The Hippo-Salvador signaling pathway regulates renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis

Sci Rep. 2016 Aug 23:6:31931. doi: 10.1038/srep31931.

Abstract

Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) is the final pathway of various renal injuries that result in chronic kidney disease. The mammalian Hippo-Salvador signaling pathway has been implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation, cell death, tissue regeneration, and tumorigenesis. Here, we report that the Hippo-Salvador pathway plays a role in disease development in patients with TIF and in a mouse model of TIF. Mice with tubular epithelial cell (TEC)-specific deletions of Sav1 (Salvador homolog 1) exhibited aggravated renal TIF, enhanced epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like phenotypic changes, apoptosis, and proliferation after unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Moreover, Sav1 depletion in TECs increased transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and activated β-catenin expression after UUO, which likely accounts for the abovementioned enhanced TEC fibrotic phenotype. In addition, TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif), a major downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, was significantly activated in Sav1-knockout mice in vivo. An in vitro study showed that TAZ directly regulates TGF-β and TGF-β receptor II expression. Collectively, our data indicate that the Hippo-Salvador pathway plays a role in the pathogenesis of TIF and that regulating this pathway may be a therapeutic strategy for reducing TIF.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acyltransferases
  • Animals
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
  • Fibrosis
  • Gene Deletion
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Hippo Signaling Pathway
  • Humans
  • Kidney Diseases / genetics
  • Kidney Diseases / metabolism*
  • Kidney Diseases / pathology
  • Kidney Tubules / metabolism*
  • Kidney Tubules / pathology
  • Mice
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • SAV1 protein, human
  • Transcription Factors
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • beta Catenin
  • Acyltransferases
  • TAFAZZIN protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases