Palmitoyl acyltransferase DHHC21 mediates endothelial dysfunction in systemic inflammatory response syndrome

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 7; no. 1; p. 12823
• Main Authors: Beard, Richard S., Yang, Xiaoyuan, Meegan, Jamie E., Overstreet, Jonathan W., Yang, Clement G.Y., Elliott, John A., Reynolds, Jason J., Cha, Byeong J., Pivetti, Christopher D., Mitchell, David A., Wu, Mack H., Deschenes, Robert J., Yuan, Sarah Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 22.09.2016; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 13/109; 14/1; 14/19; 14/34; 631/250/256; 64/60; 692/4019/592/75/593; 82/80; Endothelium; Experiments; Histamine; Humanities and Social Sciences; Kinases; Leukocytes; Medicine; Mortality; multidisciplinary; Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome; Phosphorylation; Proteins; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sepsis; Trauma; Florida; United States > US; California
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12823

Endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of systemic inflammatory response underlying multiple organ failure. Here we report a novel function of DHHC-containing palmitoyl acyltransferases (PATs) in mediating endothelial inflammation. Pharmacological inhibition of PATs attenuates barrier leakage and leucocyte adhesion induced by endothelial junction hyperpermeability and ICAM-1 expression during inflammation. Among 11 DHHCs detected in vascular endothelium, DHHC21 is required for barrier response. Mice with DHHC21 function deficiency ( Zdhhc21 dep/dep ) exhibit marked resistance to injury, characterized by reduced plasma leakage, decreased leucocyte adhesion and ameliorated lung pathology, culminating in improved survival. Endothelial cells from Zdhhc21 dep/dep display blunted barrier dysfunction and leucocyte adhesion, whereas leucocytes from these mice did not show altered adhesiveness. Furthermore, inflammation enhances PLCβ1 palmitoylation and signalling activity, effects significantly reduced in Zdhhc21 dep/dep and rescued by DHHC21 overexpression. Likewise, overexpression of wild-type, not mutant, PLCβ1 augments barrier dysfunction. Altogether, these data suggest the involvement of DHHC21-mediated PLCβ1 palmitoylation in endothelial inflammation. Breaking down the endothelial barrier is a hallmark of systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Here the authors show that palmitoylation, a post-translational modification of proteins, plays a critical role in altering endothelial function during inflammation, and suggest the targeting of palmitoyl acyltransferase DHHC21 as potential disease therapy.