期刊
ADVANCED SCIENCE
卷 9, 期 3, 页码 -出版社
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103248
关键词
acute kidney injury; G1 cell cycle; N protein; p21; SARS-CoV-2; Smad3; TGF-beta
资金
- Research Grants Council of Hong Kong [14117418, 14104019, 14101121]
- Lui Che Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine (CARE program)
- Hong Kong Scholar Program [XJ2019052]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [81902053]
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao-Joint Labs Program from Guangdong Science and Technology [2019B121205005]
COVID-19 can cause severe multi-organ damage with kidneys being one of the major targets. The research shows that SARS-CoV-2 N protein interacts with Smad3 to enhance signaling, leading to tubular epithelial cell death and AKI. Targeting Smad3 may offer a novel therapy for COVID-19-related AKI.
COVID-19 is infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and can cause severe multiple organ injury and death. Kidney is one of major target organs of COVID-19 and acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill COVID-19 patients. However, mechanisms through which COVID-19 causes AKI remain largely unknown and treatment remains unspecific and ineffective. Here, the authors report that normal kidney-specifically overexpressing SARS-CoV-2 N develops AKI, which worsens in mice under ischemic condition. Mechanistically, it is uncovered that SARS-CoV-2 N-induced AKI is Smad3-dependent as SARS-CoV-2 N protein can interact with Smad3 and enhance TGF-beta/Smad3 signaling to cause tubular epithelial cell death and AKI via the G1 cell cycle arrest mechanism. This is further confirmed in Smad3 knockout mice and cells in which deletion of Smad3 protects against SARS-CoV-2 N protein-induced cell death and AKI in vivo and in vitro. Most significantly, it is also found that targeting Smad3 with a Smad3 pharmacological inhibitor is able to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 N-induced AKI. In conclusion, the authors identify that SARS-CoV-2 N protein is a key mediator for AKI and induces AKI via the Smad3-dependent G1 cell cycle arrest mechanism. Targeting Smad3 may represent as a novel therapy for COVID-19-asscoaited AKI.
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