The transcription factor JUN is a major regulator of quiescent pancreatic stellate cell maintenance

Abstract

Pancreatic stellate cell (PSC) activation is a major cause of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, yet the mechanisms by which PSCs switch from quiescent to activated state are poorly studied. In this study, we identified JUN, a key transcription factor that maintains the quiescent state of PSCs, by integrating single-cell sequencing data from multiple pancreatic tissues and using WGCNA and SCENIC algorithms, and demonstrated that the expression and activity of JUN is a major regulator of the quiescent state of PSCs through cellular experiments and multiple pancreatic-related disease bulk RNAseq data. This study explores the main mechanism of PSC activation and provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of multiple pancreatic injury-related diseases caused by PSCs.

Keywords: JUN; Maintenance; PSCs; Quiescent; scRNA-seq.