El Bounkari, O.* ; Zan, C.* ; Yang, B.* ; Ebert, S.* ; Wagner, J.* ; Bugar, E.* ; Krämer, N.* ; Bourilhon, P.* ; Kontos, C.* ; Zarwel, M.* ; Sinitski, D.* ; Milic, J.* ; Jansen, Y.* ; Kempf, W.E.* ; Sachs, N.* ; Maegdefessel, L.* ; Ji, H.* ; Gokce, O.* ; Riols, F. ; Haid, M. ; Gerra, S.* ; Hoffmann, A.* ; Brandhofer, M.* ; Avdic, M.* ; Bucala, R.* ; Megens, R.T.A.* ; Willemsen, N.* ; Messerer, D.* ; Schulz, C.* ; Bartelt, A. ; Harm, T.* ; Rath, D.* ; Döring, Y.* ; Gawaz, M.* ; Weber, C.* ; Kapurniotu, A.* ; Bernhagen, J.*
An atypical atherogenic chemokine that promotes advanced atherosclerosis and hepatic lipogenesis.
Nat. Commun. 16:2297 (2025)
Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. It is a lipid-triggered and cytokine/chemokine-driven arterial inflammatory condition. We identify D-dopachrome tautomerase/macrophage migration-inhibitory factor-2 (MIF-2), a paralog of the cytokine MIF, as an atypical chemokine promoting both atherosclerosis and hepatic lipid accumulation. In hyperlipidemic Apoe-/- mice, Mif-2-deficiency and pharmacological MIF-2-blockade protect against lesion formation and vascular inflammation in early and advanced atherogenesis. MIF-2 promotes leukocyte migration, endothelial arrest, and foam-cell formation, and we identify CXCR4 as a receptor for MIF-2. Mif-2-deficiency in Apoe-/- mice leads to decreased plasma lipid levels and suppressed hepatic lipid accumulation, characterized by reductions in lipogenesis-related pathways, tri-/diacylglycerides, and cholesterol-esters, as revealed by hepatic transcriptomics/lipidomics. Hepatocyte cultures and FLIM-FRET-microscopy suggest that MIF-2 activates SREBP-driven lipogenic genes, mechanistically involving MIF-2-inducible CD74/CXCR4 complexes and PI3K/AKT but not AMPK signaling. MIF-2 is upregulated in unstable carotid plaques from atherosclerotic patients and its plasma concentration correlates with disease severity in patients with coronary artery disease. These findings establish MIF-2 as an atypical chemokine linking vascular inflammation to metabolic dysfunction in atherosclerosis.
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Publikationstyp
Artikel: Journalartikel
Dokumenttyp
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
Typ der Hochschulschrift
Herausgeber
Schlagwörter
Migration Inhibitory Factor; D-dopachrome Tautomerase; Element-binding Protein-1; Insulin-resistance; Receptors Cxcr4; Srebp Activity; D-dt; Mif; Expression; Cytokine
Keywords plus
Sprache
englisch
Veröffentlichungsjahr
2025
Prepublished im Jahr
0
HGF-Berichtsjahr
2025
ISSN (print) / ISBN
2041-1723
e-ISSN
2041-1723
ISBN
Bandtitel
Konferenztitel
Konferzenzdatum
Konferenzort
Konferenzband
Quellenangaben
Band: 16,
Heft: 1,
Seiten: ,
Artikelnummer: 2297
Supplement: ,
Reihe
Verlag
Nature Publishing Group
Verlagsort
London
Tag d. mündl. Prüfung
0000-00-00
Betreuer
Gutachter
Prüfer
Topic
Hochschule
Hochschulort
Fakultät
Veröffentlichungsdatum
0000-00-00
Anmeldedatum
0000-00-00
Anmelder/Inhaber
weitere Inhaber
Anmeldeland
Priorität
Begutachtungsstatus
Peer reviewed
POF Topic(s)
30505 - New Technologies for Biomedical Discoveries
90000 - German Center for Diabetes Research
Forschungsfeld(er)
Enabling and Novel Technologies
Helmholtz Diabetes Center
PSP-Element(e)
A-630710-001
G-501900-251
Förderungen
China Scholarship Council (CSC) fellowship program CSC/LMU
DFG under Germany's Excellence Strategy within the framework of the Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology
German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) Junior Research Group Grant
Clinician Scientist Program of the German Cardiac Society (DGK)
US NIH
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Copyright
Erfassungsdatum
2025-05-06