Biology subjects

Whitlow, T.

Publications and source records attributed to Whitlow, T..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

A tonic PDGFA-dependent niche organizer maintains alveolar homeostasis

Tissue homeostasis requires mechanisms that preserve quiescence while allowing rapid activation after injury, but how tissues actively restrain injury responses during homeostasis remains poorly understood. Here we identify alveolar type 1 (AT1) cells as organizers of the distal lung niche through tonic expression of PDGFA, which maintains alveolar fibroblast identity and restrains myofibroblast activation. Cell type-specific ablation revealed that loss of AT1s, but not other major alveolar cell populations, was sufficient to evoke spontaneous fibroblast activation and tissue-wide responses that recapitulate injury. In silico ligand-receptor analysis, ex vivo screening, and conditional genetic models identified AT1-derived PDGFA as a key homeostatic signal. Loss of AT1-derived PDGFA caused spontaneous myofibroblast induction and tissue remodeling, whereas increasing PDGFA promoted fibroblast proliferation while suppressing myofibroblast differentiation. Integrated phosphoproteomic, transcriptomic, and chromatin accessibility analyses showed that PDGFA engages SHP2-ERK signaling, suppresses MRTFA-associated SRF programs, and promotes E2F-associated cell-cycle programs, thereby opposing the pro-fibrotic effects of TGF{beta}-driven fibroblast activation. Restoring PDGFA signaling abrogates myofibroblast features from human idiopathic pulmonary fibrotic lungs and attenuated fibrotic remodeling in vivo. These findings define a tonic AT1-derived PDGFA signal that maintains alveolar homeostasis and offers a therapeutic target to prevent or revert lung fibrosis.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2026

TP53-mediated bidirectional lineage plasticity drives alveolar epithelial cell extrusion and tissue remodeling

Cell extrusion contributes to epithelial homeostasis, but its dysregulation can lead to tumorigenesis or degeneration. A fine balance in this process is therefore essential for tissue integrity. Yet the cell types and states vulnerable to extrusion, and the mechanisms that drive it, remain elusive. Here, using spatial maps of cell states in human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) we find that aberrant TP53 activation in alveolar epithelial cells drives cell extrusion. Genetic modulation of TP53 specifically in alveolar epithelial type 1 cells (AT1) was sufficient to induce plasticity and subsequent extrusion as demonstrated by lineage tracing and live imaging. Strikingly, single cell and bulk transcriptome profiling revealed aberrant TP53 drives AT1 cells to acquire a transitional state mirroring AT2-derived regeneration associated intermediate states. Critically, loss of AT1 derived transitional state triggers a compensatory AT2-derived regenerative response, establishing a bidirectional transitional state that activates myofibroblasts and remodels the alveolus. Together, our study implicates AT1 plasticity and their reversion as an unrecognized driver of epithelial cell loss and establishes bidirectional transitional state as a central mechanism underlying progression of fibrotic remodeling.

Cell Biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Region-specific molecular regulatory programs define epithelial identity, progenitor states, and mucus homeostasis in human distal airways

Small distal airways differ from proximal large airways in structure, airflow dynamics, and epithelial composition, and represent a central site of muco-obstructive lung disease pathogenesis. However, due in part to their inaccessibility, the molecular mechanisms that establish regional epithelial identity and govern mucociliary defense in distal airway epithelia remain poorly defined. Here, we integrate transcriptomic, secretomic, and chromatin accessibility analyses of matched primary human large and small airway epithelial cultures to define region-specific regulatory networks. We identify distal airway-specific transcriptional and chromatin programs required for maintaining epithelial identity and mucus homeostasis. Loss of NKX2-1 impairs distal airway secretory cell (DASC) differentiation and shifts mucus properties toward a disease-associated state. Lineage-resolved organoid assays identify an NKX2-1-high distal airway basal cell population with hybrid basal-secretory features as a selective progenitor for DASCs. Collectively, these findings establish a molecular framework for distal airway epithelial biology and define mechanisms regulating region-specific mucociliary host defense.

Cell Biology↗