WDR4 promotes glioma progression by regulating cell proliferation and cell cycle via the PI3K/Akt-CDK1/2 signaling pathway

WD Repeat Domain 4 (WDR4) is integral to the development and progression of various cancers; however, its specific role and underlying molecular mechanisms in glioma remain inadequately elucidated. This study undertook an analysis of WDR4 expression levels in glioma and normal brain tissues utilizing publicly accessible datasets from TCGA and GTEx project, with further validation conducted through the GEPIA and the HPA databases. Prognostic significance was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate Cox regression models. Cellular functions were investigated through CCK-8 viability assays, colony formation assays, and cell cycle analysis, while the tumorigenic potential in vivo was corroborated using a nude mouse xenograft model. The findings revealed a significant upregulation of WDR4 in both glioma tissues and cell lines. Elevated WDR4 expression correlated with reduced overall survival and emerged as an independent prognostic factor. Functional assays indicated that WDR4 silencing markedly inhibited glioma cell proliferation, induced G1 phase cell cycle arrest, and resulted in the downregulation of CDK1 and CDK2 protein expression. Further co-expression analysis, GSEA, KEGG pathway enrichment, and western blotting suggested that WDR4 may exert its oncogenic effects through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In conclusion, WDR4 is highly expressed in glioma and promotes tumor progression via the PI3K/Akt-CDK1/2 signaling axis. These findings indicate that WDR4 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in glioma.