AUTHOR=Ji Xiangtian , Chen Xin , Lin Guozhong , Ma Kaiming , Yang Junhua , Zhao Xiaofang , Chen Suhua , Yang Jun 

TITLE=Discovery of GJC1 as a prognostic biomarker in glioma cells: insights into its cell-cycle relationship and differential expression in non-neuronal cells

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience

VOLUME=18

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2024.1440409

DOI=10.3389/fncel.2024.1440409

ISSN=1662-5102

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background</title><p>Gliomas, originating from the most common non-neuronal cells in the brain (glial cells), are the most common brain tumors and are associated with high mortality and poor prognosis. Glioma cells exhibit a tendency to disrupt normal cell-cycle regulation, leading to abnormal proliferation and malignant growth. This study investigated the predictive potential of <italic>GJC1</italic> in gliomas and explored its relationship with the cell cycle.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>Retrospective analysis of RNA-seq and single-cell sequencing data was conducted using the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. The differential expression of <italic>GJC1</italic> in gliomas with various pathological features and in different non-neuronal cell groups was analyzed. Functional data were examined using gene set variation analysis (GSVA). Furthermore, CellMiner was used to evaluate the relationship between <italic>GJC1</italic> expression and predicted treatment response across these databases.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p><italic>GJC1</italic> expression was enriched in high-grade gliomas and 1p/19q non-codeletion gliomas. <italic>GJC1</italic> enrichment was observed in classical and mesenchymal subtypes within the TCGA glioma subtype group. In single-cell subgroup analysis, <italic>GJC1</italic> expression was higher in glioma tissues compared to other non-neuronal cells. Additionally, the TCGA classical subtype of glioma cells exhibited more <italic>GJC1</italic> expression than the other subgroups. <italic>GJC1</italic> emerged as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in glioma. GSVA unveiled potential mechanisms by which <italic>GJC1</italic> may impact cell-cycle regulation in glioma. Finally, a significant correlation was observed between <italic>GJC1</italic> expression and the sensitivity of multiple anti-cancer drugs.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>These findings confirmed <italic>GJC1</italic> as a novel biomarker and provided insights into the differential gene expression in non-neuronal cells and the impact of the cell cycle on gliomas. Consequently, <italic>GJC1</italic> may be used to predict glioma prognosis and has potential therapeutic value.</p></sec>