Cytoplasmic connexin43-microtubule interactions promote glioblastoma stem-like cell maintenance and tumorigenicity.

ABSTRACT: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary tumor of the central nervous system. One major challenge in GBM treatment is the resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy observed in subpopulations of cancer cells, including GBM stem-like cells (GSCs). These cells have the capacity to self-renew and differentiate and as such, GSCs participate in tumor recurrence following treatment. The gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) has complex roles in oncogenesis and we have previously demonstrated an association between Cx43 and GBM chemotherapy resistance. Here, we report, for the first time, increased direct interaction between non-junctional Cx43 and microtubules in the cytoplasm of GSCs. We hypothesize that non-junctional Cx43/microtubule complexing is critical for GSC maintenance and survi

SUBMITTER: Smyth JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12084297 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature