Upregulation of GTPBP4 Promotes the Proliferation of Liver Cancer Cells

Abstract

Research Background. Liver cancer is a public health issue worldwide and ranks second in cancer-related mortality rates worldwide. In China, the mortality rate of liver cancer ranks second among all cancer types. The five-year survival rate of liver cancer is only 18%, and the five-year survival rate after surgery can exceed 50%, but the recurrence rate after surgery is as high as 70%. Therefore, the research on the occurrence and progression mechanism of liver cancer is still urgent. Research Method. Explore the expression of GTPBP4 in liver cancer patients in GEPIA2, Oncomine, and UALCAN databases. The relationship between GTPBP4 gene expression and the overall survival of liver cancer patients was explored in the Kaplan–Meier plotter database. Through the STRING database, the protein interacting with GTPBP4 was found. Subsequently, the expression of GTPBP4 gene’s mRNA level and protein level in liver cancer cells was verified by fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blotting experiments. Through the CCK-8 experiment, the effect of GTPBP4 gene’s expression on the growth of liver cancer cells was explored. Through nude mouse tumorigenicity assay, the effect of GTPBP4 expression on tumor growth in vivo was explored. Results. The GTPBP4 has upregulated expression in liver cancer patients ( $P<0.01$ ), but there was no difference in its expression in patients with different clinicopathological stages. The expression of GTPBP4 increased with the increase of cancer metastasis in lymph nodes ( $P<0.01$ ). Liver cancer patients with upregulated expression of GTPBP4 showed a shorter overall survival rate ( $P=0.02$ ). GTPBP4 is closely related to genes such as NIFK, WDR12, and RPF2, and these genes are involved in life processes such as GTP binding and rRNA processing. The upregulated expression of GTPBP4 promotes the proliferation of liver cancer cells and promotes the growth of tumors in mice, while the downregulated expression of GTPBP4 inhibits the proliferation of liver cancer cells and inhibits the growth of tumors in mice. Conclusion. The expression of GTPBP4 is upregulated in liver cancer patients and affects the overall survival rate of patients. The upregulated expression of GTPBP4 promotes the proliferation of liver cancer cells and the growth of tumors.