Renal fibrosis: collagen composition and assembly regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation.

ABSTRACT: Type IV collagen is a major component of basement membranes and it provides structural and functional support to various cell types. Type IV collagen exists in a highly complex suprastructure form and recent studies implicate that protomer (the trimeric building unit of type IV collagen) assembly is mediated by the NC1 domain present in the C-terminus of each collagen alpha-chain polypeptide. Here we show that type IV collagen contributes to the maintenance of the epithelial phenotype of proximal tubular epithelial cells, whereas type I collagen promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transdifferentiation (EMT). In addition, the recombinant human alpha1NC1 domain inhibits assembly of type IV collagen NC1 hexamers and potentially disrupts the deposition of type IV collagen, facilitating EMT in v

SUBMITTER: Zeisberg M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1850511 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature