Class IIa HDACs inhibit cell death pathways and protect muscle integrity in response to lipotoxicity

Abstract

Lipotoxicity, the accumulation of lipids in non-adipose tissues, alters the metabolic transcriptome and mitochondrial metabolism in skeletal muscle. The mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Here we show that lipotoxicity increased histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) and histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5), which reduced the expression of metabolic genes and oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle. This metabolic reprogramming was linked with reduced expression of p53-dependent genes that mediate apoptosis and ferroptosis, which preserved cell viability in response to lipotoxicity. Mechanistically, impaired mitochondrial metabolism reduced acetylation of p53 at K120, a modification required for transcriptional activation of apoptosis, while redox drivers of ferroptosis were also reduced. Overexpression of loss-of-function HDAC4 and HDAC5 mutants in skeletal muscle of obese db/db mice enhanced oxidative capacity, increased apoptosis and ferroptosis and reduced muscle mass. This study identifies HDAC4 and HDAC5 as repressors of the oxidative state of skeletal muscle, and that this metabolic reprogramming, considered deleterious for normal metabolism, is critical to preserve muscle integrity in response to lipotoxicity.