LIM-domain protein CRP2 is upregulated in activated hepatic stellate cells by TGFβ1

Background/Aim: Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are prominent cellular effectors of liver fibrosis, which become activated during liver injury and transdifferentiate from quiescent, fat storing cells into a proliferative myofibroblast-like cell type (MFB) 1,2. This process is accompanied by modulations of gene expression. We examined the expression of the LIM-domain protein cysteine- and glycine-rich protein 2 (CRP2) during transdifferentiation, a protein which in smooth muscle cells is associated with the cell skeleton as well as located in the nucleus 3,4. Results: An increase of CRP2 was detectable by Western Bl…