Embigin (EMB) is a transmembrane glycoprotein. In glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), EMB is highly expressed and associated with poor prognosis. It drives GBM progression by upregulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and glycolysis, while maintaining glutathione (GSH) redox balance through inducing monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) and glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) expression [1].

In maize, the EMB-7L gene encodes a chloroplast-localized P-type pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein. It is required for embryogenesis and plant development, being involved in the RNA splicing of multiple chloroplast genes. Transcription of chloroplast protein-encoding genes and pre-mRNA intron splicing are affected in a tissue-dependent pattern in emb-7L mutants, with dramatic impacts on chloroplast structure, activity, and related metabolic product synthesis [2].

In conclusion, EMB has significant functions in both plant development and cancer progression. In plants like maize, it is crucial for embryogenesis and chloroplast-related processes. In GBM, EMB is an independent prognostic biomarker and a driver of tumor progression, highlighting its importance in understanding the mechanisms of GBM and potentially developing new treatment strategies.

References:

1. Cheng, Bo, Liu, Jing, Gao, Ling, Liu, Shangqi, Wu, Xiaojin. 2025. EMB-driven glioblastoma multiforme progression via the MCT4/GPX3 axis: therapeutic inhibition by Ganxintriol A. In Journal of translational medicine, 23, 272. doi:10.1186/s12967-025-06290-z. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40038742/

2. Yuan, Ningning, Wang, Jiechen, Zhou, Yong, Wang, Wenqin, Wu, Yongrui. 2019. EMB-7L is required for embryogenesis and plant development in maize involved in RNA splicing of multiple chloroplast genes. In Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology, 287, 110203. doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.110203. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31481208/