Conditional Knockout of YAP Decreases Podocyte Adhesion and Exacerbates FSGS Progression Through α3β1 Integrin

作者：Guangze Shao, Jitu Xu, Yanyong Xu, Huijuan Wu · 发表于：Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1681/asn.20233411s157d · 研究领域：Genital Health and Disease

Background: The occurrence of proteinuria in FSGS patients is closely related to the decreased adhesion and further loss of podocytes. Previous studies showed YAP nuclear exclusion contributes to podocyte apoptosis and FSGS progression, but its role in the podocyte adhesion remains unclear. Methods: We generated podocyte-specific Yap gene knockout mice (YappodoKO) by crossing Yapflox/flox mice with NPHS2-Cre mice. We then constructed Adriamycin induced FSGS model by using YappodoKO mice and control mice. Furthermore, we treated the above mice with pyrintegrin, an agonist of α3β1 integrin. Results: By 16 weeks of age, compared to Yapflox/flox mice, YappodoKO mice developed decreased podocyte adhesion including reduced α3β1 integrin and focal adhesion (examined by double immunofluorescence staining of vinculin and F-actin), with effacement of a few of foot process under the electron microscopy, although showed no significant difference in morphology by light microscopy, proteinuria, serum creatinine and BUN. Compared to Adriamycin treated Yapflox/flox mice, YappodoKO mice aberrantly aggravated decrease in α3β1 integrin, focal adhesion and podocyte number induced by Adriamycin, with markedly increased segmental or global glomerulosclerosis, foot process effacement and proteinuria. Of note, pyrintegrin treatment largely improved the podocyte adhesion and ameliorated the disease progression of FSGS caused by Adriamycin treatment with or without podocyte-specific Yap knockout. Conc...