Estrogen receptor activation remodels TEAD1 gene expression to alleviate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

IntroductionThe occurrence of obesity-related hepatic malignancies differs between sexes, suggesting the involvement of sex hormones. Female sex hormones maintain cell homeostasis through estrogen receptor (ER) signaling and protect from developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in mice and humans. RationaleTo understand recovery from high-fat diet (HFD)-induced liver disease in males upon estrogen treatment, we comprehensively characterized molecular changes in the liver upon selective activation of estrogen receptors (ERs) to identify novel therapeutic targets downstream of estrogen signaling. MethodsTo dissect hepatic ER isoform-driven responses, we integrated liver transcriptomes from female and male HFD mice treated with or without four different estrogen agonists, along with multiomics data, including bulk, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, chromatin profiling, machine learning models and advanced microscopy. Patient cohorts and primary human hepatocyte spheroids datasets were included. ResultsOnly males developed liver steatosis. We found that selective activation of either ER or ER{beta} reduced HFD-induced hepatic steatosis in male mice. Systemic ER activation restored HFD-induced aberrant gene expression of cellular processes across liver cell types, including hepatocytes. Profiling of marked histones revealed that ER activation modulated promoter and enhancer sites and identified 68 estrogen-sensitive enhancer-gene pairs. Most of these genes were similarly deregulated in human nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients, including the transcription factor TEAD1. TEAD1 expression increased in NAFLD patients, and inhibiting TEAD ameliorated steatosis in spheroids by suppressing lipogenic pathways. ConclusionsSystemic activation of ER or ER{beta} modulates molecular pathways in the liver to counteract NAFLD. Our study identified TEAD1 as a key ER-sensitive gene and suggested that its inhibition poses a therapeutic strategy to combat NAFLD without the undesired side effects elicited by estrogen signaling. Clinical research relevanceWe identified drug targets downstream of estrogen signaling, including TEAD1, and demonstrate that TEAD inhibition improves steatosis by suppressing lipogenic pathways. Basic research relevanceThe targeted activation of nuclear ERs recovers high-fat diet-induced molecular and physiological liver phenotypes by remodeling core pathways beyond lipid metabolism. ER-responsive enhancers regulate central metabolic genes of clinical significance in NAFLD patients, highlighting the potential impact of this research on understanding liver cell plasticity. HIGHLIGHTSO_LIsteatosis in livers of high-fat diet (HFD) male mice was effectively reduced by selective activation of estrogen receptors (ER and ER{beta}) with four different agonists. C_LIO_LIER agonist treatments successfully reversed HFD-induced changes in gene regulation and expression, revealing new treatment targets involving previously unconnected molecular pathways. C_LIO_LIestrogen-sensitive enhancers regulated important genes, including TEAD1, emerging as pivotal NAFLD regulators significantly impacting metabolic processes. C_LIO_LIhigh TEAD1 gene expression in NAFLD patients correlated with disease severity, underscoring its clinical significance in disease progression. C_LIO_LIinhibiting TEAD with small molecules alleviated steatosis by suppressing lipogenic pathways, resembling some of the same beneficial effects as estrogen treatment. C_LI