Gene repression through epigenetic modulation by PPARA enhances hepatocellular proliferation

• Published in: iScience 2022-05, Vol.25 (5), p.104196-104196, Article 104196
• Main Authors: Aibara, Daisuke, Takahashi, Shogo, Yagai, Tomoki, Kim, Donghwan, Brocker, Chad N., Levi, Moshe, Matsusue, Kimihiko, Gonzalez, Frank J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Molecular biology; Molecular mechanism of gene regulation; Transcriptomics
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104196

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARA) is a key mediator of lipid metabolism and inflammation. Activation of PPARA in rodents causes hepatocyte proliferation, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. This study focused on genes repressed by PPARA and analyzed the mechanism by which PPARA promotes hepatocyte proliferation in mice. Activation of PPARA by agonist treatment was autoregulated, and induced expression of the epigenetic regulator UHRF1 via activation of the newly described PPARA target gene E2f8, which, in turn, regulates Uhrf1. UHRF1 strongly repressed the expression of CDH1 via methylation of the Cdh1 promoter marked with H3K9me3. Repression of CDH1 by PPARA activation was reversed by PPARA deficiency or knockdown of E2F8 or UHRF1. Furthermore, a forced expression of CDH1 inhibited expression of the Wnt signaling target genes such as Myc after PPARA activation, and suppressed hepatocyte hyperproliferation. These results demonstrate that the PPARA-E2F8-UHRF1-CDH1 axis causes epigenetic regulation of hepatocyte proliferation. [Display omitted] •PPARA activation induces the UHRF1 expression via novel PPARA target gene E2f8•Induction of UHRF1 by PPARA activation represses Cdh1 gene marked with H3K9me3•CDH1 suppresses hepatocyte proliferation after PPARA activation•Autoinduction of PPARA by agonist enhances cell proliferation via E2F8-UHRF1-CDH1 Molecular biology; Molecular mechanism of gene regulation; Transcriptomics