NUAK1 promotes organ fibrosis via YAP and TGF-ß/SMAD signaling.
Sci Transl Med
; 14(637): eaaz4028, 2022 03 23.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35320001
ABSTRACT
Fibrosis is a central pathway that drives progression of multiple chronic diseases, yet few safe and effective clinical antifibrotic therapies exist. In most fibrotic disorders, transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß)-driven scarring is an important pathologic feature and a key contributor to disease progression. Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are two closely related transcription cofactors that are important for coordinating fibrogenesis after organ injury, but how they are activated in response to tissue injury has, so far, remained unclear. Here, we describe NUAK family kinase 1 (NUAK1) as a TGF-ß-inducible profibrotic kinase that is up-regulated in multiple fibrotic organs in mice and humans. Mechanistically, we show that TGF-ß induces a rapid increase in NUAK1 in fibroblasts. NUAK1, in turn, can promote profibrotic YAP and TGF-ß/SMAD signaling, ultimately leading to organ scarring. Moreover, activated YAP and TAZ can induce further NUAK1 expression, creating a profibrotic positive feedback loop that enables persistent fibrosis. Using mouse models of kidney, lung, and liver fibrosis, we demonstrate that this fibrogenic signaling loop can be interrupted via fibroblast-specific loss of NUAK1 expression, leading to marked attenuation of fibrosis. Pharmacologic NUAK1 inhibition also reduced scarring, either when initiated immediately after injury or when initiated after fibrosis was already established. Together, our data suggest that NUAK1 plays a critical, previously unrecognized role in fibrogenesis and represents an attractive target for strategies that aim to slow fibrotic disease progression.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Proteínas Quinases
/
Proteínas Repressoras
/
Transdução de Sinais
/
Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta
/
Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal
/
Proteínas de Sinalização YAP
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Transl Med
Assunto da revista:
CIENCIA
/
MEDICINA
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Canadá