Intestinal NSD2 Aggravates Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Through Histone Modifications

Abstract

Mounting clinical evidence suggests that a comprised intestinal barrier contributes to the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); nevertheless, the precise mechanism remains elusive. This study unveils a significant upregulation of nuclear receptor-binding SET domain protein 2 (NSD2) in the intestines of obese humans and mice subjected to a high-fat cholesterol diet (HFCD). Intestine-specific NSD2 knockout attenuated the progression of intestinal barrier impairment and NASH, whereas NSD2 overexpression exacerbated this progression. Mechanistically, NSD2 directly regulates the transcriptional activation of Ern1 by demethylating histone H3 at lysine 36 (H3K36me2), thus activating the ERN1-JNK axis to intensify intestinal barrier impairment and subsequently foster NASH progression. These findings elucidate the crucial role of NSD2-mediated H3K36me2 in intestinal barrier impairment, suggesting that targeting intestinal NSD2 can represent a novel therapeutic approach for NASH.

Keywords: hepatic steatosis; histone dimethyltransferase; intestinal barrier; tight junction.