Here we show the roles of transmembrane 4 L six family member 5 (TM4SF5) in the progression of nonalcoholic steatosis (or NAFL) to steatohepatitis (NASH). The overexpression of TM4SF5 caused nonalcoholic steatosis and NASH in an age-dependent manner. Initially, TM4SF5-positive hepatocytes and livers exhibited lipid accumulation, decreased SIRT1, increased SREBPs levels, and inactive STAT3 via SOCS1/3 upregulation. In older animals, TM4SF5 under an inflammatory environment increased SIRT1 expression and STAT3 activity with no significant change to SOCSs and SREBPs levels, leading to active STAT3-mediated fibrotic extracellular matrix (ECM) production. Liver tissues from clinical human patients with NAFL or NASH also showed such a TM4SF5-SIRT1-STAT3-ECM relationship correlated with fibrosis score and age. Ligand-independent and TM4SF5-mediated STAT3 activity led to collagen I and laminins/laminin γ2 expression in hepatic stellate cells and hepatocytes, respectively. Laminin γ2 suppression abolished CCl4-mediated liver damage and ECM production and reduced SIRT1 and active-STAT3, but did not alter SREBP1 or SOCSs levels. These findings suggest that TM4SF5, CCL20, SIRT1, and/or laminin γ2 may be promising therapeutic targets against liver disease. the Tumor Microenvironment GCRC (2011-0030001) to JWL. Author contributions JR and EK performed most experiments; EK and MKK helped animal experiments; JWJ, SHN, JEK, DGS, and HJK helped with imaging experiments and with reagents; JHL, JHY, and HYK helped with clinical patient tissues; TS helped with the RNA-Seq analysis; SK helped with anti-TM4SF5 antibodies; JWL designed the experiments and wrote the manuscript.
Conflict of interestsThe authors declare no competing interests.
26The paper explained PROBLEM: Nonalcoholic liver disease is a chronic disease with immuno-metabolic disorders during NAFLD progression to NASH/fibrosis, cirrhosis and cancer. The molecular mechanisms for the earlier progression to NASH/fibrosis remain unclear.
RESULTS:Tm4sf5-engineered mice revealed that TM4SF5-dependent SIRT1 modulation and chemokines promoted NAFLD, NASH, and fibrosis in an age-dependent manner.TM4SF5/STAT3-mediated laminin expression in hepatocytes critically promoted the earlier progression toward NASH.