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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)
Publ. Version/Full Text Research data DOI PMC
Open Access Gold
Creative Commons Lizenzvertrag
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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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Scientific Article
Keywords Migration Inhibitory Factor; D-dopachrome Tautomerase; Element-binding Protein-1; Insulin-resistance; Receptors Cxcr4; Srebp Activity; D-dt; Mif; Expression; Cytokine
Language english
Publication Year 2025
HGF-reported in Year 2025
ISSN (print) / ISBN 2041-1723
e-ISSN 2041-1723
Journal Nature Communications
Quellenangaben Volume: 16, Issue: 1, Pages: , Article Number: 2297 Supplement: ,
Publisher Nature Publishing Group
Publishing Place London
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) CF Metabolomics & Proteomics (CF-MPC)
Institute of Diabetes and Cancer (IDC)
POF-Topic(s) 30505 - New Technologies for Biomedical Discoveries
90000 - German Center for Diabetes Research
Research field(s) Enabling and Novel Technologies
Helmholtz Diabetes Center
PSP Element(s) A-630710-001
G-501900-251
Grants 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)
DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-57540-z
WOS ID 001439808600034
Scopus ID 86000295080
PubMed ID 40055309
Erfassungsdatum 2025-05-06
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