Abstract

Fibroblasts are critical for wound contraction; a pivotal step in wound healing. They produce and modify the extracellular matrix (ECM) required for the proper tissue remodeling. Reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs (RECK) is a key regulator of ECM homeostasis and turnover. However, its role in wound contraction is presently unknown. Here we describe that Transforming growth factor type beta1 (TGF-beta1), one of the main pro-fibrotic wound-healing promoting factors, decreases RECK expression in fibroblasts through the Smad and JNK dependent pathways. This TGF-beta1 dependent downregulation of RECK occurs with the concomitant increase of beta1-integrin, which is required for fibroblasts adhesion and wound contraction through the activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Loss and gain RECK expression experiments performed in different types of fibroblasts indicate that RECK downregulation mediates TGF-beta1 dependent beta1-integrin expression. Also, reduced levels of RECK potentiate TGF-beta1 effects over fibroblasts FAK-dependent contraction, without affecting its cognate signaling. The above results were confirmed on fibroblasts derived from the Reck+/- mice compared to wild type-derived fibroblasts. We observed that Reck+/- mice heal dermal wounds more efficiently than wild type mice. Our results reveal a critical role for RECK in skin wound contraction as a key mediator in the axis: TGF-beta1-RECK-beta1-integrin.