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Wu X, Meng Y, Chen J, Zhang Y, Xu H. Ablation of Brg1 in fibroblast/myofibroblast lineages attenuates renal fibrosis in mice with diabetic nephropathy. Life Sci 2024; 344:122578. [PMID: 38537899 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes and represents a prototypical form of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Interstitial fibrosis is a key pathological feature of DN. During DN-associated renal fibrosis, resident fibroblasts trans-differentiate into myofibroblasts to remodel the extracellular matrix, the underlying epigenetic mechanism of which is not entirely clear. METHODS Diabetic nephropathy was induced in C57B6/j mice by a single injection with streptozotocin (STZ). Gene expression was examined by quantitative PCR and Western blotting. Renal fibrosis was evaluated by PicroSirius Red staining. RESULTS We report that expression of Brg1, a chromatin remodeling protein, in renal fibroblasts was up-regulated during DN pathogenesis as assessed by single-cell RNA-seq. Treatment with high glucose similarly augmented Brg1 expression in primary renal fibroblasts in vitro. Importantly, Brg1 ablation in quiescent renal fibroblasts or in mature myofibroblasts equivalently attenuated renal fibrosis in the context of diabetic nephropathy in mice. Additionally, administration with a small-molecule Brg1 inhibitor PFI-3 ameliorated renal fibrosis and improved renal function in mice induced to develop DN. SIGNIFICANCE In conclusion, our data provide novel genetic evidence that links Brg1 to fibroblast-myofibroblast transition and renewed rationale for targeting Brg1 in the intervention of DN-associated renal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wu
- School of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport Institute, Nanjing, China
| | - Yufei Meng
- School of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport Institute, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinsi Chen
- School of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport Institute, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongchen Zhang
- School of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport Institute, Nanjing, China
| | - Huihui Xu
- Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Departments of Pathophysiology and Human Anatomy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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Fan Z, Kong M, Dong W, Dong C, Miao X, Guo Y, Liu X, Miao S, Li L, Chen T, Qu Y, Yu F, Duan Y, Lu Y, Zou X. Trans-activation of eotaxin-1 by Brg1 contributes to liver regeneration. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:495. [PMID: 35614068 PMCID: PMC9132924 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04944-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Infiltration of eosinophils is associated with and contributes to liver regeneration. Chemotaxis of eosinophils is orchestrated by the eotaxin family of chemoattractants. We report here that expression of eotaxin-1 (referred to as eotaxin hereafter), but not that of either eotaxin-2 or eotaxin-3, were elevated, as measured by quantitative PCR and ELISA, in the proliferating murine livers compared to the quiescent livers. Similarly, exposure of primary murine hepatocytes to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) stimulated eotaxin expression. Liver specific deletion of Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1), a chromatin remodeling protein, attenuated eosinophil infiltration and down-regulated eotaxin expression in mice. Brg1 deficiency also blocked HGF-induced eotaxin expression in cultured hepatocytes. Further analysis revealed that Brg1 could directly bind to the proximal eotaxin promoter to activate its transcription. Mechanistically, Brg1 interacted with nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)/RelA to activate eotaxin transcription. NF-κB knockdown or pharmaceutical inhibition disrupted Brg1 recruitment to the eotaxin promoter and blocked eotaxin induction in hepatocytes. Adenoviral mediated over-expression of eotaxin overcame Brg1 deficiency caused delay in liver regeneration in mice. On the contrary, eotaxin depletion with RNAi or neutralizing antibodies retarded liver regeneration in mice. More important, Brg1 expression was detected to be correlated with eotaxin expression and eosinophil infiltration in human liver specimens. In conclusion, our data unveil a novel role of Brg1 as a regulator of eosinophil trafficking by activating eotaxin transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwen Fan
- grid.428392.60000 0004 1800 1685Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China ,grid.428392.60000 0004 1800 1685Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Ming Kong
- grid.89957.3a0000 0000 9255 8984Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Department of Pathophysiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenhui Dong
- grid.89957.3a0000 0000 9255 8984Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Department of Pathophysiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chunlong Dong
- grid.410745.30000 0004 1765 1045Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiulian Miao
- grid.411351.30000 0001 1119 5892College of Life Sciences and Institute of Biomedical Research, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Yan Guo
- grid.411351.30000 0001 1119 5892College of Life Sciences and Institute of Biomedical Research, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Xingyu Liu
- grid.411351.30000 0001 1119 5892College of Life Sciences and Institute of Biomedical Research, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Shuying Miao
- grid.428392.60000 0004 1800 1685Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Li
- grid.428392.60000 0004 1800 1685Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Tingting Chen
- grid.428392.60000 0004 1800 1685Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yeqing Qu
- grid.428392.60000 0004 1800 1685Experimental Animal Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Fei Yu
- grid.428392.60000 0004 1800 1685Experimental Animal Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunfei Duan
- grid.490563.d0000000417578685Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First People’s Hospital of Changzhou, the Third Hospital Affiliated with Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Yunjie Lu
- grid.490563.d0000000417578685Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First People’s Hospital of Changzhou, the Third Hospital Affiliated with Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Zou
- grid.428392.60000 0004 1800 1685Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
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Yokota T. [Exploring new molecules that regulate hematopoietic stem cells and early stages of lymphoid hematopoiesis: the functional significance of ESAM and SATB1]. Rinsho Ketsueki 2022; 63:906-917. [PMID: 36058862 DOI: 10.11406/rinketsu.63.906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) possess multilineage differentiation capability, which sustains the production of blood and immune cells throughout life. However, the precise mechanisms by which HSCs initiate differentiation toward a particular lineage and the factors that attenuate their lymphopoietic potential with aging are yet to be elucidated. Our group has investigated this issue for over two decades. We initially developed a method for segregating early lymphoid progenitors from HSCs and identified two molecules: endothelial cell-selective adhesion molecule (ESAM), highly expressed in HSCs, and special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 (SATB1), expressed in early lymphoid progenitors. ESAM marks HSCs across species, including humans. In addition to its significance in stress-induced hematopoiesis, ESAM is also useful in identifying features of human acute myeloid leukemia stem cells. Further, we determined the role of SATB1 in the early HSC differentiation processes toward the lymphoid lineage. Remarkably, SATB1 expression in HSCs significantly decreased with aging, whereas its exogenous induction in aged HSCs rejuvenated their lymphopoietic potential. Furthermore, SATB1-expressing HSCs demonstrated robust lymphopoietic and long-term reconstituting capability, whereas HSCs without SATB1 skewed toward the myeloid lineage. Thus, our continuing research has revealed the significance of ESAM and SATB1 in the fundamental biology of HSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takafumi Yokota
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine
- Department of Hematology, Osaka International Cancer Institute
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Yang Y, Liu L, Fang M, Bai H, Xu Y. The chromatin remodeling protein BRM regulates the transcription of tight junction proteins: Implication in breast cancer metastasis. Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech 2019; 1862:547-556. [PMID: 30946989 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Claudins are a group of cell tight junction proteins that play versatile roles in cancer biology. Recent studies have correlated down-regulation of Claudins with augmented breast cancer malignancy and poor prognosis. The mechanism underlying repression of Claudin transcription in breast cancer cells is not well understood. Here we report that expression levels of Brahma (BRM) were down-regulated in triple negative breast cancer cells (MDA-231) compared to the less malignant MCF-7 cells and in high-grade human breast cancer specimens compared to low-grade ones. TGF-β treatment in MCF-7 cells repressed BRM transcription likely through targeting C/EBPβ. BRM over-expression suppressed whereas BRM knockdown promoted TGF-β induced migration and invasion of MCF-7 cells. BRM down-regulation was accompanied by the loss of a panel of Claudins in breast cancer cells. BRM directly bound to the promoter region of Claudin genes via interacting with Sp1 and activated transcription by modulating histone modifications. Together, our data have identified a novel epigenetic pathway that links Claudin transcription to breast cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyu Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China; Institute of Biomedical Research, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Li Liu
- Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease and Innovative Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, Department of Pathophysiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mingming Fang
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China; Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease and Innovative Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, Department of Pathophysiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Clinical Medicine, Jiangsu Health Vocational College, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Bai
- Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease and Innovative Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, Department of Pathophysiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yong Xu
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China; Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease and Innovative Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, Department of Pathophysiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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