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Title: Glucocorticoids activate Yes-associated protein in human vocal fold fibroblasts

Journal Article · · Experimental Cell Research
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY (United States)
  2. Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY (United States)

Fibrosis of the vocal folds poses a substantive clinical challenge potentially underlying the rapid proliferation of direct steroid injections into the upper airway. The variable clinical response to glucocorticoids (GCs) in the vocal folds is likely related to diversity inherent to GCs and patient-specific, and upstream, cell-specific responses to GCs. Broadly, we hypothesize the disparity in clinical outcomes are due to undesirable effects of GCs on resident fibroblasts. Transcriptome analysis identified significant GC-mediated modulation of Hippo signaling, a known regulator of fibrotic gene expression. Subsequent analysis confirmed GC-mediated YAP activation, a transcriptional co-factor in the Hippo signaling pathway. YAP inhibition attenuated ACTA2 expression in GC-treated human vocal fold fibroblasts. Nuclear localization and phosphorylation at Ser211, however, was not affected by YAP inhibition, suggesting nuclear translocation of YAP is indirectly driven by GR. RNA-seq analysis confirmed the influence of GCs on Wnt signaling, and canonical Wnt signaling target genes were upregulated by GCs. These data implicate YAP and its downstream targets as putative mediators of a pro-fibrotic response to GCs. Therapeutic YAP inhibition may ultimately be clinically relevant and warrants further consideration.

OSTI ID:
23195584
Journal Information:
Experimental Cell Research, Vol. 405, Issue 2; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0014-4827
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English