3.2. Keap1 deletion-mediated Smad7 elevation is responsible for TGF-β signaling suppression in MES-13 cells To elucidate the underlying molecular events in Nrf2-mediated TGFβ suppression, we determined the levels of molecules associated with the canonical pathway of TGF-β signaling. First, among two types of TGF-β receptors, the protein levels of TβRI were substantially diminished in shKeap1 cells as compared to the control cells (Fig. 2A). There was no noticeable difference in TβRI mRNA levels between shKeap1 cells and the control cells (Supplementary Fig. S4). Moreover, repressed TβRI levels in shKeap1 cells were partially restored by proteasome inhibitor treatment (Supplementary Fig. S4), which suggests that TβRI reduction was done at the post-translational stage. Second, among the measured Smad protein levels, it was notable that Smad7 levels were significantly high in shKeap1 cells (Fig. 2B). However, mRNA levels for Smad7 were not changed by Keap1 knockdown (Fig. 2C). The Nrf2- dependent Smad7 elevation was confirmed by the Nrf2 silencing: the transfection of shKeap1 cells with Nrf2 siRNA abolished Smad7 elevation (Fig. 2D). These findings suggested that Smad7 elevation could be responsible for the suppression of TGF-β signaling in Keap1 knockdown MES-13 cells. Indeed, when shKeap1 cells were transfected with siSmad7 (Supplementary Fig. S6), the expression of TβRI (which was diminished in shKeap1) was restored to the level of the control cells (Fig. 2E). Moreover, the levels of p-Smad2/p-Smad3 and fibrotic markers (fibronectin and α-Sma) were increased by si-Smad7 transfection (Fig. 2F). These results support the idea that activated Nrf2 is a positive regulator of Smad7, and increased Smad7 inhibits TGF-β-induced fibrosis signaling by repressing TβRI level.