title: The hedgehog system machinery controls transforming growth factor-β-dependent myofibroblastic differentiation in humans: involvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating disease of unknown cause. Key signaling developmental pathways are aberrantly expressed in IPF. The hedgehog pathway plays a key role during fetal lung development and may be involved in lung fibrogenesis. We determined the expression pattern of several Sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway members in normal and IPF human lung biopsies and primary fibroblasts. The effect of hedgehog pathway inhibition was assayed by lung fibroblast proliferation and differentiation with and without transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. We showed that the hedgehog pathway was reactivated in the IPF lung. Importantly, we deciphered the cross talk between the hedgehog and TGF-β pathway in human lung fibroblasts. TGF-β1 modulated the expression of key components of the hedgehog pathway independent of Smoothened, the obligatory signal transducer of the pathway. Smoothened was required for TGF-β1-induced myofibroblastic differentiation of control fibroblasts, but differentiation of IPF fibroblasts was partially resistant to Smoothened inhibition. Furthermore, functional hedgehog pathway machinery from the primary cilium, as well as GLI-dependent transcription in the nucleus, was required for the TGF-β1 effects on normal and IPF fibroblasts during myofibroblastic differentiation. These data identify the GLI transcription factors as potential therapeutic targets in lung fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U700, Paris Diderot University, 16 rue Henri Huchard, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Natacha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cigna
authors.forename: Elika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farrokhi Moshai
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brayer
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marchal-Somme
authors.forename: Lidwine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wémeau-Stervinou
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabre
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mal
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lesèche
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dehoux
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crestani
authors.forename: Arnaud A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mailleux
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002923:Cilia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D054990:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids; C000541:cyclopamine