Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Induction and Analysis of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition
10:37

Induction and Analysis of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition

Published on: August 27, 2013

36.5K

NSUN2 Exacerbates Renal Fibrosis by Inducing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Through Mediating m5C Modification of

Chongxiang Xiong1, Ruiyi Gan1, Shangrui Li1

  • 1Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dongguan Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.

FASEB Journal : Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
|January 30, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The RNA modification NSUN2 (5-methylcytosine methyltransferase) promotes kidney fibrosis by stabilizing BRD4 mRNA. Upregulated BRD4 then enhances PDPK1 expression, driving epithelial-mesenchymal transition and fibrosis.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Renal Pathophysiology
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • 5-methylcytosine (m5C) is a key RNA modification involved in diverse biological functions.
  • Renal fibrosis is a significant contributor to kidney disease progression.
  • The role of m5C methyltransferase NSUN2 in renal fibrosis remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which NSUN2 regulates renal fibrotic progression.
  • To elucidate the role of NSUN2-mediated m5C modification in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Main Methods:

  • Sirius red staining for collagen deposition.
  • MeRIP and RIP assays for m5C methylation and RNA-protein interactions.
  • Dual-luciferase assay, ChIP, RT-qPCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry for molecular mechanism validation.
  • Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction (UUO) rat model for in vivo fibrosis assessment.

Main Results:

  • NSUN2 expression was elevated in fibrotic renal tissues and cells.
  • NSUN2 knockdown ameliorated renal fibrosis in UUO rats and inhibited TGF-β1-induced EMT in HK-2 cells.
  • NSUN2 stabilized BRD4 mRNA via m5C modification and ALYREF interaction, increasing BRD4 expression.
  • BRD4 enhanced H3K27ac enrichment at the PDPK1 promoter, boosting PDPK1 expression and activating the AKT1/GSK-3β pathway, thereby inducing EMT.

Conclusions:

  • NSUN2 promotes renal fibrosis by stabilizing BRD4 mRNA in an m5C-ALYREF-dependent manner.
  • Upregulated BRD4 drives renal fibrosis through H3K27ac-mediated PDPK1 induction and subsequent activation of the AKT1/GSK-3β signaling pathway, ultimately promoting EMT.
Keywords:
BRD4NSUN2epithelial‐mesenchymal transitionm5C modificationrenal fibrosis

More Related Videos

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells06:54

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells

Published on: October 27, 2020

14.4K
Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells11:42

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells

Published on: April 7, 2017

9.9K

Related Concept Videos

Phase Transitions02:31

Phase Transitions

Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
23.1K
Spreading of Chromatin Modifications02:25

Spreading of Chromatin Modifications

The histone proteins in the nucleosomes are post-translationally modified (PTM) to increase or decrease access to DNA. The commonly observed PTMs are methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination of lysine amino acids in the histone H3 tail region. These histone modifications have specific meaning for the cell. Hence, they are called "histone code". The protein complex involved in histone modification is termed as "reader-writer" complex.
Writers
The writer...
9.5K
Histone Modification02:32

Histone Modification

The histone proteins have a flexible N-terminal tail extending out from the nucleosome. These histone tails are often subjected to post-translational modifications such as acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Particular combinations of these modifications form “histone codes” that influence the chromatin folding and tissue-specific gene expression.
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
16.1K
Properties of Transition Metals02:58

Properties of Transition Metals

Transition metals are defined as those elements that have partially filled d orbitals. As shown in Figure 1, the d-block elements in groups 3–12 are transition elements. The f-block elements, also called inner transition metals (the lanthanides and actinides), also meet this criterion because the d orbital is partially occupied before the f orbitals.
29.8K
Cooperative Allosteric Transitions01:58

Cooperative Allosteric Transitions

Cooperative allosteric transitions can occur in multimeric proteins, where each subunit of the protein has its own ligand-binding site. When a ligand binds to any of these subunits, it triggers a conformational change that affects the binding sites in the other subunits; this can change the affinity of the other sites for their respective ligands. The ability of the protein to change the shape of its binding site is attributed to the presence of a mix of flexible and stable segments in the...
8.7K
Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation02:39

Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation

The physical form of a substance changes on changing its temperature. For example, raising the temperature of a liquid causes the liquid to vaporize (convert into vapor). The process is called vaporization—a surface phenomenon. Vaporization occurs when the thermal motion of the molecules overcome the intermolecular forces, and the molecules (at the surface) escape into the gaseous state. When a liquid vaporizes in a closed container, gas molecules cannot escape. As these gas phase molecules...
21.2K