Single cell sequencing coupled with bioinformatics reveals PHYH as a potential biomarker in kidney ischemia reperfusion injury

Ischemia reperfusion injury(IRI) is an important factor affecting the early function and long-term survival of transplanted kidney. Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a powerful method for investigating cell-specific transcriptome changes in the kidney. This study aimed to identify the significant cell type and potential biomarkers in IRI. First, we downloaded the IRI related scRNA dataset GSE139506 from the GEO database. Then, classification of cell type was characterized and proximal tubule cell (PTC) was identified as a significant cell type. The functional enrichment analysis indicated that PTC were related to kidney function and is significant in the ferroptosis of IRI. Analyses of three-dimensional structure and iron binding substructure of protein was carried out basing on SWISS-MODEL database. Finally, we constructed the murine model with IRI and verify the higher expression of PHYH in IRI by PCR, Western blot (WB) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) experiments. In conclusion, this study provided novel insights on the cell-type-specific expression gene biomarker in IRI pathogenesis.