Biology subjects

Serezani, A. P.

Publications and source records attributed to Serezani, A. P..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Sustained Yap/Taz activation promotes aberrant alveolar epithelial cell differentiation and drives persistent fibrotic remodeling

YAP/TAZ signaling is required for initiation of lung alveolar repair, yet previous studies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) predicted increased YAP/TAZ signaling in alveolar epithelial cells (AECs). We investigated whether persistent YAP/TAZ AEC signaling contributes to failed epithelial repair and persistent fibrotic remodeling. In IPF lungs, we identified increased YAP+/TAZ+ AECs and increased expression of YAP/TAZ transcriptional targets compared to donor control lungs. In human lung organoids, pharmacological YAP/TAZ activation resulted in phenotype shifts of AECs into aberrant transitional states. In mice with Yap/Taz activation (YTactive) resulting from deletion of Hippo-kinases Stk3/4 in alveolar-type 2 (AT2) cells, resulted in persistent fibrotic remodeling at 28- and 56-days post-bleomycin injury. Gene promoter activity associated with transitional cell markers (Krt19, Hopx, and Runx2) was increased in YTactive AT2 cells. Immunofluorescent staining showed a loss of AT2 associated Cebpa and increased Krt19 in YTactive lineage traced AT2 cells 28 days post-injury. Inhibition of Yap/Taz using Verteporfin resulted in improved lung repair in YTactive mouse lungs, including increased Cebpa and decreased Krt19+ transitional cells. These findings demonstrate sustained Yap/Taz activation drives abnormal alveolar repair and persistent fibrotic remodeling. Blocking aberrant persistent Yap/Taz activity promotes adaptive repair and has potential as a therapeutic strategy for PF.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Image-based spatial transcriptomics identifies molecular niche dysregulation associated with distal lung remodeling in pulmonary fibrosis

The human lung is structurally complex, with a diversity of specialized epithelial, stromal and immune cells playing specific functional roles in anatomically distinct locations, and large-scale changes in the structure and cellular makeup of this distal lung is a hallmark of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and other progressive chronic lung diseases. Single-cell transcriptomic studies have revealed numerous disease-emergent/enriched cell types/states in PF lungs, but the spatial contexts wherein these cells contribute to disease pathogenesis has remained uncertain. Using sub-cellular resolution image-based spatial transcriptomics, we analyzed the gene expression of more than 1 million cells from 19 unique lungs. Through complementary cell-based and innovative cell-agnostic analyses, we characterized the localization of PF-emergent cell-types, established the cellular and molecular basis of classical PF histopathologic disease features, and identified a diversity of distinct molecularly-defined spatial niches in control and PF lungs. Using machine-learning and trajectory analysis methods to segment and rank airspaces on a gradient from normal to most severely remodeled, we identified a sequence of compositional and molecular changes that associate with progressive distal lung pathology, beginning with alveolar epithelial dysregulation and culminating with changes in macrophage polarization. Together, these results provide a unique, spatially-resolved characterization of the cellular and molecular programs of PF and control lungs, provide new insights into the heterogeneous pathobiology of PF, and establish analytical approaches which should be broadly applicable to other imaging-based spatial transcriptomic studies.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2019

Single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals profibrotic roles of distinct epithelial and mesenchymal lineages in pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a form of chronic lung disease characterized by pathologic epithelial remodeling and accumulation of extracellular matrix. In order to comprehensively define the cell types, mechanisms and mediators driving fibrotic remodeling in lungs with pulmonary fibrosis, we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing of single-cell suspensions from 10 non-fibrotic control and 20 PF lungs. Analysis of 114,396 cells identified 31 distinct cell types. We report a remarkable shift in epithelial cell phenotypes occurs in the peripheral lung in PF, and identify several previously unrecognized epithelial cell phenotypes including a KRT5-/KRT17+, pathologic ECM-producing epithelial cell population that was highly enriched in PF lungs. Multiple fibroblast subtypes were observed to contribute to ECM expansion in a spatially-discrete manner. Together these data provide high-resolution insights into the complexity and plasticity of the distal lung epithelium in human disease, and indicate a diversity of epithelial and mesenchymal cells contribute to pathologic lung fibrosis.\n\nOne Sentence SummarySingle-cell RNA-sequencing provides new insights into pathologic epithelial and mesenchymal remodeling in the human lung.

genomics↗