Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells induce BMP6 expression in response to non–transferrin-bound iron

• Published in: Blood 2023-01, Vol.141 (3), p.271-284
• Main Authors: Charlebois, Edouard, Fillebeen, Carine, Presley, John, Cagnone, Gael, Lisi, Véronique, Lavallée, Vincent-Philippe, Joyal, Jean-Sébastien, Pantopoulos, Kostas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6 - genetics; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6 - metabolism; Endothelial Cells - metabolism; Hepatocytes - metabolism; Hepcidins - genetics; Hepcidins - metabolism; Iron - metabolism; Iron Overload - genetics; Iron Overload - metabolism; Liver - metabolism; Mice; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Transferrin - metabolism
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022016987

•NTBI uptake by LSECs is the major signal for Bmp6 induction during iron overload, and Tfr1 contributes mostly under low iron conditions.•Bmp6 induction in the presence of NTBI is associated with extensive genetic reprogramming of LSECs that involves Nrf2 and Myc pathways. [Display omitted] Homeostatic adaptation to systemic iron overload involves transcriptional induction of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs). BMP6 is then secreted to activate signaling of the iron hormone hepcidin (HAMP) in neighboring hepatocytes. To explore the mechanism of iron sensing by LSECs, we generated TfrcTek-Cre mice with endothelial cell–specific ablation of transferrin receptor 1 (Tfr1). We also used control Tfrcfl/fl mice to characterize the LSEC-specific molecular responses to iron using single-cell transcriptomics. TfrcTek-Cre animals tended to have modestly increased liver iron content (LIC) compared with Tfrcfl/fl controls but expressed physiological Bmp6 and Hamp messenger RNA (mRNA). Despite a transient inability to upregulate Bmp6, they eventually respond to iron challenges with Bmp6 and Hamp induction, yet occasionally to levels slightly lower relative to LIC. High dietary iron intake triggered the accumulation of serum nontransferrin bound iron (NTBI), which significantly correlated with liver Bmp6 and Hamp mRNA levels and elicited more profound alterations in the LSEC transcriptome than holo-transferrin injection. This culminated in the robust induction of Bmp6 and other nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) target genes, as well as Myc target genes involved in ribosomal biogenesis and protein synthesis. LSECs and midzonal hepatocytes were the most responsive liver cells to iron challenges and exhibited the highest expression of Bmp6 and Hamp mRNAs, respectively. Our data suggest that during systemic iron overload, LSECs internalize NTBI, which promotes oxidative stress and thereby transcriptionally induces Bmp6 via Nrf2. Tfr1 appears to contribute to iron sensing by LSECs, mostly under low iron conditions. Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells are the site for iron sensing for the body. Charlebois and colleagues identify that non–transferrin-bound iron, rather than transferrin-bound iron, is the primary driver of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) expression in these cells during iron overload. This in turn prompts the liver to produce hepcidin, the chief iron-regulatory hormone that regulates body-iron ba