PLX226745

GSE137555: Histone demethylase JMJD3 is a key epigenetic activator of FGF21 signaling-induced hepatic autophagy and lipid degradation

• Organsim mouse
• Type RNASEQ
• Target gene
• Project ARCHS4

Autophagy is essential for cellular survival and energy homeostasis under nutrient deprivation. Despite the emerging importance of nuclear events in autophagy regulation, epigenetic control of autophagy gene transcription remains unclear. Here, we identify Jumonji-D3 (JMJD3/KDM6B) histone demethylase as a key epigenetic activator of hepatic autophagy. Upon fasting-induced fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) signaling, JMJD3 epigenetically upregulated global autophagy-network genes, including Tfeb, Atg7, Atgl, and Fgf21, through demethylation of histone H3K27-me3, resulting in autophagy-mediated lipid degradation. Mechanistically, phosphorylation of JMJD3 at Thr-1044 by FGF21 signal-activated PKA increased its nuclear localization and interaction with the nuclear receptor PPARa to transcriptionally activate autophagy. Chronic administration of FGF21 in obese mice improved defective autophagy and hepatosteatosis in a JMJD3-dependent manner. Remarkably, in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients, hepatic expression of JMJD3, ATG7, LC3, and bKL were substantially decreased. These findings demonstrate that FGF21-JMJD3 signaling epigenetically links nutrient deprivation with hepatic autophagy and lipid degradation in mammals. SOURCE: Young-Chae Kim (ychaekim@illinois.edu) - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign