Fig. 1

miRNA-132 feed-forward loop. Various factors such as IL-6 and dietary factors, including alcohol, reduce the expression of miRNA-132 and thus lead to increases in its target mRNA meCP2, and meCP2 interacts with the methylase Ezh2 that methylates lysine27 on H3 and interacts with PRC1; this all leads to repression of the master regulator PPARγ and myofibroblast activation and extracellular matrix expression. Blockade of Ezh2 with DZnep may be beneficial in fibrosis through blocking histone methylation. Ezh2 enhancer of Zeste homologue 2, IL interleukin, MeCP2 methyl cap-binding protein 2, miRNA microRNA, PPARγ peroxisome proliferator activator receptor-gamma, PRC1 polycomb recessive complex 1, TGF-β transforming growth factor-beta