KLF4 Terminal Differentiation
Gene co-expression module in Enterocytes
| Category | Epithelial development |
|---|---|
| Genes | 9 |
| Annotation certainty | 2 of 5 |
| Annotation consistency | 4 of 9 genes have a known function matching the annotation |
Why this annotation
The hub genes are TRIM38, KLF4 and RASSF6, and expression is uniform across subsets. KLF4 is a zinc-finger transcription factor that drives terminal differentiation and growth arrest of colonic epithelium, including goblet cell maturation. SHROOM3 controls apical constriction and epithelial morphogenesis. RASSF6, a Hippo/apoptosis-linked tumor suppressor, and SIK3, a salt-inducible kinase regulating CRTC/HDAC-dependent transcription, fit an anti-proliferative, maturing enterocyte state. MDK, ECE1, TRIM38 (a negative regulator of innate signaling), TRANK1 and MARCHF3 are peripheral and lack a single unifying function. Coherence is strong but the module is small, and there is no subset enrichment or neighbor context to sharpen the label. The best interpretation is a KLF4-centered epithelial maturation program, with low confidence.
Genes
ECE1, KLF4, MARCHF3, MDK, RASSF6, SHROOM3, SIK3, TRANK1, TRIM38
Most correlated modules
- Long-gene nuclear transcripts · correlation 0.81
- JUN stress response · correlation 0.76
- EGFR wound response · correlation 0.69
- Long-gene transcript bias · correlation 0.64
- Epithelial junction adhesion · correlation 0.56
- Cortical actin junctions · correlation 0.56
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.