The lipid-droplet-associated protein ABHD5 protects the heart through proteolysis of HDAC4

Zegeye H. Jebessa, Kumar D. Shanmukha, Matthias Dewenter, Lorenz H. Lehmann, Chang Xu, Friederike Schreiter, Dominik Siede, Xue Min Gong, Barbara C. Worst, Giuseppina Federico, Sven W. Sauer, Tamas Fischer, Lisa Wechselberger, Oliver J. Müller, Samuel Sossalla, Christoph Dieterich, Patrick Most, Herrmann Josef Gröne, Cedric Moro, Monika ObererGuenter Haemmerle, Hugo A. Katus, Jens Tyedmers, Johannes Backs*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    43 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Catecholamines stimulate the first step of lipolysis through protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent release of the lipid-droplet-associated protein abhydrolase domain containing 5 (ABHD5) from perilipin to coactivate the lipase adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL). Here, we unmask a proteolytic and cardioprotective function of ABHD5. ABHD5 acts in vivo and in vitro as a serine protease that cleaves histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4). Through the production of an amino-terminal polypeptide of HDAC4 (HDAC4-NT), ABHD5 inhibits MEF2-dependent gene expression and thereby controls glucose handling. ABHD5 deficiency leads to neutral-lipid storage disease in mice. Cardiac-specific gene therapy using the gene encoding HDAC4-NT does not protect against intracardiomyocyte lipid accumulation, but strikingly protects against heart failure, thereby challenging the concept of lipotoxicity-induced heart failure. ABHD5 levels are reduced in failing human hearts, and murine transgenic ABHD5 expression protects against pressure-overload-induced heart failure. These findings represent a conceptual advance by connecting lipid with glucose metabolism through HDAC4 proteolysis, and enable new translational approaches to treating cardiometabolic disease.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1157-1167
    Number of pages11
    JournalNature Metabolism
    Volume1
    Issue number11
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2019

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