TAGLN-RhoA/ROCK2-SLC2A3-mediated Mechano-metabolic Axis Promotes Skin Fibrosis

Skin fibrotic diseases are characterized by abnormal fibroblast function and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. Our previous single-cell sequencing results identified an enriched fibroblast subcluster in skin fibrotic tissues that highly expresses the actin cross-linking cytoskeletal protein Transgelin (TAGLN), which bridges the mechanical environment of tissues and cellular metabolism. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of TAGLN in the pathogenesis of skin fibrosis. Transwell, wound healing, collagen gel contraction assay, immunofluorescence and RNA-seq analyses were used to validate and explore the potential mechanisms of the TAGLN-RhoA/ROCK2-SLC2A3-mediated mechano-metabolic axis in dermal fibrosis. The therapeutic efficacy of targeting TAGLN was validated using a bleomycin-induced mouse model of skin fibrosis. Functional assays revealed that downregulation of TAGLN inhibited motility and secretory function of fibroblasts, including invasion, migration, contraction, and collagen secretion. The glucose carrier SLC2A3 was identified as one of the downstream targets of TAGLN by RNA-sequencing analysis and further validation. We further demonstrated that TAGLN regulates the expression of SLC2A3 through the RhoA/ROCK2 pathway, a key pathway of mechanotransduction, thereby affecting glycolysis and motility of fibroblasts. This study reveals the existence of the TAGLN-RhoA/ROCK2-SLC2A3 mechano-metabolic axis in skin fibrotic diseases and provides a promising target for its clinical treatment.