role, yet the specific genes involved remain underexplored. Methods: Ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) were identified in endometriosis using GEO data, with key genes selected through LASSO, SVM-RFE, and cross-tabulation analysis. We validated gene expression in the tissues of patients with endometriosis using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and assessed the causal effects of these genes on endometriosis subtypes through Mendelian randomization (MR). We further validated the causal relationship between FRGs with diagnostic value and the progression of endometriosis through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Results: We identified 13 differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes (DE-FRGs) in endometriosis, including six upregulated and seven downregulated genes. Among these, FZD7, HMOX1, HSPA5, TFAP2C, and RRM2 were identified as key genes with diagnostic potential (AUC =0.91). MR analysis revealed that FZD7, HMOX1, RRM2, and HSPA5 were causally associated with different subtypes of endometriosis, with FZD7 acting as a protective factor (OR < 1), while the others functioned as risk factors (OR > 1). Notably, RRM2 exhibited causal associations across multiple subtypes of the disease. qRT-PCR confirmed significant upregulation of RRM2 in ectopic endometrial tissues (P < 0.01). Functional validation experiments further demonstrated that RRM2 enhances the invasiveness of endometrial cells in vitro (P < 0.05), while in vivo, RRM2 overexpression induced endometriosis-like phenotypes in a mouse model. Conclusion: Our integrative analysis combining transcriptomic profiling, MR, and experimental validation identified FRGs, particularly RRM2, as being causally associated with endometriosis. RRM2 may contribute to disease progression and represents a promising target for diagnosis and therapy.
基金:
Key Projects of Yunnan Province Science and Technology Department [202302AA310044]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [82260311, 82460308]; Yunnan revitali-zation talent support program [YNQR-QNRC-2018-142]; Joint special fund of Kunming Medical University [202301AY070001-077, 202301AY070001-048, 202401AY070001-130]; Joint special fund of Kunming University of Science and Technology [KUST-KH2023004Z]; Open Project of the Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health in Western China [2024XBYSKF015]
第一作者机构:[3]First Peoples Hosp Yunnan Prov, Dept Reprod Med, 157 Jinbi Rd, Kunming 650034, Yunnan, Peoples R China[4]Kunming Univ Sci & Technol, Affiliated Hosp, Kunming, Yunnan, Peoples R China[5]NHC Key Lab Preconcept Hlth Birth Western China, Kunming, Peoples R China
共同第一作者:
通讯作者:
通讯机构:[3]First Peoples Hosp Yunnan Prov, Dept Reprod Med, 157 Jinbi Rd, Kunming 650034, Yunnan, Peoples R China[4]Kunming Univ Sci & Technol, Affiliated Hosp, Kunming, Yunnan, Peoples R China[5]NHC Key Lab Preconcept Hlth Birth Western China, Kunming, Peoples R China[*1]Kunming Med Univ, 1168 West Chunrong Rd,Yuhua St, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式(GB/T 7714):
Zhong Lanping,Niu Yuhong,Ma Rui,et al.Integrative analysis reveals ferroptosis-related genes with RRM2 as a key driver in endometriosis[J].GENE.2025,970:doi:10.1016/j.gene.2025.149754.
APA:
Zhong, Lanping,Niu, Yuhong,Ma, Rui,Luo, Yuting,Li, Xin...&Kang, Xiaomin.(2025).Integrative analysis reveals ferroptosis-related genes with RRM2 as a key driver in endometriosis.GENE,970,
MLA:
Zhong, Lanping,et al."Integrative analysis reveals ferroptosis-related genes with RRM2 as a key driver in endometriosis".GENE 970.(2025)