Multi-lineage Contamination
Gene co-expression module in Monocytes
| Category | Cell contamination |
|---|---|
| Genes | 13 |
| Annotation certainty | 3 of 5 |
| Annotation consistency | 6 of 13 genes have a known function matching the annotation |
Why this annotation
This module contains a heterogeneous mix of genes that do not form a single coherent biological program. Hub genes include NKG7 (NK/cytotoxic cell marker), RETN (resistin, adipokine/neutrophil marker), AZU1 and ELANE (neutrophil granule serine proteases), MS4A3 (granulocyte progenitor marker), CYP19A1 (aromatase, steroidogenesis), CLU (clusterin, stress/secreted chaperone), E2F2 (cell cycle transcription factor), GM2A (lysosomal ganglioside activator), RAB44 (vesicular trafficking), GYPC (erythrocyte membrane protein), and ITGB7 (integrin). The strong enrichment of neutrophil-specific granule genes (AZU1, ELANE, MS4A3, RETN) alongside erythroid (GYPC), NK (NKG7), and steroidogenic (CYP19A1) markers in monocytes suggests this module captures rare contaminating or ambient RNA from multiple non-monocyte lineages rather than a coherent monocyte program. The disease association (up in UC inflammation, down in remission) may reflect inflammatory tissue infiltration by these other cell types. The low mean expression (0.174) and 14.8% detection rate are consistent with ambient/contamination signal.
Genes
AZU1, CLU, CYP19A1, E2F2, ELANE, GM2A, GYPC, ITGB7, MS4A3, MXRA7, NKG7, RAB44, RETN
Most correlated modules
- Pentose Phosphate Pathway · correlation 0.77
- Histone Chromatin Remodeling · correlation 0.64
- Classical Monocyte Activation · correlation 0.63
- Granulocytic Differentiation · correlation 0.59
- Classical Monocyte Trafficking · correlation 0.53
- Myeloid Activation · correlation 0.53
- Leukotriene-Alarmin Response · correlation 0.51
- Autophagy Initiation · correlation 0.51
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.