| First Author | Su J | Year | 2020 |
| Journal | Nature | Volume | 577 |
| Issue | 7791 | Pages | 566-571 |
| PubMed ID | 31915377 | Mgi Jnum | J:290070 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6435260 | Doi | 10.1038/s41586-019-1897-5 |
| Citation | Su J, et al. (2020) TGF-beta orchestrates fibrogenic and developmental EMTs via the RAS effector RREB1. Nature 577(7791):566-571 |
| abstractText | Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) are phenotypic plasticity processes that confer migratory and invasive properties to epithelial cells during development, wound-healing, fibrosis and cancer(1-4). EMTs are driven by SNAIL, ZEB and TWIST transcription factors(5,6) together with microRNAs that balance this regulatory network(7,8). Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a potent inducer of developmental and fibrogenic EMTs(4,9,10). Aberrant TGF-beta signalling and EMT are implicated in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis, alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, pulmonary fibrosis and cancer(4,11). TGF-beta depends on RAS and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway inputs for the induction of EMTs(12-19). Here we show how these signals coordinately trigger EMTs and integrate them with broader pathophysiological processes. We identify RAS-responsive element binding protein 1 (RREB1), a RAS transcriptional effector(20,21), as a key partner of TGF-beta-activated SMAD transcription factors in EMT. MAPK-activated RREB1 recruits TGF-beta-activated SMAD factors to SNAIL. Context-dependent chromatin accessibility dictates the ability of RREB1 and SMAD to activate additional genes that determine the nature of the resulting EMT. In carcinoma cells, TGF-beta-SMAD and RREB1 directly drive expression of SNAIL and fibrogenic factors stimulating myofibroblasts, promoting intratumoral fibrosis and supporting tumour growth. In mouse epiblast progenitors, Nodal-SMAD and RREB1 combine to induce expression of SNAIL and mesendoderm-differentiation genes that drive gastrulation. Thus, RREB1 provides a molecular link between RAS and TGF-beta pathways for coordinated induction of developmental and fibrogenic EMTs. These insights increase our understanding of the regulation of epithelial plasticity and its pathophysiological consequences in development, fibrosis and cancer. |
