ZEB2 transduces HIF1α dependent regulation of Transglutaminase 2 in glomerular podocytes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anil kumar Pasupulati

Glomerular podocytes are instrumental in ensuring glomerular permselectivity and regulating the integrity of glomerular biology. However, podocytes are vulnerable to various noxious stimuli such as hypoxia, and podocyte injury presented with glomerulosclerosis and impaired kidney function. The mechanism of hypoxia-induced podocyte injury vis-a-vis glomerulosclerosis has remained enigmatic. Hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) that transduces hypoxic adaptations, induces Transglutaminase 2 (TG2), a calcium dependent enzyme that catalyzes intramolecular ε-(γ-glutamyl) lysine cross-links of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of regulation of TG2 by HIF1α. Stabilization of HIF1⍺ by FG4592 (Roxadustat) and physiological hypoxia, resulted in elevated expression of ZEB2 (zinc-finger E-box-homeobox 2) and its downstream target TRPC6 (transient receptor potential channel 6). ZEB2 transcriptionally activates TG2 expression, whereas, via TRPC6, it induces calcium influx, inturn it increases the TG2 activity. Blocking the TRPC6 action or suppressing its expression only partially attenuated FG4592 induced TG2 activity, whereas suppression of ZEB2 expression significantly abolished TG2 activity. This study demonstrates that stabilization of HIF1α stimulates both TG2 expression and activity, whereas abrogation of HIF1⍺ by metformin prevented HIF1⍺ regulated TG2 and consequent glomerular injury.

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 2099-2109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim A.T. Verheijden ◽  
Ramon Sonneveld ◽  
Marinka Bakker-van Bebber ◽  
Jack F.M. Wetzels ◽  
Johan van der Vlag ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe hallmark of podocytopathies, such as FSGS, is podocyte injury resulting in proteinuria. Transient receptor potential channel C6 (TRPC6) is a calcium-conducting ion channel expressed at the slit diaphragm. TRPC6 gain-of-function mutations and glomerular TRPC6 overexpression are associated with proteinuria. However, the pathways linking TRPC6 to podocyte injury, which is characterized by loss of the slit diaphragm protein nephrin, activation of several intracellular pathways (including calcineurin-NFAT signaling), and cytoskeletal rearrangement, remain elusive.MethodsWe tested whether the calcium-dependent protease calpain-1 mediates TRPC6-dependent podocyte injury in human and experimental FSGS and cultured podocytes.ResultsCompared with kidneys of healthy controls, kidneys of patients with FSGS had increased TRPC6 expression, increased calpain and calcineurin activity, and reduced expression of the calpain target Talin-1, which links the actin cytoskeleton to integrins and is critical for podocyte cytoskeletal stability. In a rat model of human FSGS, increased glomerular and urinary calpain activity associated with reduced Talin-1 abundance, enhanced calcineurin activity, and increased proteinuria. Treatment with the calpain inhibitor calpeptin prevented these effects. In cultured podocytes, pharmacologic stimulation of TRPC6-dependent calcium influx increased calpain-1 and calcineurin activity and reduced Talin-1 expression, and knockdown of TRPC6 or calpain-1 prevented these effects.ConclusionsWe elucidated a novel mechanism that links TRPC6 activity to calpain-1 activation and through Talin-1 loss and possibly, calcineurin activation, the podocyte injury characterizing FSGS. Therefore, calpain-1 and/or TRPC6 inhibition could be future therapeutic options to treat patients with FSGS or other podocytopathies.


2015 ◽  
Vol 309 (5) ◽  
pp. F393-F397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daria V. Ilatovskaya ◽  
Alexander Staruschenko

Podocytes (terminally differentiated epithelial cells of the glomeruli) play a key role in the maintenance of glomerular structure and permeability and in the incipiency of various renal abnormalities. Injury to podocytes is considered a major contributor to the development of kidney disease as their loss causes proteinuria and progressive glomerulosclerosis. The physiological function of podocytes is critically dependent on proper intracellular calcium handling; excessive calcium influx in these cells may result in the effacement of foot processes, apoptosis, and subsequent glomeruli damage. One of the key proteins responsible for calcium flux in the podocytes is transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily C, member 6 (TRPC6); a gain-of-function mutation in TRPC6 has been associated with the onset of the familial forms of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Recent data also revealed a critical role of this channel in the onset of diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, major efforts of the research community have been recently dedicated to unraveling the TRPC6-dependent effects in the initiation of podocyte injury. This mini-review focuses on the TRPC6 channel in podocytes and colligates recent data in an attempt to shed some light on the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of TRPC6-mediated glomeruli damage and its potential role as a therapeutic target for the treatment of chronic kidney diseases.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 519
Author(s):  
Sarah Mazzotta ◽  
Gabriele Carullo ◽  
Aniello Schiano Moriello ◽  
Pietro Amodeo ◽  
Vincenzo Di Marzo ◽  
...  

Labdane diterpenes are widespread classes of natural compounds present in variety of marine and terrestrial organisms and plants. Many of them represents “natural libraries” of compounds with interesting biological activities due to differently functionalized drimane nucleus exploitable for potential pharmacological applications. The transient receptor potential channel subfamily V member 4 (TRPV4) channel has recently emerged as a pharmacological target for several respiratory diseases, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Inspired by the labdane-like bicyclic core, a series of homodrimane-derived esters and amides was designed and synthesized by modifying the flexible tail in position 1 of (+)-sclareolide, an oxidized derivative of the bioactive labdane-type diterpene sclareol. The potency and selectivity towards rTRPV4 and hTRPV1 receptors were assessed by calcium influx cellular assays. Molecular determinants critical for eliciting TRPV4 antagonism were identified by structure-activity relationships. Among the selective TRPV4 antagonists identified, compound 6 was the most active with an IC50 of 5.3 μM. This study represents the first report of semisynthetic homodrimane TRPV4 antagonists, selective over TRPV1, and potentially useful as pharmacological tools for the development of novel TRPV4 channel modulators.


2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Mergler ◽  
Mathias Z. Strowski ◽  
Simone Kaiser ◽  
Thomas Plath ◽  
Yvonne Giesecke ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (7) ◽  
pp. L576-L585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna C. Penumatsa ◽  
Deniz Toksoz ◽  
Rod R. Warburton ◽  
Andrew J. Hilmer ◽  
Tiegang Liu ◽  
...  

We previously reported that transglutaminase 2 (TG2) activity is markedly elevated in lungs of hypoxia-exposed rodent models of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Since vascular remodeling of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) is important in PH, we undertook the present study to determine whether TG2 activity is altered in PASMCs with exposure to hypoxia and whether that alteration participates in their proliferative response to hypoxia. Cultured distal bovine (b) and proximal human (h) PASMCs were exposed to hypoxia (3% O2) or normoxia (21% O2). mRNA and protein expression were determined by PCR and Western blot analyses. TG2 activity and function were visualized and determined by fluorescent labeled 5-pentylamine biotin incorporation and immunoblotting of serotonylated fibronectin. Cell proliferation was assessed by [3H]thymidine incorporation assay. At 24 h, both TG2 expression and activity were stimulated by hypoxia in bPASMCs. Activation of TG2 by hypoxia was blocked by inhibition of the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor or the transient receptor potential channel V4. In contrast, TG2 expression was blocked by inhibition of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, supporting the presence of separate mechanisms for stimulation of activity and expression of TG2. Pulmonary arterial hypertension patient-derived hPASMCs were found to proliferate significantly more rapidly and respond to hypoxia more strongly than control-derived hPASMCs. Similar to bovine cells, hypoxia-induced proliferation of patient-derived cells was blocked by inhibition of TG2 activity. Our results suggest an important role for TG2, mediated by intracellular calcium fluxes and HIF-1α, in hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation and possibly in vascular remodeling in PH.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 409-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuexiang Wang ◽  
Ranadheer R. Dande ◽  
Hao Yu ◽  
Beata Samelko ◽  
Rachel E. Miller ◽  
...  

Transient receptor potential channel 5 (TRPC5) is highly expressed in brain and kidney and mediates calcium influx and promotes cell migration. In the kidney, loss of TRPC5 function has been reported to benefit kidney filter dynamics by balancing podocyte cytoskeletal remodeling. However, in vivo gain-in-function studies of TRPC5 with respect to kidney function have not been reported. To address this gap, we developed two transgenic mouse models on the C57BL/6 background by overexpressing either wild-type TRPC5 or a TRPC5 ion-pore mutant. Compared with nontransgenic controls, neither transgenic model exhibited an increase in proteinuria at 8 months of age or a difference in LPS-induced albuminuria. Moreover, activation of TRPC5 by Englerin A did not stimulate proteinuria, and inhibition of TRPC5 by ML204 did not significantly lower the level of LPS-induced proteinuria in any group. Collectively, these data suggest that the overexpression or activation of the TRPC5 ion channel does not cause kidney barrier injury or aggravate such injury under pathologic conditions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (24) ◽  
pp. 3913-3925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avinash Chandel ◽  
Krishna K. Das ◽  
Anand K. Bachhawat

Glutathione depletion and calcium influx into the cytoplasm are two hallmarks of apoptosis. We have been investigating how glutathione depletion leads to apoptosis in yeast. We show here that glutathione depletion in yeast leads to the activation of two cytoplasmically inward-facing channels: the plasma membrane, Cch1p, and the vacuolar calcium channel, Yvc1p. Deletion of these channels partially rescues cells from glutathione depletion–induced cell death. Subsequent investigations on the Yvc1p channel, a homologue of the mammalian TRP channels, revealed that the channel is activated by glutathionylation. Yvc1p has nine cysteine residues, of which eight are located in the cytoplasmic regions and one on the transmembrane domain. We show that three of these cysteines, Cys-17, Cys-79, and Cys-191, are specifically glutathionylated. Mutation of these cysteines to alanine leads to a loss in glutathionylation and a concomitant loss in calcium channel activity. We further investigated the mechanism of glutathionylation and demonstrate a role for the yeast glutathione S-transferase Gtt1p in glutathionylation. Yvc1p is also deglutathionylated, and this was found to be mediated by the yeast thioredoxin, Trx2p. A model for redox activation and deactivation of the yeast Yvc1p channel is presented.


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