Project description:TGF-b1-stimulation induces an epithelial dedifferentiation-process, throughout which epithelial cell sheets disintegrate and gradually switch into fibroblastic-appearing cells (EMT-like transition). Several transcription factors, some of them being TGF-b1-responsive, are functionally involved in such a switch and affect epithelial differentiation and plasticity. We used microarray-based gene expression profiling of mammary epithelial cells that actively undergo TGF-b1-induced epithelial dedifferentiation. Further, we determined gene expression changes in Basonuclin-1 knock-down cells in conjunction with TGF-b1-stimulation in order to determine a possible effect of Bnc1 on TGF-b1-responsive genes. Cells were transfected with non-silencing (control) siRNA or siRNA against Basonuclin-1 (Bnc1) for 24hrs. Subsequently, cells were treated with 5ng/ml TGF-b1 or left untreated for additional 24hrs. The experiments were performed as independent biological triplicate.
Project description:TGF-b1-stimulation induces an epithelial dedifferentiation-process, throughout which epithelial cell sheets disintegrate and gradually switch into fibroblastic-appearing cells (EMT-like transition). Several transcription factors, some of them being TGF-b1-responsive, are functionally involved in such a switch and affect epithelial differentiation and plasticity. We used microarray-based gene expression profiling of mammary epithelial cells that actively undergo TGF-b1-induced epithelial dedifferentiation. Further, we determined gene expression changes in Basonuclin-1 knock-down cells in conjunction with TGF-b1-stimulation in order to determine a possible effect of Bnc1 on TGF-b1-responsive genes.
Project description:Limited therapeutic responses to glucocorticoids in chronic inflammatory disease are partly attributable to interleukins and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Global inhibition of TGF-β1 carries known risks, including autoimmune disease. Here we elucidate the signaling pathway subserving modulation of glucocorticoid activity by TGF-β1. The proteomic response of airway epithelial cells to TGF-β1 revealed 24 candidate proteins of which 3 were prioritized by exclusion of changes induced by: TGF-β2, which lacks the modulatory activity of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3; and those of TGF-β1 that were prevented by small molecule inhibitors of non-canonical TGF-β1 signaling, that did not prevent glucocorticoid modulation. Pharmacological and genetic approaches establish that TGF-β1-induced glucocorticoid insensitivity is mediated by a novel signaling cascade involving LIM domain kinase 2 mediated phosphorylation of phospho-cofilin1 that activates phospholipase D to generate the effector(s) (lyso)phophatidic acid. This study identifies several promising drug targets that potentially enable safe modulation of TGF-β1 in chronic inflammatory diseases.
Project description:We studied miRNAs and their gene targets affecting SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in CF airway epithelial cell models in response to TGF-β1. Small RNAseq in CF human bronchial epithelial cell line treated with TGF-β1 and miRNA profiling characterized TGF-β1 effects on the SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis pathways. Among the effectors, we identified and validated two miRNAs targeting ACE2 mRNA using different CF and non-CF human bronchial epithelial cell models. We have shown that TGF-β1 inhibits ACE2 expression by miR-136-3p and miR-369-5p. ACE2 levels were higher in cells expressing F508del-CFTR, compared to wild-type(WT)-CFTR and TGF-β1 inhibited ACE2 in both cell types. The ACE2 protein levels were still higher in CF, compared to non-CF cells after TGF-β1 treatment. TGF-β1 prevented the functional rescue of F508del-CFTR by ETI in primary human bronchial epithelial cells while ETI did not prevent the TGF-β1 inhibition of ACE2 protein. Finally, TGF-β1 reduced binding of ACE2 to the recombinant monomeric spike RBD. Our results may help to explain, at least in part, the role of TGF-β1 on the SARS-CoV-2 entry via ACE2 in the CF and non-CF airway.
Project description:Fibrotic diseases have significant health impact and have been associated with differentiation of the resident fibroblasts into myofibroblasts. In particular, stiffened extracellular matrix and TGF-β1 in fibrotic lesions have been shown to promote pathogenic myofibroblast activation and progression of fibrosis in various tissues. To better understand the roles of mechanical and chemical cues on myofibroblast differentiation and how they may crosstalk, we cultured primary valvular interstitial cells (VICs) isolated from porcine aortic valves and studied how traditional TCPS culture, which presents a non-physiologically stiff environment, and TGF-β1 affect native VIC phenotypes. We carried out gene expression profiling using porcine genome microarrays from Affymetrix and found that traditional TCPS culture induces major changes in gene expression of native VICs, rendering these cells more activated and similar to cells treated with TGF-β1. We also monitored time-dependent effects induced by TGF-β1 by examining gene expression changes induced by TGF-β1 at 8 hours and 24 hours. Porcine aortic VICs were isolated and cultured with or without TGF-β1 treatment for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We included 3 biological replicates for each condition. P0 VICs were freshly isolated cells which had not been cultured. P2 VICs were cells that had been passaged 2 times and cultured on plastic plates in low serum media. Some of the P2 VICs were treated with TGF-β1 at 5ng/ml for 8 hours or 24 hours. All the control and TGF-β1-treated conditions were collected at the same time on day 3 of culture.
Project description:Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation induced by transforming growth factor β (TGF-β1) plays a pivotal role in the fibrogenesis. The complex downstream mediators of TGF-β1 are largely unknown. Here, proteomics analysis and biological validation demonstrated that methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A) was significantly upregulated in a CCl4-induced fibrosis mice model and a small molecule NPLC0393, known to block TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling, inhibited its upregulation. In HSC cells, TGF-β1 induced elevation of MAT2A and MAT2β expression as well as reduction of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) content, which further promoted HSC activation. Functionally, in vivo and in vitro knockdown of MAT2A alleviated CCl4- and TGF-β1-induced HSC activation, whereas in vivo overexpression of MAT2A facilitated hepatic fibrosis and abolished therapeutic effect of NPLC0393. TGF-β1 induced p65 phosphorylation and NF-κB activation, thereby promoted the transcription of MAT2A and its protein expression. In addition, overexpression of p65 abrogated NPLC0393 mediated inhibition of HSC activation. This study identified a novel pathway TGF-β1/p65/MAT2A that was involved in the regulation of intracellular SAM contents and liver fibrogenesis, suggesting that this pathway is a potential therapeutic target for hepatic fibrosis.
Project description:Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation induced by transforming growth factor β (TGF-β1) plays a pivotal role in the fibrogenesis. The complex downstream mediators of TGF-β1 are largely unknown. Here, proteomics analysis and biological validation demonstrated that methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A) was significantly upregulated in a CCl4-induced fibrosis mice model and a small molecule NPLC0393, known to block TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling, inhibited its upregulation. In HSC cells, TGF-β1 induced elevation of MAT2A and MAT2β expression as well as reduction of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) content, which further promoted HSC activation. Functionally, in vivo and in vitro knockdown of MAT2A alleviated CCl4- and TGF-β1-induced HSC activation, whereas in vivo overexpression of MAT2A facilitated hepatic fibrosis and abolished therapeutic effect of NPLC0393. TGF-β1 induced p65 phosphorylation and NF-κB activation, thereby promoted the transcription of MAT2A and its protein expression. In addition, overexpression of p65 abrogated NPLC0393 mediated inhibition of HSC activation. This study identified a novel pathway TGF-β1/p65/MAT2A that was involved in the regulation of intracellular SAM contents and liver fibrogenesis, suggesting that this pathway is a potential therapeutic target for hepatic fibrosis.
Project description:These data show that the genes that distinguish myofibroblasts from fibroblasts are myriad, and that some genes not traditionally associated with myofibroblast differentiation may serve as novel therapeutic targets for fibrosing disorders. Gene expression levels were assessed from total RNA on the Affymetrix U219 microarray. Here, we use transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which has recently been shown to reverse myofibroblast differentiation, to investigate the transcriptomic changes that occur during TGF-β1-induced differentiation and PGE2-induced de-differentiation of myofibroblasts.