ASPN+ Submucosal Fibroblast
Gene co-expression module in Fibroblasts
| Category | ECM production |
|---|---|
| Genes | 14 |
| Annotation certainty | 3 of 5 |
| Annotation consistency | 9 of 14 genes have a known function matching the annotation |
Why this annotation
Hub genes include FNDC1 (fibronectin domain-containing, stromal ECM), ASPN (asporin, a SLRP proteoglycan enriched in deep stroma/myofibroblasts), HMCN1 and HMCN2 (hemicentins, large ECM proteins of basement membrane zones), COL6A5 (collagen VI, deep stromal ECM), CLEC14A (endothelial/stromal lectin), SORCS1 (sorting receptor), VIPR2 (VIP receptor, neuroendocrine signaling), and BCHE (butyrylcholinesterase, stromal enzyme). Very low expression (4.2% positive) suggests a rare specialized subpopulation. ASPN and HMCN1/2 together point to a deep submucosal fibroblast with specialized ECM production. Downregulated in UC inflammation.
Genes
ASPN, BCHE, CLEC14A, COL6A5, DIO2, FNDC1, HMCN1, HMCN2, HPSE2, KLHL23, LCE2A, P2RX1, SORCS1, VIPR2
Most correlated modules
- Elastic Fiber ECM · correlation 0.71
- Stromal Niche Signaling · correlation 0.64
- CCL11 Secretory Fibroblast · correlation 0.57
- Homeostatic Fibroblast State · correlation 0.54
- CYGB+ Quiescent Fibroblast · correlation 0.42
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.