GPCR-induced YAP activation sensitizes fibroblasts to profibrotic activity of TGFβ1

PLoS One. 2020 Feb 13;15(2):e0228195. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228195. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Tissue fibrosis is a pathological condition characterized by uncontrolled fibroblast activation that ultimately leads to organ failure. The TGFβ1 pathway, one of the major players in establishment of the disease phenotype, is dependent on the transcriptional co-activators YAP/TAZ. We were interested whether fibroblasts can be sensitized to TGFβ1 by activation of the GPCR/YAP/TAZ axis and whether this mechanism explains the profibrotic properties of diverse GPCR ligands. We found that LPA, S1P and thrombin cooperate in human dermal fibroblasts with TGFβ1 to induce extracellular matrix synthesis, myofibroblast marker expression and cytokine secretion. Whole genome expression profiling identified a YAP/TAZ signature behind the synergistic profibrotic effects of LPA and TGFβ1. LPA, S1P and thrombin stimulation led to activation of the Rho-YAP axis, an increase of nuclear YAP-Smad2 complexes and enhanced expression of profibrotic YAP/Smad2-target genes. More generally, dermal, cardiac and lung fibroblast responses to TGFβ1 could be enhanced by increasing YAP nuclear levels (with GPCR ligands LPA, S1P, thrombin or Rho activator) and inhibited by decreasing nuclear YAP (with Rho inhibitor, forskolin, latrunculin B or 2-deoxy-glucose). Thus, we present here a conceptually interesting finding that fibroblast responses to TGFβ1 can be predicted based on the nuclear levels of YAP and modulated by stimuli/treatments that change YAP nuclear levels. Our study contributes to better understanding of fibrosis as a complex interplay of signalling pathways and proposes YAP/TAZ as promising targets in the treatment of fibrosis.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / pathology*
  • Fibrosis
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Lysophospholipids / metabolism
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Smad2 Protein / metabolism
  • Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptors / metabolism
  • Thrombin / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / metabolism*
  • rho-Associated Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Ligands
  • Lysophospholipids
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Smad2 Protein
  • Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptors
  • Transcription Factors
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1
  • YY1AP1 protein, human
  • rho-Associated Kinases
  • Thrombin
  • lysophosphatidic acid

Grants and funding

Funding statement: “support in the form of salaries for all authors, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section. "The funder Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd. provided support in the form of salaries for all authors, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the author contributions section.