Single-cell transcriptomic data reveal the cellular heterogeneity of glutamine metabolism in gastric premalignant lesions and early gastric cancer

• Single-cell transcriptomics reveals higher glutamine metabolism activity in epithelial cells from early gastric cancer (EGC) compared to chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), with a specific epithelial subpopulation (cluster_4) showing the most pronounced activity. • ERO1LB is identified as a key marker gene of the metabolically active epithelial subpopulation and is overexpressed in human gastric cancer tissues. • Functional experiments demonstrate that ERO1LB overexpression enhances glutamine metabolism, promotes cell growth and migration, and inhibits apoptosis in gastric cancer cells, while knockdown has opposite effects. • The study provides a comprehensive single-cell atlas of glutamine metabolism in premalignant and malignant gastric lesions, offering potential biomarkers for gastric cancer prevention and insights into pathogenesis.