A HIF independent oxygen-sensitive pathway for controlling cholesterol synthesis

Autor: Anna S. Dickson, Tekle Pauzaite, Esther Arnaiz, Brian M. Ortmann, James A. West, Norbert Volkmar, Anthony W. Martinelli, Zhaoqi Li, Niek Wit, Dennis Vitkup, Arthur Kaser, Paul J. Lehner, James A. Nathan
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nature Communications, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-16 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2041-1723
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40541-1
Popis: Abstract Cholesterol biosynthesis is a highly regulated, oxygen-dependent pathway, vital for cell membrane integrity and growth. In fungi, the dependency on oxygen for sterol production has resulted in a shared transcriptional response, resembling prolyl hydroxylation of Hypoxia Inducible Factors (HIFs) in metazoans. Whether an analogous metazoan pathway exists is unknown. Here, we identify Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2 (SREBP2), the key transcription factor driving sterol production in mammals, as an oxygen-sensitive regulator of cholesterol synthesis. SREBP2 degradation in hypoxia overrides the normal sterol-sensing response, and is HIF independent. We identify MARCHF6, through its NADPH-mediated activation in hypoxia, as the main ubiquitin ligase controlling SREBP2 stability. Hypoxia-mediated degradation of SREBP2 protects cells from statin-induced cell death by forcing cells to rely on exogenous cholesterol uptake, explaining why many solid organ tumours become auxotrophic for cholesterol. Our findings therefore uncover an oxygen-sensitive pathway for governing cholesterol synthesis through regulated SREBP2-dependent protein degradation.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals