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Matz AJ, Qu L, Karlinsey K, Vella AT, Zhou B. Capturing the multifaceted function of adipose tissue macrophages. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1148188. [PMID: 36875144 PMCID: PMC9977801 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1148188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] [Imported: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) bolster obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction and represent a targetable population to lessen obesity-associated health risks. However, ATMs also facilitate adipose tissue function through multiple actions, including adipocyte clearance, lipid scavenging and metabolism, extracellular remodeling, and supporting angiogenesis and adipogenesis. Thus, high-resolution methods are needed to capture macrophages' dynamic and multifaceted functions in adipose tissue. Herein, we review current knowledge on regulatory networks critical to macrophage plasticity and their multifaceted response in the complex adipose tissue microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa J. Matz
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Lili Qu
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Keaton Karlinsey
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Anthony T. Vella
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, United States
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Beiyan Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, United States
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, United States
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Qu L, Matz AJ, Karlinsey K, Cao Z, Vella AT, Zhou B. Macrophages at the Crossroad of Meta-Inflammation and Inflammaging. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:2074. [PMID: 36360310 PMCID: PMC9690997 DOI: 10.3390/genes13112074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] [Imported: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrophages are central players in systemic inflammation associated with obesity and aging, termed meta-inflammation and inflammaging. Activities of macrophages elicited by the two chronic conditions display shared and distinct patterns mechanistically, resulting in multifaceted actions for their pathogenic roles. Drastically expanded tissue macrophage populations under obesity and aging stress attribute to both enhanced recruitment and local expansion. Importantly, molecular networks governing the multifaceted actions of macrophages are directly altered by environmental cues and subsequently contribute to metabolic reprogramming, resulting in meta-inflammation in obesity or inflammaging in aging. In this review, we will summarize how meta-inflammation and inflammaging affect macrophages and the molecular mechanisms involved in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Qu
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Alyssa J. Matz
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Keaton Karlinsey
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Ziming Cao
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Anthony T. Vella
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Beiyan Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
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Matz AJ, Qu L, Karlinsey K, Zhou B. MicroRNA-regulated B cells in obesity. Immunometabolism 2022; 4:e00005. [PMID: 35966635 PMCID: PMC9359068 DOI: 10.1097/in9.0000000000000005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] [Imported: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Obesity is a prevalent health risk by inducing chronic, low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance, in part from adipose tissue inflammation perpetuated by activated B cells and other resident immune cells. However, regulatory mechanisms controlling B-cell actions in adipose tissue remain poorly understood, limiting therapeutic innovations. MicroRNAs are potent regulators of immune cell dynamics through fine-tuning a network of downstream genes in multiple signaling pathways. In particular, miR-150 is crucial to B-cell development and suppresses obesity-associated inflammation via regulating adipose tissue B-cell function. Herein, we review the effect of microRNAs on B-cell development, activation, and function and highlight miR-150-regulated B-cell actions during obesity which modulate systemic inflammation and insulin resistance. In this way, we hope to promote translational discoveries that mitigate obesity-induced health risks by targeting microRNA-regulated B-cell actions.
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Matz A, Qu L, Karlinsey K, Zhou B. Impact of microRNA Regulated Macrophage Actions on Adipose Tissue Function in Obesity. Cells 2022; 11:1336. [PMID: 35456015 PMCID: PMC9024513 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] [Imported: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity-induced adipose tissue dysfunction is bolstered by chronic, low-grade inflammation and impairs systemic metabolic health. Adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) perpetuate local inflammation but are crucial to adipose tissue homeostasis, exerting heterogeneous, niche-specific functions. Diversified macrophage actions are shaped through finely regulated factors, including microRNAs, which post-transcriptionally alter macrophage activation. Numerous studies have highlighted microRNAs’ importance to immune function and potential as inflammation-modulatory. This review summarizes current knowledge of regulatory networks governed by microRNAs in ATMs in white adipose tissue under obesity stress.
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Li C, Qu L, Matz AJ, Murphy PA, Liu Y, Manichaikul AW, Aguiar D, Rich SS, Herrington DM, Vu D, Johnson WC, Rotter JI, Post WS, Vella AT, Rodriguez-Oquendo A, Zhou B. AtheroSpectrum Reveals Novel Macrophage Foam Cell Gene Signatures Associated With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Circulation 2022; 145:206-218. [PMID: 34913723 PMCID: PMC8766929 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.121.054285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] [Imported: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whereas several interventions can effectively lower lipid levels in people at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), cardiovascular event risks remain, suggesting an unmet medical need to identify factors contributing to cardiovascular event risk. Monocytes and macrophages play central roles in atherosclerosis, but studies have yet to provide a detailed view of macrophage populations involved in increased ASCVD risk. METHODS A novel macrophage foaming analytics tool, AtheroSpectrum, was developed using 2 quantitative indices depicting lipid metabolism and the inflammatory status of macrophages. A machine learning algorithm was developed to analyze gene expression patterns in the peripheral monocyte transcriptome of MESA participants (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis; set 1; n=911). A list of 30 genes was generated and integrated with traditional risk factors to create an ASCVD risk prediction model (30-gene cardiovascular disease risk score [CR-30]), which was subsequently validated in the remaining MESA participants (set 2; n=228); performance of CR-30 was also tested in 2 independent human atherosclerotic tissue transcriptome data sets (GTEx [Genotype-Tissue Expression] and GSE43292). RESULTS Using single-cell transcriptomic profiles (GSE97310, GSE116240, GSE97941, and FR-FCM-Z23S), AtheroSpectrum detected 2 distinct programs in plaque macrophages-homeostatic foaming and inflammatory pathogenic foaming-the latter of which was positively associated with severity of atherosclerosis in multiple studies. A pool of 2209 pathogenic foaming genes was extracted and screened to select a subset of 30 genes correlated with cardiovascular event in MESA set 1. A cardiovascular disease risk score model (CR-30) was then developed by incorporating this gene set with traditional variables sensitive to cardiovascular event in MESA set 1 after cross-validation generalizability analysis. The performance of CR-30 was then tested in MESA set 2 (P=2.60×10-4; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.742) and 2 independent data sets (GTEx: P=7.32×10-17; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.664; GSE43292: P=7.04×10-2; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.633). Model sensitivity tests confirmed the contribution of the 30-gene panel to the prediction model (likelihood ratio test; df=31, P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS Our novel computational program (AtheroSpectrum) identified a specific gene expression profile associated with inflammatory macrophage foam cells. A subset of 30 genes expressed in circulating monocytes jointly contributed to prediction of symptomatic atherosclerotic vascular disease. Incorporating a pathogenic foaming gene set with known risk factors can significantly strengthen the power to predict ASCVD risk. Our programs may facilitate both mechanistic investigations and development of therapeutic and prognostic strategies for ASCVD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Li
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
| | - Lili Qu
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
| | - Alyssa J. Matz
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
| | - Patrick A. Murphy
- Center for Vascular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Yongmei Liu
- Department of Medicine, Divisions of Cardiology and Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Ani W. Manichaikul
- Center for Public Health Genomics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - Derek Aguiar
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Stephen S. Rich
- Center for Public Health Genomics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - David M Herrington
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
| | - David Vu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - W. Craig Johnson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Jerome I. Rotter
- Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA
| | - Wendy S. Post
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Anthony T. Vella
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
| | | | - Beiyan Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
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Li C, Menoret A, Farragher C, Ouyang Z, Bonin C, Holvoet P, Vella AT, Zhou B. Single cell transcriptomics based-MacSpectrum reveals novel macrophage activation signatures in diseases. JCI Insight 2019; 5:126453. [PMID: 30990466 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.126453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] [Imported: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Adipose tissue macrophages (ATM) are crucial for maintaining adipose tissue homeostasis and mediating obesity-induced metabolic abnormalities, including prediabetic conditions and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite their key functions in regulating adipose tissue metabolic and immunologic homeostasis under normal and obese conditions, a high-resolution transcriptome annotation system that can capture ATM multifaceted activation profiles has not yet been developed. This is primarily attributed to the complexity of their differentiation/activation process in adipose tissue and their diverse activation profiles in response to microenvironmental cues. Although the concept of multifaceted macrophage action is well-accepted, no current model precisely depicts their dynamically regulated in vivo features. To address this knowledge gap, we generated single-cell transcriptome data from primary bone marrow-derived macrophages under polarizing and non-polarizing conditions to develop new high-resolution algorithms. The outcome was creation of a two-index platform, MacSpectrum (https://macspectrum.uconn.edu), that enables comprehensive high-resolution mapping of macrophage activation states from diverse mixed cell populations. MacSpectrum captured dynamic transitions of macrophage subpopulations under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Importantly, MacSpectrum revealed unique "signature" gene sets in ATMs and circulating monocytes that displayed significant correlation with BMI and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in obese human patients. Thus, MacSpectrum provides unprecedented resolution to decode macrophage heterogeneity and will open new areas of clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Li
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Antoine Menoret
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.,Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Cullen Farragher
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Zhengqing Ouyang
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.,The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Christopher Bonin
- School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Paul Holvoet
- Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anthony T Vella
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Beiyan Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.,Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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Li C, Xu MM, Wang K, Adler AJ, Vella AT, Zhou B. Macrophage polarization and meta-inflammation. Transl Res 2018; 191:29-44. [PMID: 29154757 PMCID: PMC5776711 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] [Imported: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Chronic overnutrition and obesity induces low-grade inflammation throughout the body. Termed "meta-inflammation," this chronic state of inflammation is mediated by macrophages located within the colon, liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. A sentinel orchestrator of immune activity and homeostasis, macrophages adopt variable states of activation as a function of time and environmental cues. Meta-inflammation phenotypically skews these polarization states and has been linked to numerous metabolic disorders. The past decade has revealed several key regulators of macrophage polarization, including the signal transducer and activator of transcription family, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, the CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBP) family, and the interferon regulatory factors. Recent studies have also suggested that microRNAs and long noncoding RNA influence macrophage polarization. The pathogenic alteration of macrophage polarization in meta-inflammation is regulated by both extracellular and intracellular cues, resulting in distinct secretome profiles. Meta-inflammation-altered macrophage polarization has been linked to insulin insensitivity, atherosclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and autoimmunity. Thus, further mechanistic exploration into the skewing of macrophage polarization promises to have profound impacts on improving global health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Li
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut, School of Medicine, Farmington, Conn
| | - Maria M Xu
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut, School of Medicine, Farmington, Conn
| | - Kepeng Wang
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut, School of Medicine, Farmington, Conn
| | - Adam J Adler
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut, School of Medicine, Farmington, Conn
| | - Anthony T Vella
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut, School of Medicine, Farmington, Conn.
| | - Beiyan Zhou
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut, School of Medicine, Farmington, Conn.
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Li C, Ying W, Huang Z, Brehm T, Morin A, Vella AT, Zhou B. IRF6 Regulates Alternative Activation by Suppressing PPARγ in Male Murine Macrophages. Endocrinology 2017; 158:2837-2847. [PMID: 28645193 PMCID: PMC5659664 DOI: 10.1210/en.2017-00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] [Imported: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant proinflammatory and suppressed anti-inflammatory (alternative; M2) macrophage activation underlies the chronic inflammation associated with obesity and other metabolic disorders. This study demonstrates a critical role for interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) in regulating macrophage M2 activation by suppressing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) expression, a critical regulator of alternative macrophage polarization. The data demonstrate suppression of IRF6 in both M2 macrophages and obese adipose tissue macrophages. Using gain- and loss-of-function strategies, we confirmed that IRF6 knockdown enhanced M2 activation, whereas IRF6 overexpression dramatically attenuated M2 activation. Computational target prediction analysis coupled with chromatin immunoprecipitation indicated that IRF6 suppresses PPARγ through binding IRF recognition sites located upstream of the PPARγ coding region. Taken together, our results suggest that an IRF6/PPARγ regulatory axis suppresses anti-inflammatory responses in bone marrow-derived macrophages and provides references for future study addressing dysregulated metabolic and immunologic homeostasis of obese adipose tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Li
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Wei Ying
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Zheping Huang
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Tyler Brehm
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843
| | - Andrew Morin
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843
| | - Anthony T. Vella
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Beiyan Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
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