Twist: a new link from hypoxia to fibrosis.
Sun et al. demonstrate that hypoxia causes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by activating Twist, a transcription factor known to mediate both acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype and resistance to apoptosis in cancer cells. This study provides clues as to how hypoxia and transforming growth factor-beta can collaborate to drive renal fibrogenesis.
Bechtel
Wibke
W
Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Zeisberg
Michael
M
Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Electronic address: mzeisber@bidmc.harvard.edu.
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D010641:Phenotype; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1 / Q000378:metabolism*
D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1