NUCLEAR RECEPTOR NR5A2 IS INVOLVED CALRETICULIN GENE REGULATION DURING RENAL FIBROSIS

•During the development of renal fibrosis, calreticulin has been identified as a critical molecule in the UUO model.•NR5A2 can induce the CRT promoter activity and is recruited in vivo on the mouse CRT promoter from early stages of the UUO.•NR5A2 is up-regulated at both mRNA and protein level during the development of renal fibrosis.•NR5A2's expression is confined to the tubular compartment of the kidneys.•NR5A2 undergoes SUMOylation and Lys224 is critically involved in the regulation of the calreticulin promoter activity.•SUMOylation is up-regulated in the tubular compartment of the kidneys.•Ubc9, the critical enzyme for SUMOylation is up-regulated at both mRNA and protein level.•These data raise the possibility to use NR5A2 as a specific target for therapeutic interventions in renal fibrosis.