FABP4/aP2 regulates macrophage redox signaling and inflammasome activation via control of UCP2

Kaylee A. Steen, Hongliang Xu, David A. Bernlohr

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

76 Scopus citations

Abstract

Obesity-linked metabolic disease is mechanistically associated with the accumulation of proinflammatory macrophages in adipose tissue, leading to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and chronic low-grade inflammation. Previous work has demonstrated that deletion of the adipocyte fatty acidbinding protein (FABP4/aP2) uncouples obesity from inflammation via upregulation of the uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2). Here, we demonstrate that ablation of FABP4/ aP2 regulates systemic redox capacity and reduces cellular protein sulfhydryl oxidation and, in particular, oxidation of mitochondrial protein cysteine residues. Coincident with the loss of FABP4/aP2 is the upregulation of the antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD2), catalase, methionine sulfoxide reductase A, and the 20S proteasome subunits PSMB5 and αβ. Reduced mitochondrial protein oxidation in FABP4/ aP2-/- macrophages attenuates the mitochondrial unfolded-protein response (mtUPR) as measured by expression of heat shock protein 60, Clp protease, and Lon peptidase 1. Consistent with a diminished mtUPR, FABP4/aP2-/- macrophages exhibit reduced expression of cleaved caspase-1 and NLRP3. Secretion of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), in response to inflammasome activation, is ablated in FABP4/aP2-/- macrophages, as well as in FABP4/aP2 inhibitor-treated cells, but partially rescued in FABP4/aP2-null macrophages when UCP2 is silenced. Collectively, these data offer a novel pathway whereby FABP4/aP2 regulates macrophage redox signaling and inflammasome activation via control of UCP2 expression.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere00282-16
JournalMolecular and cellular biology
Volume37
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Keywords

  • FABP
  • Inflammasome
  • Inflammation
  • Mitochondrial metabolism
  • Obesity
  • UCP2

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