Concurrent YAP/TAZ and SMAD signaling mediate vocal fold fibrosis

Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 29;11(1):13484. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-92871-z.

Abstract

Vocal fold (VF) fibrosis is a major cause of intractable voice-related disability and reduced quality of life. Excision of fibrotic regions is suboptimal and associated with scar recurrence and/or further iatrogenic damage. Non-surgical interventions are limited, putatively related to limited insight regarding biochemical events underlying fibrosis, and downstream, the lack of therapeutic targets. YAP/TAZ integrates diverse cell signaling events and interacts with signaling pathways related to fibrosis, including the TGF-β/SMAD pathway. We investigated the expression of YAP/TAZ following vocal fold injury in vivo as well as the effects of TGF-β1 on YAP/TAZ activity in human vocal fold fibroblasts, fibroblast-myofibroblast transition, and TGF-β/SMAD signaling. Iatrogenic injury increased nuclear localization of YAP and TAZ in fibrotic rat vocal folds. In vitro, TGF-β1 activated YAP and TAZ in human VF fibroblasts, and inhibition of YAP/TAZ reversed TGF-β1-stimulated fibroplastic gene upregulation. Additionally, TGF-β1 induced localization of YAP and TAZ in close proximity to SMAD2/3, and nuclear accumulation of SMAD2/3 was inhibited by a YAP/TAZ inhibitor. Collectively, YAP and TAZ were synergistically activated with the TGF-β/SMAD pathway, and likely essential for the fibroplastic phenotypic shift in VF fibroblasts. Based on these data, YAP/TAZ may evolve as an attractive therapeutic target for VF fibrosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Female
  • Fibrosis
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Smad Proteins / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Transcriptional Coactivator with PDZ-Binding Motif Proteins
  • Vocal Cord Dysfunction / metabolism*
  • Vocal Cord Dysfunction / pathology
  • Vocal Cords / metabolism*
  • Vocal Cords / pathology
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Smad Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • Transcriptional Coactivator with PDZ-Binding Motif Proteins
  • WWTR1 protein, human
  • WWTR1 protein, rat
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins
  • YAP1 protein, human
  • Yap1 protein, rat