Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is expected to become the leading risk factor for liver cancer, surpassing viral hepatitis. Unlike viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the role of excessive nutrient supply in steatotic HCC is not well understood, hindering effective prevention and treatment strategies. Therefore, it is crucial to identify key molecules in the pathogenesis of steatotic HCC, investigate changes in metabolic reprogramming due to excessive fatty acid (FA) supply, understand its molecular mechanisms, and find potential therapeutic targets. Trans-species transcriptome analysis identified Ring Finger Protein 5 (RNF5) as a critical regulator of steatotic HCC. RNF5 upregulation is associated with poor prognosis in steatotic HCC compared to canonical HCC. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that RNF5 exacerbates HCC in the presence of additional FA supply. Lipidomics and transcriptome analyses revealed that RNF5 significantly increases carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) mRNA levels and is positively correlated with fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Protein interaction analysis demonstrated that RNF5 promotes K63-type ubiquitination of insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1), enhancing CPT1A mRNA stabilization through m6A modification. Additionally, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) was found to activate RNF5 expression specifically in HCC cells. Mechanistically, excessive exogenous FAs reorganize FA metabolism in HCC cells, worsening steatotic HCC via the PPARγ-RNF5-IGF2BP1-CPT1A axis. This study highlights a distinct FA metabolism pattern in steatotic HCC, providing valuable insights for potential therapeutic targets.
Keywords: CPT1A; RNF5; adaptive metabolism reprogramming; m6A modification; steatotic HCC.
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