KLF4 initiates sustained YAP activation to promote renal fibrosis in mice after ischemia-reperfusion kidney injury

About 28.5% of the acute kidney injury (AKI) patients cannot recover completely. AKI has become an important risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). It has been reported that the activation of YAP facilitates the recovery of AKI, however, this experiment demonstrated that the activation of YAP may last to the post-acute phase of AKI. The persistent activation of YAP is implicated with renal deterioration and fibrosis. Reprogramming factor KLF4 was responsible for the persistent activation of YAP. Shutting down the KLF4-related persistent activation of YAP after acute phase of AKI might be a way to prevent the transition of AKI into CKD. Acute renal injury (AKI) causes a long-term risk for progressing into chronic kidney disease (CKD) and interstitial fibrosis. Yes-associated protein (YAP), a key transcriptional cofactor in Hippo signaling pathway, shuttles between the cytoplasm and nucleus, which is required for the renal tubular epithelial cells repair in the acute phase of AKI. In this study we investigated the role of YAP during ischemia-reperfusion (IR)-induced AKI to CKD. Mice were subjected to left kidney IR followed by removal of the right kidney on the day before tissue harvests. Mouse shRNA expression adenovirus (Ad-shYAP or Ad-shKLF4) and mouse KLF4 expression adenovirus (Ad-KLF4) were delivered to mice by intrarenal injection on D7 after IR. We showed that the expression and nucleus distribution of YAP were persistently increased until the end of experiment (D21 after IR). The sustained activation of YAP in post-acute phase of AKI was accompanied by renal dysfunction and interstitial fibrosis. Knockdown of YAP significantly attenuated IR-induced renal dysfunction and decreased the expression of fibrogenic factors TGF-beta and CTGF in the kidney. We showed that the expression of the transcription factor KLF4, lined on the upstream of YAP, was also persistently increased. Knockdown on KLF4 attenuated YAP increase and nuclear translocation as well as renal functional deterioration and interstitial fibrosis in IR mice, whereas KLF4 overexpression caused opposite effects. KLF4 increased the expression of ITCH, and ITCH facilitated YAP nuclear translocation via degrading LATS1. Furthermore, we demonstrated in primary cultured renal tubular cells that KLF4 bound to the promoter region of YAP and positively regulates YAP expression. In biopsy sample from CKD patients, we also observed increased expression and nuclear distribution of YAP. In conclusion, the activation of YAP in the post-acute phase of AKI is implicated in renal functional deterioration and fibrosis although it exhibits beneficial effect in acute phase. Reprogramming factor KLF4 is responsible for the persistent activation of YAP. Blocking the activation of KLF4-YAP pathway might be a way to prevent the transition of AKI into CKD.

Automated summary

This study revealed that sustained activation of YAP in the post-acute phase of AKI is associated with renal functional deterioration and fibrosis, with KLF4 being responsible for this persistence. Blocking the activation of the KLF4-YAP pathway may be a way to prevent the transition of AKI into CKD.