Histone acetylation is an important modulator of gene expression in fibrosis. This study examined the effect of the pre-eminent fibrogenic cytokine transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) on histone 3 (H3) acetylation and its regulatory kinetics in renal myofibroblasts. Fibroblasts propagated from rat kidneys after ureteric obstruction were treated with recombinant TGF-β1 or vehicle for 48 h. TGF-β1-induced myofibroblast activation was accompanied by a net decrease in total H3 acetylation, although changes in individual marks were variable. This was paralleled by a generalized reduction in histone acetyltransferases (HAT) and divergent changes in histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes at both transcript and protein levels. Globally, this was manifest in a reduction in total HAT activity and increase in HDAC activity. TGF-β1 induced a shift in cellular metabolism from oxidative respiration to aerobic glycolysis, resulting in reduced acetyl-CoA. The reduction in total H3 acetylation could be rescued by providing exogenous citrate or alternative sources of acetyl-CoA without ameliorating changes in HAT/HDAC activity. In conclusion, TGF-β1 produces a metabolic reprogramming in renal fibroblasts, with less H3 acetylation through reduced acetylation, increased deacetylation, and changes in carbon availability. Our results suggest that acetyl-CoA availability predominates over HAT and HDAC activity as a key determinant of H3 acetylation in response to TGF-β1.
This study determined the effects of castration and hormone replacement therapy on the age-related cardiac and renal pathology of male relaxin gene-knockout (RlnKO) and age-matched wild-type (RlnWT) mice and that of aged male aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice, which lack estrogens and have 5-10 times the androgen levels of male wild-type mice. One-month-old RlnWT and RlnKO mice were bilaterally gonadectomized or sham operated and maintained until 12 months. Subgroups of castrated animals received testosterone or 17β-estradiol treatment from 9 to 12 months. Male ArKO mice and aromatase wild-type mice were aged to 12 months. Collected heart and kidney tissues were assessed for changes in organ size and fibrosis. Castration reduced body, heart, left ventricle, and kidney weights in both RlnKO and RlnWT mice, and the cardiac/renal fibrosis that was seen in sham RlnKO animals (all P < 0.05 vs. respective sham). Testosterone normalized organ weights and organ weight to body weight ratio of castrated animals and increased cardiac/renal collagen concentration to levels measured in or beyond that of sham RlnKO mice (all P < 0.05 vs. respective castrated mice). Furthermore, expression of TGF-β1, mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 (Smad2), and myofibroblast differentiation paralleled the above changes (all P < 0.05 vs. respective castrated mice), whereas matrix metalloproteinase-13 was decreased in testosterone-treated RlnKO mice. Conversely, 17β-estradiol only restored changes in organ size. Consistent with these findings, intact ArKO mice demonstrated increased cardiac/renal fibrosis in the absence of changes in organ size. These findings suggest that relaxin and castration protect, whereas androgens exacerbate, cardiac and renal fibrosis during ageing, whereas estrogens, in synergy with relaxin, regulates age-related changes in organ size.
MS analysis was completed at Active Motif using the Mod SpecTM platform (Active Motif, Carlsbad, CA, USA). Historically, MS of histones has been problematic. Most protocols use trypsin which cleaves at lysine and arginine residues. However, because of the large number of lysine residues, trypsin digestion produces small peptides that are very hydrophilic and difficult to analyse. To overcome this, lysine residues were converted to propionyl amides so that cleavage occurred at arginine (9). In brief, histones were acid extracted from each sample (n=3 per group), and derivatized via propionylation. A trypsin digestion was then performed, with a second propionic anhydride reaction performed to modify newly formed N-termini, as previously described (9). Samples were then measured in triplicate using the Thermo Scientific TSQ Quantum Ultra mass spectrometer (Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) coupled with an UltiMate 3000 Dionex nano-liquid chromatography system (Thermo Scientific). Each value represents the mean relative abundance of each form of a given tryptic peptide from three MS runs. The data was quantified using Skyline (21), and comprises the percent of each modification within the total pool of that amino acid residue (% peptide pool).
Histone acetylation is an important modulator of gene expression in fibrosis. This study examined the effect of the pre-eminent fibrogenic cytokine TGF-beta1 on histone 3 (H3) acetylation and its regulatory kinetics in renal myofibroblasts.
Posttranslational modification of nucleosomal histones is a major determinant of chromatin structure and gene activity. In the present study, we hypothesized that unilateral ureteric obstruction (UUO), a widely used model of tubulointerstitial injury, would be associated with a distinct pattern of histone modifications (marks) in the kidney. Mass spectrometry was used to profile 63 different histone marks in normal mouse kidneys and those after 10 days of UUO. A subsequent histochemical analysis further examined examples of specific marks that changed significantly after UUO for which antisera are available. Histone marks were much more widely distributed and abundant in the normal kidney than is usually appreciated. Although aggregate analysis of the mass spectrometry results revealed net differences between control and UUO groups, residue-specific variations were subtle. Of the 16/63 significant changes ( P < 0.05), only 8 changes were quantitatively different by >5%. Nevertheless, we identified several that are not usually examined in the kidney, including marks in the globular domain of core histones (H3:K79), linker histones (H1.4), and histone variants (H3.1:K27 and H3.3:K27). In several cases, there were complementary changes in different marks on the same amino acid. Using H3:K79ME2 as an example, mark enrichment was heterogeneous but largely colocalized with active transcription in a subset of tubular pathology. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of unbiased screening in examining histone marks. Simultaneous changes in multiple marks on the same amino acid indicate a coordinated histone mark signature. The heterogeneous enrichment of marks, even within the same tubule, highlights the importance of regulatory context.
Abstract Background Vascular calcification (VC) is well described in large- and medium-sized vessels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially in those with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on dialysis. Medial calcification is particularly prevalent in this population and contributes to arterial stiffness and increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Apart from in the setting of calciphylaxis, few studies have assessed skin and subcutaneous calcification and associations with abnormalities of bone and mineral metabolism in patients with CKD. Methods We performed a single-centre observational study to evaluate incisional skin tissue samples from three anatomical sites in patients with different stages of CKD undergoing elective surgery. We compared these samples to skin samples of a control cohort without CKD. Staining for calcification was performed with von Kossa method. A subgroup of skin samples were assessed by RT-PCR for upregulation of pro-calcific gene transcripts for tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase ( TNAP) and Runt-related transcription factor 2 ( RUNX2 ). Results Forty-five patients were evaluated, 34 with CKD (including ESKD) and 11 control patients. VC was identified in 15 skin samples (13 CKD/ESKD and 2 controls). VC was present in the dermal and subcutaneous tissues of the neck, abdomen and arm samples. Two different histological types of VC were identified: speckled medial calcification and internal elastic lamina calcification. Presence of perieccrine calcification was identified in 14 samples, 10 with concurrent VC. There were no significant differences in serum parathyroid hormone, phosphate or calcium in patients with or without VC. Expression of TNAP or RUNX2 was not increased in samples from patients with ESKD or those with histological evidence of calcification. Conclusion This study reports the novel finding of dermal and subcutaneous calcification in multiple anatomical locations in 38% of patients with advanced CKD/ESKD undergoing elective surgery but free from calciphylaxis.
Whole transcriptome analysis of TGF-beta1 treated fibroblasts Methods: RNA was purified using a miRCURY RNA isolation kit (#300110, Exiqon A/S, Vedbaek, Denmark) with an Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilant, Santa Clara, CA, USA) used to check RNA integrity. The Illumina TrueSeq mRNA sample preparation kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) was used to prepare RNA libraries for sequencing on the Illumina HiSEq 2000. Reads were aligned using TopHat2 with the rn6 build of the rat genome. Transcript assembly and differential expression (DE) was by Cufflinks with Refseq mRNAs to guide assembly. Statistically different changes were identified by ANOVA using Partek Flow (Partek, Singapore), as previously described in https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocel.2017.09.009.
The final end point of diabetic renal disease is the accumulation of excess collagen. A number of studies have shown that aldosterone antagonism ameliorates progression of renal fibrosis. This study was designed to examine the effect of the mineralocorticoid receptor blocker eplerenone (EPL) on progression in streptozotocin (STZ)-treated spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), an accelerated model of Type I diabetes. STZ-treated SHRs with a blood glucose >18 mmol/L were randomly divided into treatment (100 mg/kg/day EPL) and non-treatment groups. Sham-injected SHR animals were used as a control. Functional parameters were monitored for 16 weeks, with structural parameters assessed at completion. Both hyperglycaemic groups developed progressive albuminuria, but the increase was ameliorated by EPL from Week 12. STZ–SHRs had elevated kidney weight/body weight ratio, glomerular size, glomerular macrophages (ED-1-positive cells), tissue transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) concentrations and glomerular collagen IV staining (all P < 0.05 versus control animals). EPL reduced glomerular volume, TGFβ1 expression and glomerular collagen IV without changing glomerular macrophage infiltration. The ability of EPL to ameliorate these functional and structural changes in hyperglycaemic SHRs suggest that EPL has a renoprotective role in diabetic renal disease.
Introduction: Epigenetic regulation of fibrogenesis through post-translational histone modifications (marks) may be a key determinant of progression in renal disease. In this study, we examined the distribution and acquisition of histone 3 Lysine 9 (H3K9) marks after injury and stimulation with the pro-fibrotic cytokine TGF-β1. Our focus was on their presence in activated fibroblasts (myofibroblasts) and epithelial cells (epithelial-mesenchymal transition). Methods and Results: Immunofluorescent microscopy was used to examine global H3K9 acetylation (H3K9Ac) and tri-methylation (H3K9Me3) after unilateral ureteric obstruction (UUO) in mice. Confocal, super resolution microscopy and flow cytometry were used to determine the in vitro effect of TGF-β1 on structural arrangement of these marks, and their relationship with α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expression, a marker of myofibroblasts and early EMT. The number of individual histone marks was increased 10 days after UUO (p < 0.05 vs. control), with both marks clearly seen in various cell types including proximal tubules and myofibroblasts. Sub-nuclear microscopy in primary rat renal fibroblasts and a proximal tubule cell line (NRK-52e) showed that H3K9Ac was co-localized with phosphorylated-Ser2 RNA polymerase II (pRNAPol II), while H3K9Me3 was not, consistent with permissive and repressive effects on gene expression respectively. In both cell types H3K9Ac was diffusely distributed throughout the nucleus, while H3K9Me3 was found in compartments resembling the nucleolus, and in the case of the fibroblast, also juxtapositioned with the nuclear membrane. TGF-β1 had no effect on H3K9Ac marks in either cell, but resulted in a redistribution of H3K9Me3 within the fibroblast nucleus. This was unrelated to any change in mitogenesis, but was associated with increased αSMA expression. Conclusion: These findings highlight why it is important to consider the epigenetics of each cell individually, because whilst no overall enrichment occurred, renal myofibroblast differentiation was accompanied by distinct changes in histone mark arrangements.
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