Intercepting IRE1 kinase-FMRP signaling prevents atherosclerosis progression


Loading...

Date

2022-04-07

Publication Type

Journal Article

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

Altmetric

Data

Abstract

Fragile X Mental Retardation protein (FMRP), widely known for its role in hereditary intellectual disability, is an RNA-binding protein (RBP) that controls translation of select mRNAs. We discovered that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induces phosphorylation of FMRP on a site that is known to enhance translation inhibition of FMRP-bound mRNAs. We show ER stress-induced activation of Inositol requiring enzyme-1 (IRE1), an ER-resident stress-sensing kinase/endoribonuclease, leads to FMRP phosphorylation and to suppression of macrophage cholesterol efflux and apoptotic cell clearance (efferocytosis). Conversely, FMRP deficiency and pharmacological inhibition of IRE1 kinase activity enhances cholesterol efflux and efferocytosis, reducing atherosclerosis in mice. Our results provide mechanistic insights into how ER stress-induced IRE1 kinase activity contributes to macrophage cholesterol homeostasis and suggests IRE1 inhibition as a promising new way to counteract atherosclerosis.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Volume

14 (4)

Pages / Article No.

Publisher

EMBO Press

Event

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

atherosclerosis; cholesterol homeostasis; efferocytosis; ER stress; translational regulation

Organisational unit

Notes

Funding

Related publications and datasets