Sirtuin 2 Prevents Liver Steatosis and Metabolic Disorders by Deacetylation of Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2), an NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase, is involved in various cellular processes regulating metabolic homeostasis and inflammatory responses; however, its role in hepatic steatosis and related metabolic disorders is unknown. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Integrating the published genomic data on NAFLD samples from humans and rodents available in the Gene Expression Omnibus, we found that SIRT2 was significantly down-regulated in livers from patients with advanced NAFLD and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD mice. This study further revealed that SIRT2 was markedly decreased in obese (ob/ob) mice and in palmitate-treated HepG2 cells. Restoration of hepatic SIRT2 expression in ob/ob or HFD-fed mice largely alleviated insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and systematic inflammation, whereas SIRT2 liver-specific ablation exacerbated these metabolic dysfunctions in HFD-fed C57BL/6J mice. Mechanistically, SIRT2 stabilized the hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4 alpha) protein by binding to and deacetylating HNF4 alpha on lysine 458. Furthermore, HNF4 alpha was sufficient to mediate SIRT2 function, and SIRT2-HNF4 alpha interaction was required for SIRT2 function both in vivo and in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, the present study provided evidence that SIRT2 functions as a crucial negative regulator in NAFLD and related metabolic disorders and that targeting the SIRT2-HNF4 alpha pathway may be a promising strategy for NAFLD treatment.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that SIRT2 functions as a crucial negative regulator in NAFLD and related metabolic disorders by targeting the HNF4 alpha pathway. Restoring hepatic SIRT2 expression can alleviate metabolic dysfunctions associated with NAFLD.