A research team at Binzhou Medical University (BMU) published their findings in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), a leading journal in the field of nephrology. Their research paper, titled Lipolysis-Stimulated Lipoprotein Receptor in Proximal Tubule, BMP-SMAD Signaling, and Kidney Disease, presents the first evidence of the role of the tight junction transmembrane protein LSR in kidney injury. This discovery offered novel therapeutic targets for both acute and chronic kidney damage.
LSR, a type-I protein with a single transmembrane domain, is a crucial structural component of tricellular tight junctions. The research team discovered that LSR is also localized within the nucleus of renal tubular epithelial cells, achieving nuclear localization by binding to cytoplasmic proteins to protect their hydrophobic transmembrane domain. Through their studies, the team demonstrated LSR's nuclear localization in renal epithelial cells and, for the first time, clarified its regulatory role in the BMP-SMAD signaling pathway. This research challenges the conventional understanding of tight junction proteins and highlights the crucial therapeutic potential of LSR as a target for treating acute and chronic kidney disease.
Associate Professor Jiang Min from the Department of Pharmacology and graduate students Wang Xiangdong (Grade 2019) and Chen Zhenni (Grade 2021) at the School of Basic Medical Sciences are the co-first authors of the paper, and Professor Zhao Shengtian, a Taishan Scholar distinguished expert, and Professor Gong Yongfeng are the corresponding authors. The research was supported by several grants, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (under a comprehensive project), the Shandong Taishan Scholar Distinguished Expert Program, the Shandong Natural Science Foundation (under a major basic research project), and the BMU Scientific Research Startup Fund.
The paper was published online on May 29, 2024, and officially printed on August 1.
Link to the paper:
BY: Zhang Hanhan
SOURCE: School of Basic Medical Sciences
