Fig. 1

GSTZ1 is downregulated in human HCC tissues and correlates with poor survival of HCC patients. a Flow diagram of phenylalanine and tyrosine catabolism. b GSTZ1 differential plot. Levels of mRNA Gstz1 expression in tumor tissues are shown with normal tissues for comparison. The colored bars represent tumor (red) and normal (blue) tissues. The data are derived from Firebrowse (http://firebrowse.org/). c Kaplan-Meier overall survival curve based on GSTZ1 expression in TCGA LIHC datasets. Median values of overall survival were compared using the log-rank test. d Representative IHC images of GSTZ1 in HCC tissues and tumor-adjacent normal tissues. Magnifications: 200× and 400×. e GSTZ1 expression in 16 cases of HCC and paired non-tumor tissues. For Western blotting, 50 μg protein was loaded per well. Values represent the mean ± standard deviation (SD) (n = 3, performed in triplicate). PAH, 4-phenylalanine monooxygenase; TAT, tyrosine aminotransferase; 4HPP, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate; 4HPPD, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase; HGA, homogentisate; HGD, 1,2-homogentisate dioxygenase; MAA, maleylacetoacetate; FAA, fumarylacetoacetate; FAH, fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase; FUMA, fumarate; ACA, acetoacetate; SAA, succinylacetoacetate; NT, non-tumor; T, tumor; RSEM, RNA-seq by expectation maximization; IHC, immunohistochemistry