Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition compromises vascular integrity to induce Myc-mediated metabolic reprogramming in kidney fibrosis.

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition compromises vascular integrity to induce Myc-mediated metabolic reprogramming in kidney fibrosis. Sci Signal. 2020 Jun 09;13(635): Authors: Lovisa S, Fletcher-Sananikone E, Sugimoto H, Hensel J, Lahiri S, Hertig A, Taduri G, Lawson E, Dewar R, Revuelta I, Kato N, Wu CJ, Bassett RL, Putluri N, Zeisberg M, Zeisberg EM, LeBleu VS, Kalluri R Abstract Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a cellular transdifferentiation program in which endothelial cells partially lose their endothelial identity and acquire mesenchymal-like features. Renal capillary endothelial cells can undergo EndMT in association with persistent damage of the renal parenchyma. The functional consequence(s) of EndMT in kidney fibrosis remains unexplored. Here, we studied the effect of Twist or Snail deficiency in endothelial cells on EndMT in kidney fibrosis. Conditional deletion of Twist1 (which encodes Twist) or Snai1 (which encodes Snail) in VE-cadherin+ or Tie1+ endothelial cells inhibited the emergence of EndMT and improved kidney fibrosis in two different kidney injury/fibrosis mouse models. Suppression of EndMT limited peritubular vascular leakage, reduced tissue hypoxia, and preserved tubular epithelial health and function. Hypoxia, which was exacerbated by EndMT, resulted in increased Myc abundance in tubular epithelial cells, enhanced glycolysis, and suppression of fatty acid oxidation. Pharmacological suppressi...
Source: Science Signaling - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Tags: Sci Signal Source Type: research