Prediction and enrichment analyses of the Homo sapiens-Drosophila melanogaster COPD-related orthologs: potential for modeling of human COPD genomic responses with the fruit fly

The significant similarities in airway epithelial cells between mammals and the fruit fly have rendered the latter an important model organism for studies of chronic inflammatory lung diseases. Focusing on the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), we here mapped human gene orthologs associated with this disease in to identify functionally equivalent genes for immediate, further screening with the fruit fly model. The DIOPT-DIST tool was accessed for the prediction of the COPD-associated orthologs between humans and . Enrichment analyses with respect to pathways of the retrieved functional homologs were performed using the ToppFun and FlyMine tools, identifying 73 unique human genes as well as 438 fruit fly genes. The ToppFun analysis verified that the human gene list is associated with COPD phenotypes. Furthermore, the FlyMine investigation highlighted that the genes are functionally connected mainly with the "ABC-family proteins mediated transport" and the "β-catenin-independent WNT signaling pathway." These results suggest an evolutionarily conserved role toward responses to inhaled toxicants and CO in both species. We reason that the predicted orthologous genes should be further studied in the models of cigarette smoke-induced COPD.