Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40858565›Full record

ArticleCell death & disease2025

GFAT1 promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma via enhancing the O-GlcNAcylation of VEZF1.

Jia-Yao Yang, Rong Zhang, Zhi-Rong Zhang, Shan Li, De-Ao Gong, Chen-Hao Li, Chang Chen, Lu-Yi Huang, Ai-Long Huang, Ni Tang and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell death & disease, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Jia-Yao Yang *Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Rong Zhang *Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Zhi-Rong Zhang *Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Shan LiKey Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
De-Ao GongKey Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Chen-Hao LiKey Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Chang ChenCollege of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Lu-Yi HuangKey Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0377-877X
Ai-Long HuangKey Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0148-7423
Ni TangKey Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. nitang@cqmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5830-8786
Kai WangKey Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. wangkai@cqmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0137-1247

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82073251National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82272975
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase 1 (GFAT1), the first rate-limiting enzyme in the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP), is a pivotal regulator of HBP flux. Despite its established significance, the molecular underpinnings of GFAT1's role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain to be elucidated. Here, we found that GFAT1 was upregulated in HCC, and high GFAT1 level was correlated with poor patient prognosis. Our in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that GFAT1 facilitated hepatoma cell proliferation and invasion by enhancing HBP and O-GlcNAcylation through its enzymatic activity. Global profiling of O-GlcNAcylation identified vascular endothelial zinc finger protein 1 (VEZF1) as a key substrate heavily O-GlcNAcylated in GFAT1-overexpressing hepatoma cells. Notably, O-GlcNAcylation at specific serine residues (Ser123 and Ser124) within VEZF1 attenuated its proteasomal degradation, thereby enhancing its protein stability and promoting tensin 1 (TNS1) transcription in HCC. In addition, we designed a bioactive VEZF1-derived peptide to competitively inhibit GFAT1-mediated O-GlcNAcylation of VEZF1. This intervention effectively reduced TNS1 expression and suppressed the progression of HCC in a mouse model. Collectively, our findings underscore the therapeutic potential of targeting the GFAT1-VEZF1-TNS1 signaling axis in HCC.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularGlutamine-Fructose-6-Phosphate Transaminase (Isomerizing)Liver NeoplasmsAnimalsCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationDisease ProgressionGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticGlycosylationHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred BALB CMice, NudeGlutamine-Fructose-6-Phosphate Transaminase (Isomerizing)

Identifiers

PMID40858565
PMCPMC12381164

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.