Macrophage-epithelial crosstalk regulates cell cycle progression and is essential for the maintenance of a healthy epithelial phenotype. In the present work, the authors show that macrophage-secreted lipocalin-2 is crucial in rescuing epithelial cells from cell cycle arrest and in promoting epithelial proliferation through inhibition of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ. Lipocalin-2 maintains the epithelial cytoskeleton structure via megalin and downstream activation of thePI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
- Michaela Jung
- Bernhard Brüne
- Anna Sola
