LKB1 deficiency upregulates RELM-α to drive airway goblet cell metaplasia.

ABSTRACT: Targeting airway goblet cell metaplasia is a novel strategy that can potentially reduce the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms. Tumor suppressor liver kinase B1 (LKB1) is an important regulator of the proliferation and differentiation of stem/progenitor cells. In this study, we report that LKB1 expression was downregulated in the lungs of patients with COPD and in those of cigarette smoke-exposed mice. Nkx2.1^Cre; Lkb1^f/f mice with conditional loss of Lkb1 in mouse lung epithelium displayed airway mucus hypersecretion and pulmonary macrophage infiltration. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of the lung tissues from Nkx2.1^Cre; Lkb1^f/f mice further revealed that airway goblet cell differentiation was altered in the absence of LKB

SUBMITTER: Li Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8738459 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature