Project description:Hepatic fibrosis is the common end stage to a variety of chronic liver injuries and is characterized by an excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM), which disrupts the liver architecture and impairs liver function. The fibrous lesions are produced by myofibroblasts, which differentiate from hepatic stellate cells (HSC). The myofibroblasts transcriptional networks remain poorly characterized. Previous studies have shown that the Forkhead box F1 (FOXF1) transcription factor is expressed in HSCs and stimulates their activation during acute liver injury; however, the role of FOXF1 in the progression of hepatic fibrosis is unknown. In the present study, we generated αSMACreER;Foxf1fl/fl mice to conditionally inactivate Foxf1 in myofibroblasts during carbon tetrachloride-mediated liver fibrosis. Foxf1 deletion increased collagen depositions and disrupted liver architecture. Timp2 expression was significantly increased in Foxf1-deficient mice while MMP9 activity was reduced. RNA sequencing of purified liver myofibroblasts demonstrated that FOXF1 inhibits expression of pro-fibrotic genes, Col1α2, Col5α2, and Mmp2 in fibrotic livers and binds to active repressors located in promotors and introns of these genes. Overexpression of FOXF1 inhibits Col1a2, Col5a2, and MMP2 in primary murine HSCs in vitro. Altogether, FOXF1 prevents aberrant ECM depositions during hepatic fibrosis by repressing pro-fibrotic gene transcription in myofibroblasts and HSCs.
Project description:Hepatic fibrosis is the common end stage to a variety of chronic liver injuries and is characterized by an excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM), which disrupts the liver architecture and impairs liver function. The fibrous lesions are produced by myofibroblasts, which differentiate from hepatic stellate cells (HSC). The myofibroblast's transcriptional networks remain poorly characterized. Previous studies have shown that the Forkhead box F1 (FOXF1) transcription factor is expressed in HSCs and stimulates their activation during acute liver injury; however, the role of FOXF1 in the progression of hepatic fibrosis is unknown. In the present study, we generated αSMACreER;Foxf1fl/fl mice to conditionally inactivate Foxf1 in myofibroblasts during carbon tetrachloride-mediated liver fibrosis. Foxf1 deletion increased collagen depositions and disrupted liver architecture. Timp2 expression was significantly increased in Foxf1-deficient mice while MMP9 activity was reduced. RNA sequencing of purified liver myofibroblasts demonstrated that FOXF1 inhibits expression of pro-fibrotic genes, Col1α2, Col5α2, and Mmp2 in fibrotic livers and binds to active repressors located in promotors and introns of these genes. Overexpression of FOXF1 inhibits Col1a2, Col5a2, and MMP2 in primary murine HSCs in vitro Altogether, FOXF1 prevents aberrant ECM depositions during hepatic fibrosis by repressing pro-fibrotic gene transcription in myofibroblasts and HSCs.
Project description:Fibrosis is a common pathway in the progression of chronic kidney disease. Extracellular matrix deposition from myofibroblasts causes scarring, tissue stiffness and organ failure. This submission studies the role of Sex determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9) in kidney fibrosis.
Project description:Analysis of HEKa cells depleted of Forkhead box E1 (FOXE1). FOXE1 is induced in psoriasis lesions and promotes keratinocytes. Results provide insight into the downstream targets of FOXE1 function in psoriasis.
Project description:Pathological fibrosis, an excessive accumulation of collagen, compromises tissue architecture, impedes its function and represents a medical complication. Properties of the amniotic membrane have demonstrated potential to regulate fibrotic processes. RNA sequencing analysis evaluated the effects of dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (DHACM) on fibrotic events using in vitro macromolecular crowding to mimic a physiologically relevant microenvironment. Functional enrichment with Reactome pathway analysis indicated that the function of a subset of these dysregulated genes was associated with the composition and function of the extracellular matrix. Further use of macromolecular crowding in vitro was used to evaluate the effects of DHACM and a lyophilized human amnion/chorion membrane (LHACM) on type 1 collagen production and deposition under profibrotic conditions (addition of TGFβ1). In the continued presence of TGFβ1, LHACM and DHACM regulated the intracellular production and extracellular deposition of type 1 collagen. In addition, results suggest that the effect on collagen deposition could in part be modulated through the regulation of proteins responsible for the extracellular post-translational modifications of collagen. These observations may support the use of DHACM and LHACM in the regulation collagen production/deposition in profibrotic environments.
Project description:The forkhead box (FOX) family of transcriptional regulators is characterized by a distinct forkhead DNA-binding domain11. FOXF1 gene is highly conserved across species and implicated in embryonic digestive tract morphogenesis. In an in-vitro established model, normal esophageal squamous cells, EPC2, were transfected with FOXF1 to determine pathways regulated by FOXF1 during the squamous to columnar change in cells.
Project description:We performed the first RNAseq analysis of human primary neutrophils exposed to lipopolysaccharide which revealed a robustly enhanced transcriptional network driven by forkhead box (FOX) transcription factors.
Project description:Aberrant expression of master phenotype regulators by lung fibroblasts may play a central role in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Interrogating IPF fibroblast transcriptome datasets, we identified Forkhead Box F1 (FOXF1), a DNA-binding protein required for lung development, as a candidate actor in IPF. Thus, we determined FOXF1 expression levels in fibroblasts cultured from normal or IPF lungs in vitro, and explored FOXF1 functions in these cells using transient and stable loss-of-function and gain-of-function models. FOXF1 mRNA and protein were expressed at higher levels in IPF compared with controls. In normal lung fibroblasts, FOXF1 repressed key fibroblast functions such as proliferation, survival, and expression of collagen-1 (COL1) and actin related protein 2/3 complex, subunit 2 (ARPC2). ARPC2 knockdown mimicked FOXF1 overexpression with regard to proliferation and COL1 expression. FOXF1 expression was induced by the antifibrotic mediator prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Ex vivo, FOXF1 knockdown conferred CCL-210 lung fibroblasts the ability to implant and survive in uninjured mouse lungs. In IPF lung fibroblasts, FOXF1 regulated COL1 but not ARPC2 expression. In conclusion, FOXF1 functions and regulation were consistent with an antifibrotic role in lung fibroblasts. Higher FOXF1 levels in IPF fibroblasts may thus participate in a compensatory response to fibrogenesis. Lung fibroblasts derived from 4 different IPF patients (P313, P355, P375 and P426) were transiently transfected with pcfoxf1 or control pcDNA3.1-constructs. Total RNAs were extracted 24 h after transfection and hybridized on microarrays. One color experiment with 2 experimental conditions: pcfoxf1 and pcDNA3.1