Go to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • By specialty
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Immunology
    • Metabolism
    • Nephrology
    • Oncology
    • Pulmonology
    • All ...
  • Videos
  • Collections
    • In-Press Preview
    • Resource and Technical Advances
    • Clinical Research and Public Health
    • Research Letters
    • Editorials
    • Perspectives
    • Physician-Scientist Development
    • Reviews
    • Top read articles

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Specialties
  • In-Press Preview
  • Resource and Technical Advances
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Research Letters
  • Editorials
  • Perspectives
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Reviews
  • Top read articles
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
Top
  • View PDF
  • Download citation information
  • Send a comment
  • Terms of use
  • Standard abbreviations
  • Need help? Email the journal
  • Top
  • Abstract
  • Supplemental material
  • Version history
  • Article usage
  • Citations to this article (0)
Advertisement

ResearchIn-Press PreviewMetabolismNephrology Open Access | 10.1172/jci.insight.191458

PRDM16 acts as a therapeutic downstream target of TGF-β signaling in chronic kidney disease

Qian Yuan,1 Ben Tang,1 Yuting Zhu,1 Chao Wan,2 Yaru Xie,1 Yajuan Xie,1 Cheng Wan,1 Hua Su,1 Youhua Liu,3 and Chun Zhang4

1Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

2Cancer Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

3Division of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Find articles by Yuan, Q. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

2Cancer Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

3Division of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Find articles by Tang, B. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

2Cancer Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

3Division of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Find articles by Zhu, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

2Cancer Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

3Division of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Find articles by Wan, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar |

1Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

2Cancer Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

3Division of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Find articles by Xie, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

2Cancer Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

3Division of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Find articles by Xie, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

2Cancer Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

3Division of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Find articles by Wan, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

2Cancer Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

3Division of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Find articles by Su, H. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

2Cancer Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

3Division of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Find articles by Liu, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar |

1Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

2Cancer Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

3Division of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital,Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Find articles by Zhang, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar |

Published August 4, 2025 - More info

JCI Insight. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.191458.
Copyright © 2025, Yuan et al. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Published August 4, 2025 - Version history
View PDF
Abstract

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling is the master modulator of renal fibrosis. However, targeting drugs have failed to prevent the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in clinical trials due to the extensive biological regulation of TGF-β signaling. It is necessary to investigate the precise downstream mechanisms of TGF-β signaling that regulate renal fibrosis. In this study, we found that PR-domain containing 16 (PRDM16) expression in human renal tubular epithelial cells was markedly reduced by TGF-β. Mechanistically, activated Smad3 induced by TGF-β interacted with the cofactor H-Ras and bound to the promoter of PRDM16, downregulating its transcription. Tubular-specific knockout of PRDM16 promoted renal fibrosis in models of unilateral ureteral occlusion (UUO) and unilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury (UIRI) by exacerbating mitochondrial dysfunction. In vitro, PRDM16 blocked TGF-β-induced mitochondrial injury and lipid deposition by upregulating Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator-1α (PGC-1α). Delivery of the exogenous PRDM16 gene preserved renal function and ameliorated the progression of renal fibrosis by protecting mitochondrial function. We report PRDM16 as a novel downstream target of TGF-β signaling that attenuates renal fibrosis by safeguarding tubular mitochondrial function.

Graphical Abstract
graphical abstract
Supplemental material

View Unedited blot and gel images

View

View supplementary figures and tables

Version history
  • Version 1 (August 4, 2025): In-Press Preview

Article tools

  • View PDF
  • Download citation information
  • Send a comment
  • Terms of use
  • Standard abbreviations
  • Need help? Email the journal

Metrics

  • Article usage
  • Citations to this article (0)

Go to

  • Top
  • Abstract
  • Supplemental material
  • Version history
Advertisement
Advertisement

Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN 2379-3708

Sign up for email alerts