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

oleh: Yue He, Kristina B. V. Døssing, Maria Rossing, Frederik Otzen Bagger, Andreas Kjaer

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-02-01

Deskripsi

Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) encoded by the <i>PLAUR</i> 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 <i>PLAUR</i> with respect to intra-tumoral subtypes of GBM. Using single-cell RNA sequencing data from 37 GBM patients, we identified <i>PLAUR</i> 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 <i>PLAUR</i> for both subtypes without presuming biological pathways. Two protein networks comprise the molecular context of <i>PLAUR</i>, with each of the two subtypes characterized by a different dominant network. We concluded that targeting <i>PLAUR</i> directly influences the mechanisms represented by these two protein networks, regardless of the subtype of the targeted cell.