Fig. 1

AQP5 is highly expressed in gastric cancer stem cells and has prognostic significance. a Cell atlas of GCs and GMs. b and c The differential gene signatures of GC-CSCs and gastric cancer epithelial cells or GM-SCs were plotted using a volcano program. d Overlapping candidate genes were obtained from the two differential gene signatures. e Violin plot of the expression of the five candidate genes. Epithelial cells were sorted with Anti-EPCAM Micobeads. Stem cells were sorted with Anti-EPCAM Micobeads and Anti-LGR5 Micobeads. f Expression levels of the five candidate genes were measured in cells sorted with the EPCAM and LGR5 markers. (g and h) Expression levels of the five candidate genes were measured in adherent cells and spheroids of AGS or HGC-27 (GC-CSCs) and in spheroids of GES-1 (GM-SCs). i HCT116, HUH7, HEPG2 and A549 cells were cultured as monolayers or under serum-free conditions as spheres. qRT‒PCR was used to assess the expression of aqp5.j Expression levels of aqp5 were measured in GCs and matched GMs (Cohort 1, n = 30, log-rank test, two-sided). k Immunohistochemical assessment of AQP5 expression in a microarray of GCs and matched GMs. i Survival was analyzed and compared between patients with high and low tumor expression of AQP5 in Cohort 2 (n = 82, log-rank test, two-sided). HR, hazard ratio