Cihang Liu, Yunping Lin, Ying Wang, Shuyong Lin, Jing Zhou, Hao Tang, Xia Yi, Zhengliang Ma, Tianjiao Xia, Bin Jiang, Feng Tian, Zhenyu Ju, Baohua Liu, Xiaoping Gu, Zhongzhou Yang, Wengong Wang
Triacylglyceride (TAG) synthesis in the small intestine determines the absorption of dietary fat, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be further studied. Here, we report that the RNA-binding protein HuR (ELAVL1) promotes TAG synthesis in the small intestine. HuR associates with the 3' UTR of Dgat2 mRNA and intron 1 of Mgat2 pre-mRNA. Association of HuR with Dgat2 3' UTR stabilizes Dgat2 mRNA, while association of HuR with intron 1 of Mgat2 pre-mRNA promotes the processing of Mgat2 pre-mRNA. Intestinal epithelium-specific HuR knockout reduces the expression of DGAT2 and MGAT2, thereby reducing the dietary fat absorption through TAG synthesis and mitigating high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity...
May 14, 2024: Cell Reports