Both in vivo and in vitro studies implied that hypoxic conditions induced the biosynthesis of Egr‐1 via the PKC/ERK pathway and that Egr‐1 further promoted the renal fibrosis partially through the activation of Snail, which regulated EMT programme by repression of E‐cadherin, mucin‐1, claudins and occludins. The gene discussed is EGR1; the disease is renal fibrosis.