Reddy, Narsa M. Vegiraju, Suryanaraya Irving, Ashley Paun, Bogdan C. Luzina, Irina G. Atamas, Sergei P. Biswal, Shyam Ana, Navas-Acien Mitzner, Wayne Reddy, Sekhar P. Targeted Deletion of Jun/AP-1 in Alveolar Epithelial Cells Causes Progressive Emphysema and Worsens Cigarette Smoke-Induced Lung Inflammation The c-Jun/AP-1 transcriptional factor is known to regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammatory responses; however its role in lung pathogenesis is largely unknown. Here we report that the declined expression levels of c-Jun mRNA and protein in the lung tissues of advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, and that genetic deletion of c-Jun specifically in alveolar epithelial cells causes progressive emphysema with lung inflammation and alveolar air space enlargement, which are cardinal features of emphysema. Although mice lacking c-Jun specifically in lung alveolar epithelial cells appear normal at 6 weeks of age, when exposed to chronic cigarette smoke, c-Jun mutant mice display more lung inflammation with perivascular and peribronchiolar infiltrates. These results demonstrate that the c-Jun/AP-1 pathway is critical for maintaining lung alveolar cell homeostasis and that loss of its expression can contribute to lung inflammation and progressive emphysema. untagged 2012-08-21
    https://indigo.uic.edu/articles/journal_contribution/Targeted_Deletion_of_Jun_AP-1_in_Alveolar_Epithelial_Cells_Causes_Progressive_Emphysema_and_Worsens_Cigarette_Smoke-Induced_Lung_Inflammation/10760009