uPAR (PLAUR) Marks Two Intra-Tumoral Subtypes of Glioblastoma: Insights from Single-Cell RNA Sequencing

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Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) encoded by the PLAUR gene is known as a clinical marker for cell invasiveness in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). It is additionally implicated in various processes, including angiogenesis and inflammation within the tumor microenvironment. However, there has not been a comprehensive study that depicts the overall functions and molecular cooperators of PLAUR with respect to intra-tumoral subtypes of GBM. Using single-cell RNA sequencing data from 37 GBM patients, we identified PLAUR as a marker gene for two distinct subtypes in GBM. One subtype is featured by inflammatory activities and the other subtype is marked by ECM remodeling processes. Using the whole-transcriptome data from single cells, we are able to uncover the molecular cooperators of PLAUR for both subtypes without presuming biological pathways. Two protein networks comprise the molecular context of PLAUR, with each of the two subtypes characterized by a different dominant network. We concluded that targeting PLAUR directly influences the mechanisms represented by these two protein networks, regardless of the subtype of the targeted cell.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1998
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume25
Issue number4
Number of pages13
ISSN1661-6596
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

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© 2024 by the authors.

    Research areas

  • CD44, ECM degradation, FN1, GBM cell invasiveness, inflammatory microenvironment, PLAUR, single-cell RNA sequencing, uPAR

ID: 384866124