Niche-Specific Reprogramming of Epigenetic Landscapes Drives Myeloid Cell Diversity in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Immunity. 2020 Jun 16;52(6):1057-1074.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.04.001. Epub 2020 May 1.

Abstract

Tissue-resident and recruited macrophages contribute to both host defense and pathology. Multiple macrophage phenotypes are represented in diseased tissues, but we lack deep understanding of mechanisms controlling diversification. Here, we investigate origins and epigenetic trajectories of hepatic macrophages during diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The NASH diet induced significant changes in Kupffer cell enhancers and gene expression, resulting in partial loss of Kupffer cell identity, induction of Trem2 and Cd9 expression, and cell death. Kupffer cell loss was compensated by gain of adjacent monocyte-derived macrophages that exhibited convergent epigenomes, transcriptomes, and functions. NASH-induced changes in Kupffer cell enhancers were driven by AP-1 and EGR that reprogrammed LXR functions required for Kupffer cell identity and survival to instead drive a scar-associated macrophage phenotype. These findings reveal mechanisms by which disease-associated environmental signals instruct resident and recruited macrophages to acquire distinct gene expression programs and corresponding functions.

Keywords: ATF3; ChIP-seq; Kupffer cell; LXR; TREM2; epigenetics; genomics; nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; scRNA-seq; tissue macrophage.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers
  • Cellular Microenvironment / genetics*
  • Cellular Reprogramming / genetics*
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing
  • Diet
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epigenesis, Genetic*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Gene Ontology
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Kupffer Cells / immunology
  • Kupffer Cells / metabolism
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Myeloid Cells / metabolism*
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / etiology*
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / metabolism*
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / pathology
  • Organ Specificity / genetics
  • Organ Specificity / immunology
  • Protein Binding
  • Signal Transduction
  • Single-Cell Analysis

Substances

  • Biomarkers