Efficient knockdown was further verified by immunofluorescence staining, which showed that fewer α-SMA+/ZEB1+ cells were detected in the shZeb1 mice than in the shC mice (Supplementary Fig. 8).The mice were then subjected to the UUO procedure to induce renal fibrosis (Fig. 4E). This evidence concerns the gene ACTA1 and renal fibrosis.