Histone methyltransferase WHSC1 cooperate with YBX1 promote glioblastoma progression via regulating PLK1 expression

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome candidate gene 1 (WHSC1), a histone methyltransferase, has been implicated in various tumor development processes by regulating target gene expression. However, the role of WHSC1 in glioblastoma remains unexplored. This study investigates the impact of WHSC1 in glioblastoma and its association with prognosis. Our findings reveal that WHSC1 is overexpressed in glioblastoma and correlates with poor patient outcomes. Functional assays demonstrate that the reduction of WHSC1 significantly impairs cell proliferation and tumorigenicity. Mechanistically, WHSC1 modulates PLK1 expression by binding to its promoter region, leading to the activation of the PLK1-AKT pathway, and regulating H3K36 dimethylation levels. Furthermore, YBX1 can cooperate with WHSC1 to activate PLK1 transcription. These results shed light on the potential significance of WHSC1 in glioblastoma and offer a promising avenue for future therapeutic approaches targeting this molecule in glioblastoma treatment.