Project description:Remodeling of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is a metabolic adaptation mechanism accompanying inflammatory macrophage activation. During this process, endogenous metabolites can adopt regulatory roles that govern specific aspects of inflammatory response, as recently shown for succinate, which regulates the downstream pro-inflammatory IL-1β-HIF1a axis. Itaconate is one of the most highly induced metabolites in activated macrophages, yet its functional significance remains unknown. Here, we show that itaconate modulates macrophage metabolism and effector functions via its effect on succinate dehydrogenase, by inhibiting conversion of succinate to fumarate. Through this action, itaconate exerts anti-inflammatory effects when administered in vitro and in vivo during macrophage activation and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Using newly generated Irg1-/- mice, which lack the ability to produce itaconate, we show that endogenous itaconate regulates succinate levels and function, changes in mitochondrial respiration, and inflammatory cytokine production during macrophage activation. These studies highlight itaconate as a major physiological regulator of the global metabolic rewiring and effector functions of inflammatory macrophages. Experiment 1: mature WT BMDM were treated for 12h with 0.25 mM dimethyl itaconate (DI) or vehicle (Unst) and then stimulated with LPS (E. coli 0111:B4; 100 ng/ml, 4h) (DI+LPS; LPS); Experiment 2: mature Irg1-/- BMDM were stimulated with LPS (E. coli 0111:B4; 100 ng/ml) and murine recombinant IFNg (50 ng/ml) for 24h.
Project description:Remodeling of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is a metabolic adaptation mechanism accompanying inflammatory macrophage activation. During this process, endogenous metabolites can adopt regulatory roles that govern specific aspects of inflammatory response, as recently shown for succinate, which regulates the downstream pro-inflammatory IL-1β-HIF1a axis. Itaconate is one of the most highly induced metabolites in activated macrophages, yet its functional significance remains unknown. Here, we show that itaconate modulates macrophage metabolism and effector functions via its effect on succinate dehydrogenase, by inhibiting conversion of succinate to fumarate. Through this action, itaconate exerts anti-inflammatory effects when administered in vitro and in vivo during macrophage activation and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Using newly generated Irg1-/- mice, which lack the ability to produce itaconate, we show that endogenous itaconate regulates succinate levels and function, changes in mitochondrial respiration, and inflammatory cytokine production during macrophage activation. These studies highlight itaconate as a major physiological regulator of the global metabolic rewiring and effector functions of inflammatory macrophages.
Project description:Itaconate is an immunoregulatory metabolite produced by the mitochondrial enzyme immune-responsive gene 1 (IRG1) in inflammatory macrophages. We recently identified an important mechanism by which itaconate is released from inflammatory macrophages. However, it remains unknown whether extracellular itaconate is taken up by non-myeloid cells to exert immunoregulatory functions. Here, we used a custom-designed CRISPR screen to identify the dicarboxylate transporter solute carrier family 13 member 3 (SLC13A3) as an itaconate importer and to characterize the role of SLC13A3 in itaconate-improved hepatic antibacterial innate immunity. Functionally, liver-specific deletion of Slc13a3 impairs hepatic antibacterial innate immunity in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, itaconate uptake via SLC13A3 induces transcription factor EB (TFEB)-dependent lysosomal biogenesis and subsequently improves antibacterial innate immunity in murine hepatocytes. These findings identify SLC13A3 as a key itaconate importer in murine hepatocytes and will aid in the development of potent itaconate-based antibacterial therapeutics.
Project description:4 octyl itaconate (4-OI) is a known anti-inflammatory chemical that activates Nrf2 signaling. Here, we are exploring the capacities of 4-OI to promote the spread of oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSVd51M) in pLenti control kidney adenocarcinoma 786-O cell line and in Nrf2 knock out 786-O.
Project description:A wide variety of electrophilic derivatives of the Kreb’s cycle-derived metabolite, itaconate, are immunomodulatory, yet these derivatives have overlapping and sometimes contradictory activities. Therefore, we generated a genetic system to interrogate the immunomodulatory functions of endogenously produced itaconate in human macrophages. Endogenous itaconate is driven by multiple innate signals restraining inflammatory cytokine production. Endogenous itaconate directly targets cysteine 13 in IRAK4 disrupting IRAK4 autophosphorylation and activation, drives the degradation of NFκB, and modulates global ubiquitination patterns. As a result, cells unable to make itaconate overproduce inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα, IL6, and IL-1β in response to these innate activators. In contrast, the production of IFNβ, downstream of LPS, requires the production of itaconate. These data demonstrate that itaconate is a critical arbiter of inflammatory cytokine production downstream of multiple innate signaling pathways laying the groundwork for the development of itaconate mimetics for the treatment of autoimmunity.
Project description:Interplay between metabolic state of the cell and its ability to undergo immunological activation has been recently recognized as a treasure chest of novel fundamental regulatory principles. Itaconate, and its membrane permeable derivative dimethyl itaconate (DI) were recently shown to selectively inhibit subset of cytokines during macrophage activation (e.g. Il1b, il6, Il12b but not TNF), yet the precise mechanism of this effect remained unclear. We find that selectivity of DI action stems from the inhibitory effects of electrophilic stress exerted by DI on IkB-zeta protein translation, leading to selective control of the secondary wave of Nfkb-signaling. Mechanistically, DI leads to glutathione depletion and subsequent activation of both Nrf2-dependent and Nrf2-independent stress responses. We find that IkB-zeta regulation is carried out in Nrf2-independent manner, and identify Atf3 as a key mediator of DI effects on IkB-zeta/IL6. This inhibitory effect is conserved across species and cell types, as evident from inhibition of IkB-zeta production in activating human monocytes and IL-17A stimulated keratinocytes of both human and mice. Finally, DI administration in vivo ameliorated IL17/IkB-zeta-driven skin pathology in the mouse model of psoriasis, highlighting therapeutic potential of this regulatory pathway.
Project description:Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) triggers tumor ferroptosis. However, most patients are unresponsive to ICB. Tumors might evade ferroptosis in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we discovered SLC13A3 is an itaconate transporter in tumor cells and endows tumor ferroptosis resistance, diminishing tumor immunity and ICB efficacy. Mechanistically, tumor cells uptake itaconate via SLC13A3 from tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), thereby activating the NRF2-SLC7A11 pathway and escaping from immune-mediated ferroptosis. Structural modeling and molecular docking analysis identified a functional inhibitor for SLC13A3 (SLC13A3i). Deletion of ACOD1 (an essential enzyme for itaconate synthesis) in macrophages, genetic ablation of SLC13A3 in tumors, or treatment with SLC13A3i sensitized tumors to ferroptosis, curbed tumor progression, and bolstered ICB effectiveness. Thus, we identify the interplay between tumors and TAMs via the SLC13A3-itaconate-NRF2-SLC7A11 axis as a previously unknown immune ferroptosis resistant mechanism in the TME and SLC13A3 as a promising immunometabolic target and disease indication for treating SLC13A3+cancer.
Project description:One primary metabolic manifestation of inflammation is the diversion of cis-aconitate within the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle to synthesize the immunometabolite itaconate. Itaconate is well established to possess immunomodulatory and metabolic effects within myeloid cells and lymphocytes, however, its effects in other organ systems during sepsis remain less clear. Utilizing Irg1 knockout mice that are deficient in synthesizing itaconate, we aimed at understanding the metabolic role of itaconate in the liver and systemically during sepsis. We find itaconate aids in lipid metabolism during sepsis. Specifically, Irg1 KO mice develop a heightened level of hepatic steatosis when induced with polymicrobial sepsis. Proteomics analysis reveal enhanced expression of enzymes involved in fatty acid oxidation in following 4-ocytl itaconate (4-OI) treatment in vitro. Downstream analysis reveals itaconate stabilizes the expression of the mitochondrial fatty acid uptake enzyme CPT1a, mediated by its hypoubiquitination. Chemoproteomic analysis revealed itaconate interacts with proteins involved in protein ubiquitination as a potential mechanism underlying its stabilizing effect on CPT1a. From a systemic perspective, we find itaconate deficiency triggers a hypothermic response following endotoxin stimulation, potentially mediated by brown adipose tissue (BAT) dysfunction. Finally, by use of metabolic cage studies, we demonstrate Irg1 KO mice rely more heavily on carbohydrates versus fatty acid sources for systemic fuel utilization in response to endotoxin treatment. Our data reveal a novel metabolic role of itaconate in modulating fatty acid oxidation during polymicrobial sepsis.
Project description:<p>The Krebs cycle-derived metabolite itaconate, whose production is catalyzed by immune response gene 1 (IRG1), has excellent potential to link immunity and metabolism in activated macrophages through alkylation or competitive inhibition of target proteins. In support of this, our previous study demonstrated that the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling platform functions as a hub in macrophage immunity and has a profound impact on the prognosis of sepsis. Interestingly, we found that itaconate, an endogenous immunomodulator, can significantly inhibit the activation of STING signaling. Moreover, 4-octyl itaconate (4-OI), which is a permeable itaconate derivative, could alkylate cysteine sites 65, 71, 88, and 147 of STING, thereby inhibiting its phosphorylation and downregulating the production of related inflammatory factors. Furthermore, itaconate and 4-OI inhibited the production of inflammatory factors in sepsis models. Our results have broadened the role of the IRG1-Itaconate axis in immunomodulation and highlighted itaconate and its derivatives as potential therapeutic agents in sepsis.</p>