BMP-antagonist Niche
Gene co-expression module in Smooth muscle cells
| Category | Development |
|---|---|
| Genes | 13 |
| Annotation certainty | 4 of 5 |
| Annotation consistency | 9 of 13 genes have a known function matching the annotation |
Why this annotation
Hub genes are the canonical intestinal stem-cell niche morphogen set: BMP antagonists GREM1, GREM2, CHRDL1 with Wnt amplifiers RSPO2/RSPO3, plus CCBE1 (VEGFC processing), C3, PBX3 and SATB1 (niche fibroblast/trophocyte transcription factors). This is the GREM1+ trophocyte/subepithelial myofibroblast niche program characteristic of muscularis mucosae-adjacent mural cells in colon, not contamination (uniform, mesenchymal genes). CD74 is a weak peripheral/ambient member. Its neighborhood with developmental modules M46 and M53 supports a positional/developmental mesenchymal axis.
Genes
AP1S2, ARL4C, C3, CCBE1, CD74, CHRDL1, CISD1, GREM1, GREM2, PBX3, RSPO2, RSPO3, SATB1
Most correlated modules
- Fibroblast-like Activation · correlation 0.66
- SMC Ion Signaling · correlation 0.62
- Microfibrillar ECM Program · correlation 0.58
- Telocyte/Fibroblast Contamination · correlation 0.53
Module annotations were drafted by a large language model from the module's genes, then reviewed and approved by a domain expert. See sources & licences.