Title: Acetate controls endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Xiaolong Zhu, Yunyun Wang, Ioana Soaita, Heon-Woo Lee, Hosung Bae, Nabil Boutagy, Anna Bostwick, Rong-Mo Zhang, Caitlyn Bowman, Yanying Xu, Sophie Trefely, Yu Chen, Lingfeng Qin, William Sessa, George Tellides, Cholsoon Jang, Nathaniel W. Snyder, Luyang Yu, Zoltan Arany, Michael Simons

Summary

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), a process initiated by activation of endothelial TGF-β signaling, underlies numerous chronic vascular diseases and fibrotic states. Once induced, EndMT leads to a further increase in TGF-β signaling, thus establishing a positive-feedback loop with EndMT leading to more EndMT. Although EndMT is understood at the cellular level, the molecular basis of TGF-β-driven EndMT induction and persistence remains largely unknown. Here, we show that metabolic modulation of the endothelium, triggered by atypical production of acetate from glucose, underlies TGF-β-driven EndMT. Induction of EndMT suppresses the expression of the enzyme PDK4, which leads to an increase in ACSS2-dependent Ac-CoA synthesis from pyruvate-derived acetate. This increased Ac-CoA production results in acetylation of the TGF-β receptor ALK5 and SMADs 2 and 4 leading to activation and long-term stabilization of TGF-β signaling. Our results establish the metabolic basis of EndMT persistence and unveil novel targets, such as ACSS2, for the potential treatment of chronic vascular diseases.

Link:  https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(23)00203-6