WWP2 MEDIATES THE METABOLIC REPROGRAMMING OF RENAL MYOFIBROBLASTS TO PROMOTE KIDNEY FIBROSIS [scRNA-seq]

Renal fibrosis is a common pathological endpoint that is challenging to reverse in chronic kidney disease (CKD) independently of the underlying causes. Although myofibroblasts are mainly responsible for the accumulation of a fibrillar collagen-rich extracellular matrix (ECM), recent reports revealed their heterogeneity in proliferative and fibrotic activities, mirroring specific metabolic states that drive fibrosis. Here, we investigate the role of E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase WWP2 in the metabolic reprogramming of renal myofibroblasts in fibrosis. The tubulointerstitial expression of WWP2 contributes to the progression of fibrosis in CKD patients and in pre-clinical models of CKD. WWP2 deficiency leads to increased fatty acid oxidation, boosting mitochondrial respiration, promoting myofibroblast proliferation and arresting pro-fibrotic activation, thus ameliorating kidney fibrosis. Specifically, WWP2 suppresses the transcription of PGC-1a, which mediates the metabolic and proliferative changes in fibrotic myofibroblasts. Pharmacological intervention targeting PGC-1a reverses the pro-fibrotic effect of WWP2. These findings reveal a previously unappreciated WWP2-PGC-1a axis underlying the metabolic reprogramming of myofibroblasts during renal fibrosis, which could provide a new target for therapeutic intervention in CKD. Overall design: Kidneys from wwp2 knockout and wildtype mice were collected and processed according to 10X Genomics Chromium protocol for single-cell RNAseq.