Lactylation-driven FTO targets CDK2 to aggravate microvascular anomalies in diabetic retinopathy

Abstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in working-age populations. Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) is an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase that demethylates RNAs involved in energy homeostasis, though its influence on DR is not well studied...

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Main Authors: Xue Chen, Ying Wang, Jia-Nan Wang, Yi-Chen Zhang, Ye-Ran Zhang, Ru-Xu Sun, Bing Qin, Yuan-Xin Dai, Hong-Jing Zhu, Jin-Xiang Zhao, Wei-Wei Zhang, Jiang-Dong Ji, Song-Tao Yuan, Qun-Dong Shen, Qing-Huai Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2024-01-01
Series:EMBO Molecular Medicine
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s44321-024-00025-1
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author Xue Chen
Ying Wang
Jia-Nan Wang
Yi-Chen Zhang
Ye-Ran Zhang
Ru-Xu Sun
Bing Qin
Yuan-Xin Dai
Hong-Jing Zhu
Jin-Xiang Zhao
Wei-Wei Zhang
Jiang-Dong Ji
Song-Tao Yuan
Qun-Dong Shen
Qing-Huai Liu
author_facet Xue Chen
Ying Wang
Jia-Nan Wang
Yi-Chen Zhang
Ye-Ran Zhang
Ru-Xu Sun
Bing Qin
Yuan-Xin Dai
Hong-Jing Zhu
Jin-Xiang Zhao
Wei-Wei Zhang
Jiang-Dong Ji
Song-Tao Yuan
Qun-Dong Shen
Qing-Huai Liu
author_sort Xue Chen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in working-age populations. Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) is an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase that demethylates RNAs involved in energy homeostasis, though its influence on DR is not well studied. Herein, we detected elevated FTO expression in vitreous fibrovascular membranes of patients with proliferative DR. FTO promoted cell cycle progression and tip cell formation of endothelial cells (ECs) to facilitate angiogenesis in vitro, in mice, and in zebrafish. FTO also regulated EC-pericyte crosstalk to trigger diabetic microvascular leakage, and mediated EC–microglia interactions to induce retinal inflammation and neurodegeneration in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, FTO affected EC features via modulating CDK2 mRNA stability in an m6A-YTHDF2-dependent manner. FTO up-regulation under diabetic conditions was driven by lactate-mediated histone lactylation. FB23-2, an inhibitor to FTO’s m6A demethylase activity, suppressed angiogenic phenotypes in vitro. To allow for systemic administration, we developed a nanoplatform encapsulating FB23-2 and confirmed its targeting and therapeutic efficiency in mice. Collectively, our study demonstrates that FTO is important for EC function and retinal homeostasis in DR, and warrants further investigation as a therapeutic target for DR patients.
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publisher Springer Nature
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series EMBO Molecular Medicine
spelling doaj-art-6a40c1bfa3554e66b172849242c8d92f2025-08-20T03:53:32ZengSpringer NatureEMBO Molecular Medicine1757-46842024-01-0116229431810.1038/s44321-024-00025-1Lactylation-driven FTO targets CDK2 to aggravate microvascular anomalies in diabetic retinopathyXue Chen0Ying Wang1Jia-Nan Wang2Yi-Chen Zhang3Ye-Ran Zhang4Ru-Xu Sun5Bing Qin6Yuan-Xin Dai7Hong-Jing Zhu8Jin-Xiang Zhao9Wei-Wei Zhang10Jiang-Dong Ji11Song-Tao Yuan12Qun-Dong Shen13Qing-Huai Liu14Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Suqian First People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Polymer Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of High-Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Suqian First People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityDepartment of Polymer Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of High-Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing UniversityDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical UniversityAbstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in working-age populations. Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) is an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase that demethylates RNAs involved in energy homeostasis, though its influence on DR is not well studied. Herein, we detected elevated FTO expression in vitreous fibrovascular membranes of patients with proliferative DR. FTO promoted cell cycle progression and tip cell formation of endothelial cells (ECs) to facilitate angiogenesis in vitro, in mice, and in zebrafish. FTO also regulated EC-pericyte crosstalk to trigger diabetic microvascular leakage, and mediated EC–microglia interactions to induce retinal inflammation and neurodegeneration in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, FTO affected EC features via modulating CDK2 mRNA stability in an m6A-YTHDF2-dependent manner. FTO up-regulation under diabetic conditions was driven by lactate-mediated histone lactylation. FB23-2, an inhibitor to FTO’s m6A demethylase activity, suppressed angiogenic phenotypes in vitro. To allow for systemic administration, we developed a nanoplatform encapsulating FB23-2 and confirmed its targeting and therapeutic efficiency in mice. Collectively, our study demonstrates that FTO is important for EC function and retinal homeostasis in DR, and warrants further investigation as a therapeutic target for DR patients.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44321-024-00025-1Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)FTON6-Methyladenosine (m6A)Vascular Endothelial CellsPericyte
spellingShingle Xue Chen
Ying Wang
Jia-Nan Wang
Yi-Chen Zhang
Ye-Ran Zhang
Ru-Xu Sun
Bing Qin
Yuan-Xin Dai
Hong-Jing Zhu
Jin-Xiang Zhao
Wei-Wei Zhang
Jiang-Dong Ji
Song-Tao Yuan
Qun-Dong Shen
Qing-Huai Liu
Lactylation-driven FTO targets CDK2 to aggravate microvascular anomalies in diabetic retinopathy
EMBO Molecular Medicine
Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)
FTO
N6-Methyladenosine (m6A)
Vascular Endothelial Cells
Pericyte
title Lactylation-driven FTO targets CDK2 to aggravate microvascular anomalies in diabetic retinopathy
title_full Lactylation-driven FTO targets CDK2 to aggravate microvascular anomalies in diabetic retinopathy
title_fullStr Lactylation-driven FTO targets CDK2 to aggravate microvascular anomalies in diabetic retinopathy
title_full_unstemmed Lactylation-driven FTO targets CDK2 to aggravate microvascular anomalies in diabetic retinopathy
title_short Lactylation-driven FTO targets CDK2 to aggravate microvascular anomalies in diabetic retinopathy
title_sort lactylation driven fto targets cdk2 to aggravate microvascular anomalies in diabetic retinopathy
topic Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)
FTO
N6-Methyladenosine (m6A)
Vascular Endothelial Cells
Pericyte
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s44321-024-00025-1
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