Regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism by novel protein BASIC

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PROJECT SUMMARY Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects 25% of the US adult population and is associated with obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, approximately 20% of NAFLD patients (13-16 million people) develop liver fibrosis, which is associated with a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhosis and liver failure. Unfortunately, there are few effective treatments for NAFLD, aside from lifestyle modification and liver transplant. Excess neutral lipids are stored in lipid droplets (LDs)–dynamic organelles that quickly expand and shrink depending on the metabolic needs of the cell. Importantly, LD morphology and abundance are determined by the fusion or lipolysis of existing LDs. Recent studies have led to the discovery of a novel protein named BASIC, an endoplasmic reticulum-lipid droplet protein that promotes a multilocular phenotype and increases lipid utilization in brown adipocytes. BASIC is expressed in white and brown adipose tissue, and liver. In adipocytes, BASIC inhibits LD fusion proteins CIDEA and CIDEC, preventing expansion of LD size. CIDEB, the primary CIDE protein expressed in liver, has been shown to promote VLDL secretion, decrease triglyceride and cholesterol synthesis, and inhibit b-oxidation in hepatocytes. However, the physiologic or pathologic contexts in which the liver requires small, BASIC+ LDs for optimal function remain to be determined. Interestingly, global, but not adipose-specific deletion of BASIC decreases fat mass in chow- fed mice, pointing to adipose-independent effects on systemic energy balance. Preliminary data indicate that BASIC is a PPARa target gene whose expression is highly induced by both fasting and western diet feeding. Acute overexpression of BASIC decreases plasma lipids, suggesting this protein regulates hepatic lipid metabolism. The proposed research plan will elucidate the hepatic mechanism of action by characterizing how BASIC regulates LD biology and define molecular interaction partners in vitro (Aim 1a). Furthermore, the pathway(s) affected by hepatic BASIC expression (beta-oxidation, lipogenesis, lipoprotein secretion) will be determined (Aim 1b). In vivo studies using gain- and loss-of-function approaches in mice will characterize the role of BASIC in fasting and in response to high-fat diet feeding (Aim 2). Completion of the proposed aims will provide insight for the function of a novel PPARa target gene, which will contribute to the growing understanding of hepatic lipid droplet biology and may reveal novel opportunities for therapeutics in dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis.