LKB1 inhibition in alveolar epithelial cells induces fibroblast activation in pulmonary fibrosis [RNA-seq in 2D-cultured ATII]

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, irreversible, and lethal lung disease. The initiation of IPF involves microinjuries to and/or dysfunction of the alveolar epithelium, but factors that determine fibrosis progression or normal tissue repair are largely unknown. We previously demonstrated that autophagy inhibition-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human alveolar epithelial type II (ATII) cells augments local myofibroblast differentiation in pulmonary fibrosis by paracrine signalling. Here, we report that liver kinase B1 (LKB1) inactivation in ATII cells induces autophagy inhibition and EMT as a consequence. In IPF lungs, this is caused by a downregulation of CAB39L, a key subunit within the LKB1 complex. 3D co-cultures of ATII cells and lung fibroblast MRC5 coupled with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) confirmed that paracrine signalling between LKB1-depleted ATII cells and fibroblasts augmented myofibroblast differentiation. Together these data suggest that reduced autophagy caused by LKB1 inhibition can induce EMT in ATII cells and contribute to fibrosis via aberrant epithelial–fibroblast crosstalk. Overall design: Alveolar epithelial type II (ATII) cells were transfected with siRNA_LKB1 (STK11) or siRNA control for 72 hours.