Histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation controls central carbon metabolism and diet-induced obesity in mice

• Published in: Nature communications 2021-10, Vol.12 (1), p.6212-6212, Article 6212
• Main Authors: Pessoa Rodrigues, Cecilia, Chatterjee, Aindrila, Wiese, Meike, Stehle, Thomas, Szymanski, Witold, Shvedunova, Maria, Akhtar, Asifa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 13; 14; 14/19; 38; 38/39; 45; 45/15; 631/1647/2017; 631/208/176; 631/337/100/2285; 631/443/319/1642/393; 64; 64/110; Acetylation; Acetyltransferase; Adipocytes; Adipocytes - metabolism; Adipose tissue; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Amino acids; Amino Acids - metabolism; Animals; Carbohydrates; Carbon; Carbon - metabolism; Chromatin; Chronic conditions; Defects; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - genetics; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - metabolism; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Epigenetics; Gene Expression Regulation; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics; Glucose; Glucose - metabolism; Glucose tolerance; Glucose Transporter Type 4 - genetics; Glucose Transporter Type 4 - metabolism; Haploinsufficiency; Histone Acetyltransferases - genetics; Histone Acetyltransferases - metabolism; Histone H4; Histones - metabolism; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insulin; Insulin secretion; Lipid Metabolism; Lipids; Lysine; Lysine - metabolism; Metabolic disorders; Metabolism; Metabolomics; Mice; multidisciplinary; Obesity; Obesity - etiology; Obesity - genetics; Obesity - metabolism; Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors; PPAR gamma - genetics; PPAR gamma - metabolism; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); SIRT1 protein; Transcription
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26277-w

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for over 70% of deaths world-wide. Previous work has linked NCDs such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) to disruption of chromatin regulators. However, the exact molecular origins of these chronic conditions remain elusive. Here, we identify the H4 lysine 16 acetyltransferase MOF as a critical regulator of central carbon metabolism. High-throughput metabolomics unveil a systemic amino acid and carbohydrate imbalance in Mof deficient mice, manifesting in T2D predisposition. Oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) reveals defects in glucose assimilation and insulin secretion in these animals. Furthermore, Mof deficient mice are resistant to diet-induced fat gain due to defects in glucose uptake in adipose tissue. MOF-mediated H4K16ac deposition controls expression of the master regulator of glucose metabolism, Pparg and the entire downstream transcriptional network. Glucose uptake and lipid storage can be reconstituted in MOF-depleted adipocytes in vitro by ectopic Glut4 expression, PPARγ agonist thiazolidinedione (TZD) treatment or SIRT1 inhibition. Hence, chronic imbalance in H4K16ac promotes a destabilisation of metabolism triggering the development of a metabolic disorder, and its maintenance provides an unprecedented regulatory epigenetic mechanism controlling diet-induced obesity. Misregulation of chromatin has been linked to many conditions, including obesity, but the details remain unclear. Here the authors identify the H4 lysine 16 acetyltransferase MOF as a master regulator of glucose metabolism that is required for normal glucose uptake and fat storage.