[HTML][HTML] Smooth muscle–derived progenitor cell myofibroblast differentiation through KLF4 downregulation promotes arterial remodeling and fibrosis

S Lu, AJ Jolly, KA Strand, AM Dubner, MF Mutryn… - JCI insight, 2020 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
S Lu, AJ Jolly, KA Strand, AM Dubner, MF Mutryn, KS Moulton, RA Nemenoff, MW Majesky…
JCI insight, 2020ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Resident vascular adventitial SCA1+ progenitor (AdvSca1) cells are essential in vascular
development and injury. However, the heterogeneity of AdvSca1 cells presents a unique
challenge in understanding signaling pathways orchestrating their behavior in homeostasis
and injury responses. Using smooth muscle cell (SMC) lineage-tracing models, we identified
a subpopulation of AdvSca1 cells (AdvSca1-SM) originating from mature SMCs that undergo
reprogramming in situ and exhibit a multipotent phenotype. Here we employed lineage …
Abstract
Resident vascular adventitial SCA1+ progenitor (AdvSca1) cells are essential in vascular development and injury. However, the heterogeneity of AdvSca1 cells presents a unique challenge in understanding signaling pathways orchestrating their behavior in homeostasis and injury responses. Using smooth muscle cell (SMC) lineage-tracing models, we identified a subpopulation of AdvSca1 cells (AdvSca1-SM) originating from mature SMCs that undergo reprogramming in situ and exhibit a multipotent phenotype. Here we employed lineage tracing and RNA-sequencing to define the signaling pathways regulating SMC-to-AdvSca1-SM cell reprogramming and AdvSca1-SM progenitor cell phenotype. Unbiased hierarchical clustering revealed that genes related to hedgehog/WNT/beta-catenin signaling were significantly enriched in AdvSca1-SM cells, emphasizing the importance of this signaling axis in the reprogramming event. Leveraging AdvSca1-SM–specific expression of GLI-Kruppel family member GLI1 (Gli1), we generated Gli1-CreER T2-ROSA26-YFP reporter mice to selectively track AdvSca1-SM cells. We demonstrated that physiologically relevant vascular injury or AdvSca1-SM cell–specific Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) depletion facilitated the proliferation and differentiation of AdvSca1-SM cells to a profibrotic myofibroblast phenotype rather than macrophages. Surprisingly, AdvSca1-SM cells selectively contributed to adventitial remodeling and fibrosis but little to neointima formation. Together, these findings strongly support therapeutics aimed at preserving the AdvSca1-SM cell phenotype as a viable antifibrotic approach.
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