Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive fibrotic lung disease with high mortality and morbidity. ASPN (asporin), a member of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan family, plays crucial roles in tissue injury and regeneration. However, the precise pathophysiological role of ASPN and its molecular mechanisms in IPF remain unknown. We sought to investigate the role of ASPN during the development of pulmonary fibrosis and the therapeutic potential of targeting ASPN-related signaling pathways. In our study, three microarray datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and differentially expressed genes were screened out by bioinformatic analysis. Hub genes were selected from the protein-protein interaction network. ASPN was examined in lung tissues from pulmonary fibrosis mouse models, and the role of ASPN in transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad signaling was determined by transfection with ASPN shRNA vectors in vitro. Biotinylation assays were conducted to measure plasma membrane TFG-β receptor I (TβRI) and TβRI recycling after ASPN knockdown. The results showed ASPN expression was increased in the lungs of pulmonary fibrosis mouse models, and ASPN was primarily localized in α-SMA+ myofibroblasts. In vitro experiments proved that ASPN knockdown inhibited TGF-β/Smad signaling and myofibroblast differentiation by regulating the stability of TβRI. Further molecular mechanisms revealed that ASPN knockdown inhibited TGF-β/Smad signaling by suppressing recycling of TβRI to the cell surface in a Rab11-dependent manner and facilitated lysosome-mediated degradation of TβRI. In conclusion, our findings provide important evidence for the use of ASPN as a novel pharmacological target for treating pulmonary fibrosis.
Keywords: ASPN; Rab11; TβRI recycling; bioinformatic analysis; idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.