scholarly journals Mechanical Strain Regulates Myofibroblast Differentiation of Human Scleral Fibroblasts by YAP

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Di Hu ◽  
Junhong Jiang ◽  
Baiyang Ding ◽  
Kang Xue ◽  
Xinghuai Sun ◽  
...  

Scleral extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling is thought to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Mechanical strain induced by elevated intraocular pressure can promote myofibroblast differentiation of fibroblasts and result in scleral ECM remodeling; however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a mechanosensory protein and the key downstream transcriptional effector of the Hippo signaling pathway. Here, we investigated the role of YAP in mechanical strain-induced myofibroblast transformation during glaucoma scleral ECM remodeling. Integrative bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify the key pathways for the ECM remodeling of the sclera in glaucoma. Sprague–Dawley rats were used to establish a chronic ocular hypertension model, and the expression of collagen type I (COL1) and YAP in the sclera was analyzed by immunohistochemical analysis and Western blotting. Furthermore, human scleral fibroblasts (HSFs) were cultured and subjected to mechanical strain. In groups with or without the YAP siRNA or YAP inhibitor, cell proliferation, migration capacity, and the expression levels of YAP, COL1, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, scratch assay, and Western blotting. The interactions between YAP and Smad3 were demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation, and the expression levels of COL1 and α-SMA were evaluated in groups treated with or without the Smad3 inhibitor. We first revealed that the Hippo signaling pathway may be involved in mechanical strain-induced scleral ECM remodeling through bioinformatics analysis. Furthermore, the in vivo study showed upregulated YAP, COL1, and α-SMA expression in the hypertensive sclera of rats. In vitro, mechanical strain increased YAP and COL1 expression in HSFs and promoted myofibroblast differentiation. After YAP knockdown or inhibition with verteporfin, mechanical strain-induced fibrotic changes in HSFs were markedly suppressed. Additionally, YAP showed a protein interaction with Smad3, and the upregulation of a-SMA and COL1 in response to mechanical strain was also significantly downregulated following the inhibition of Smad3. In conclusion, mechanical strain activated scleral myofibroblast differentiation via YAP. The YAP pathway may play an important role in regulating scleral myofibroblast differentiation and ECM remodeling of the sclera in glaucoma.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 931
Author(s):  
Jihyun Lee ◽  
Yujin Jung ◽  
Seo won Jeong ◽  
Ga Hee Jeong ◽  
Gue Tae Moon ◽  
...  

The Hippo signaling pathway plays a key role in regulating organ size and tissue homeostasis. Hippo and two of its main effectors, yes-associated protein (YAP) and WWTR1 (WW domain-containing transcription regulator 1, commonly listed as TAZ), play critical roles in angiogenesis. This study investigated the role of the Hippo signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of rosacea. We performed immunohistochemical analyses to compare the expression levels of YAP and TAZ between rosacea skin and normal skin in humans. Furthermore, we used a rosacea-like BALB/c mouse model induced by LL-37 injections to determine the roles of YAP and TAZ in rosacea in vivo. We found that the expression levels of YAP and TAZ were upregulated in patients with rosacea. In the rosacea-like mouse model, we observed that the clinical features of rosacea, including telangiectasia and erythema, improved after the injection of a YAP/TAZ inhibitor. Additionally, treatment with a YAP/TAZ inhibitor reduced the expression levels of YAP and TAZ and diminished vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) immunoreactivity in the rosacea-like mouse model. Our findings suggest that YAP/TAZ inhibitors can attenuate angiogenesis associated with the pathogenesis of rosacea and that both YAP and TAZ are potential therapeutic targets for patients with rosacea.



2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 875-882
Author(s):  
Yajie Zhou ◽  
Yanfei Li ◽  
Junwei Shen ◽  
Jue Li ◽  
Xinming Li

Abstract Abemaciclib is the newest cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor that has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for using in patients with advanced breast cancer. However, its potential adverse effects on cardiomyocytes remain unknown. In this study, we used the cell counting kit-8 assay, western blot analysis, flow cytometry, immunostaining, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction to investigate the role of abemaciclib in inducing apoptosis and in inhibiting the viability and proliferation of AC16 human cardiomyocyte cells. The results revealed that abemaciclib induced apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation by activating the Hippo signaling pathway. This work demonstrates the molecular basis by which abemaciclib induces cardiac side effects, providing a theoretical basis and effective targets for the treatment of cardiac diseases.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cong Liu ◽  
Chao Xiong ◽  
Xianzeng Wang ◽  
Ting Sun ◽  
Zhenzhen Ren ◽  
...  

Abstract The present study aimed to investigate the expression of LRP16 in the development of ESCC and the relationship between Hippo signaling pathway and LRP16. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of LRP16 in ESCC tissues. After transfection, the expression of LRP16 was detected by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot techniques. Cell counting kit (CCK-8), clone formation experiment, flow cytometry and wound healing were used to determine the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle and migration of ESCC cells. The changes of factors related to Hippo signaling pathway were determined via RT-qPCR and western blot experiments. The results showed that the LRP16 expression in ESCC tissues was higher than that in normal tissues. High expression of LRP16 was related to the depth of invasion, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis of ESCC. Furthermore, the knockdown of LRP16 inhibited proliferation, migration and promoted cell apoptosis and made cells arrested in G2/M phase. It also resulted in decreased expression of Yes-associated protein (YAP), and increased expression of mammalian STE20-like protein kinase (MST1/2), suggesting that LRP16 promoted the development of ESCC through Hippo signaling pathway. The results of this study suggest that LRP16 may be a carcinogenic gene of ESCC and promotes the progression of ESCC through the regulation of Hippo signaling pathway. Our study provides a new idea for the diagnosis and treatment of ESCC in the future.



2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li na Wang ◽  
Dong run Tang ◽  
Tong Wu ◽  
Feng yuan Sun

Abstract Background: Malignant melanoma is the deadliest of skin cancer. The present study aimed to elucidate potential key candidate genes in melanoma and its molecular mechanism. Methods: Three gene expression profile data sets (GSE46517, GSE52882 and GSE54493) were downloaded from the GEO database, which included data from melanoma tissue samples and cell lines. DEGs were subsequently investigated by GO analysis via using DAVID website. PPI network was constructed using the STRING database and visualized by Cytoscape software and MCODE were utilized to PPI network to pick out meaningful DEGs. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were measured using CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell and wound healing assays. RT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays were used to detect mRNA and protein expressions. TCGAportal and GEPIA databases were used to perform the bioinformatics analysis of LTBP4 in melanoma. Results: LTBP4 both is the DEG and a key gene from the most significant module of the PPI network. LTBP4 expression was down-regulation in melanoma tissues and cells relative to controls, which showed positive correlation with invasion, TNM stage, distal metastasis and lymph node metastasis, and predicted the poor prognosis for patients with melanoma. Cox analysis identified LTBP4 low-expression as an independent prognostic variable for overall survival (OS) in patients with melanoma. The results revealed that LTBP4 inhibition reduced cell apoptosis, promoted cell proliferation and metastasis. These changes were correlated caspase-3, ki67 and E-cadherin expressions by western blotting assay. Further in vivo tumor formation study in nude mice indicated that LTBP4 inhibition promoted the progress of tumor formation. LTBP4 gene knockout reduced the phosphorylation level of YAP, MST1 and MOB1 and promoted the nuclear translocation of YAP to inhibit the activation of Hippo signaling pathway. The functions of LTBP4 overexpression (OE) inhibiting the expressions of CTGF, Cyr61 and Birc5, promoting the apoptosis, and inhibiting the metastasis and proliferation of melanoma cells were reversed by YAP/or MST1 OE.Conclusions: LTBP4 OE suppressed the proliferation and metastasis in melanoma via inhibiting the nuclear translocation of YAP to activating Hippo signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting the development and progression of melanoma.



2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 213-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Liu ◽  
Bao Yuan ◽  
Hongyan Chen ◽  
Mingqiang Xu ◽  
Xulei Sun ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) and growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9), which are secreted by oocytes, are important regulators of follicular growth and development and ovarian function. These two factors can regulate the proliferation and apoptosis of cumulus cells via modulation of the Smad signaling pathway. Studies have shown that BMP15 and GDF9 can affect the level of miR-375, whereas the target gene of miR-375 is BMPR2, the type II receptor of BMP15 and GDF9. However, whether or how the BMP15/ GDF9-miR-375-BMPR2 pathway affects the proliferation and apoptosis of bovine cumulus cells through regulation of the Smad signaling pathway remains unclear. Methods: In this study, cumulus cells were first obtained from cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). Appropriate concentrations of BMP15 and GDF9 were added during the in vitro culture process. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) analyses and flow cytometry were used to determine the effects of BMP15/GDF9 on bovine cumulus cells proliferation and apoptosis. Subsequently, miR-375 mimics, miR-375 inhibitor and BMPR2 siRNA were synthesized and used for transfection experiments. Western Blot analysis was used to detect changes before and after transfection in the expression levels of the BMP15/GDF9 type I receptors ALK4, ALK5 and ALK6; the phosphorylation levels of Smad2/3 and Smad1/5/8, which are key signaling pathway proteins downstream of BMP15/GDF9; the expression levels of PTX3, HAS2 and PTGS2, which are key genes involved in cumulus cells proliferation; and Bcl2/Bax, which are genes involved in apoptosis. Results: The addition of 100 ng/mL BMP15 or 200 ng/mL GDF9 or the combined addition of 50 ng/mL BMP15 and 100 ng/mL GDF9 effectively inhibited bovine cumulus cell apoptosis and promoted cell proliferation. BMP15/GDF9 negatively regulated miR-375 expression and positively regulated BMPR2 expression. High levels of miR-375 and inhibition of BMPR2 resulted in increased expression of ALK4 and decreased expression of PTX3, HAS2 and PTGS2, whereas miR-375 inhibition resulted in the opposite results. BMP15 and GDF9 significantly activated the levels of p-Smad2/3 and p-Smad1/5/8, whereas miR-375 inhibited the levels of p-Smad2/3 and p-Smad1/5/8 by negatively regulating BMPR2 and also led to apoptosis. Conclusion: BMP15 and GDF9 have synergistic effects and can act through miR-375 to affect the expression levels of type I receptor ALK4 and type II receptor BMPR2 and the activation of Smad signaling pathway, which subsequently affected the proliferation, spread and apoptosis of cumulus cells.



2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuan-Ming XU ◽  
Fu-Sheng WAN


Author(s):  
Xuehui Wang ◽  
Changle Ji ◽  
Jiashu Hu ◽  
Xiaochong Deng ◽  
Wenfang Zheng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of endogenous RNAs, have shown to participate in the development of breast cancer (BC). Hsa_circ_0005273 is a circRNA generated from several exons of PTK2. However, the potential functional role of hsa_circ_0005273 in BC remains largely unknown. Here we aim to evaluate the role of hsa_circ_0005273 in BC. Methods The expression level of hsa_circ_0005273 and miR-200a-3p were examined by RT-qPCR in BC tissues and cell lines. The effect of knocking down hsa_circ_0005273 in BC cell lines were evaluated by examinations of cell proliferation, migration and cell cycle. In addition, xenografts experiment in nude mice were performed to evaluate the effect of hsa_circ_0005273 in BC. RNA immunoprecipitation assay, RNA probe pull-down assay, luciferase reporter assay and fluorescence in situ hybridization were conducted to confirm the relationship between hsa_circ_0005273, miR-200a-3p and YAP1. Results Hsa_circ_0005273 is over-expressed in BC tissues and cell lines, whereas miR-200a-3p expression is repressed. Depletion of hsa_circ_0005273 inhibited the progression of BC cells in vitro and in vivo, while overexpression of hsa_circ_0005273 exhibited the opposite effect. Importantly, hsa_circ_0005273 upregulated YAP1 expression and inactivated Hippo pathway via sponging miR-200a-3p to promote BC progression. Conclusions Hsa_circ_0005273 regulates the miR-200a-3p/YAP1 axis and inactivates Hippo signaling pathway to promote BC progression, which may become a potential biomarker and therapeutic target.



2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 341-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinichi Hayashi ◽  
Hitoshi Yokoyama ◽  
Koji Tamura






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