Gmfg, also known as glia maturation factor gamma, is a key regulator of actin dynamics and belongs to the ADF/cofilin superfamily protein. It plays roles in regulating actin cytoskeletal organization and is involved in various biological processes. In hematopoietic development, it is required for the initiation and maintenance of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, mediating blood flow-induced HSPC maintenance via YAP regulation and contributing to HSPC initiation through Notch signaling modulation [7].

In cancer research, studies show diverse roles of Gmfg. In lung cancer, its low expression in tumor tissues is associated with poor prognosis. Ectopic Gmfg expression dampens cell proliferation, while knockout escalates it, through activating the p53 signaling pathway [1]. In breast cancer, its lower expression in tissues is related to poor prognosis, and it may have an antitumor effect by increasing CD8+ T-cell infiltration [3]. However, in triple-negative breast cancer, high GMFG expression is correlated with malignancy, promoting cell migration and invasion through the EMT pathway [4]. In epithelial ovarian cancer, high GMFG expression is associated with advanced stage, chemoresistance, and poor prognosis, and it promotes cell migration and invasion, possibly by interacting with the Arp2/3 complex to alter actin cytoskeleton organization [5]. In gliomas, high GMFG expression is associated with higher malignancy, macrophage infiltration, and poor response to temozolomide treatment [6]. In IgA nephropathy, GMFG is identified as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target [2].

In conclusion, Gmfg is essential in multiple biological processes and diseases. Its role in cancer shows both tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting effects depending on the cancer type. Gene knockout or knockdown models in these studies have been crucial in revealing its functions in disease-related biological processes, providing potential insights for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment in relevant disease areas.

References:

1. Tang, Hua, Liu, Jie, Huang, Jun. . GMFG (glia maturation factor gamma) inhibits lung cancer growth by activating p53 signaling pathway. In Bioengineered, 13, 9284-9293. doi:10.1080/21655979.2022.2049958. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35383531/

2. Deng, Xiaoqi, Luo, Yu, Lu, Meiqi, Lin, Yun, Ma, Li. 2024. Identification of GMFG as a novel biomarker in IgA nephropathy based on comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. In Heliyon, 10, e28997. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28997. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38601619/

3. Yang, Yan, He, Xin, Tang, Qian-Qian, Wei, Lei, Zhang, Jing-Wei. 2021. GMFG Has Potential to Be a Novel Prognostic Marker and Related to Immune Infiltrates in Breast Cancer. In Frontiers in oncology, 11, 629633. doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.629633. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34367945/

4. Zhao, Yonglin, Wei, Xing, Li, Jia, Zhang, Shuqun, Wu, Fei. 2023. High Level of GMFG Correlated to Poor Clinical Outcome and Promoted Cell Migration and Invasion through EMT Pathway in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. In Genes, 14, . doi:10.3390/genes14061157. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37372337/

5. Zuo, Peng, Ma, Yuejiang, Huang, Yongjie, Kong, Beihua, Xie, Xing. 2014. High GMFG expression correlates with poor prognosis and promotes cell migration and invasion in epithelial ovarian cancer. In Gynecologic oncology, 132, 745-51. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2014.01.044. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24486602/

6. Liu, Junhui, Zhu, Xiaonan, Gao, Lun, Xu, Haitao, Chen, Zhibiao. 2022. Expression and Prognostic Role of Glia Maturation Factor-γ in Gliomas. In Frontiers in molecular neuroscience, 15, 906762. doi:10.3389/fnmol.2022.906762. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35845613/

7. Li, Honghu, Luo, Qian, Cai, Shuyang, Qian, Pengxu, Huang, He. 2023. Glia maturation factor-γ is required for initiation and maintenance of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. In Stem cell research & therapy, 14, 117. doi:10.1186/s13287-023-03328-1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37122014/