NCoR repression of LXRs restricts macrophage biosynthesis of insulin-sensitizing omega 3 fatty acids.

ABSTRACT: Macrophage-mediated inflammation is a major contributor to obesity-associated insulin resistance. The corepressor NCoR interacts with inflammatory pathway genes in macrophages, suggesting that its removal would result in increased activity of inflammatory responses. Surprisingly, we find that macrophage-specific deletion of NCoR instead results in an anti-inflammatory phenotype along with robust systemic insulin sensitization in obese mice. We present evidence that derepression of LXRs contributes to this paradoxical anti-inflammatory phenotype by causing increased expression of genes that direct biosynthesis of palmitoleic acid and ?3 fatty acids. Remarkably, the increased ?3 fatty acid levels primarily inhibit NF-?B-dependent inflammatory responses by uncoupling NF-?B binding and enhancer/promoter histone acetylation from subsequent steps required for proinflammatory gene activation. This provides a mechanism for the in vivo anti-inflammatory insulin-sensitive phenotype observed in mice with macrophage-specific deletion of NCoR. Therapeutic methods to harness this mechanism could lead to a new approach to insulin-sensitizing therapies.

SUBMITTER: Li P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4131699 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature