Diverse meibum lipids produced by Awat1 and Awat2 are important for stabilizing tear film and protecting the ocular surface

• Published in: iScience Vol. 24; no. 5; p. 102478
• Main Authors: Sawai, Megumi, Watanabe, Keisuke, Tanaka, Kana, Kinoshita, Wataru, Otsuka, Kento, Miyamoto, Masatoshi, Sassa, Takayuki, Kihara, Akio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 21.05.2021; Elsevier
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102478

A lipid layer consisting of meibum lipids exists in the tear film and functions in preventing dry eye disease. Although the meibum lipids include diverse lipid classes, the synthesis pathway and role of each class remain largely unknown. Here, we created single and double knockout (KO and DKO, respectively) mice for the two acyl-CoA wax alcohol acyltransferases (Awat1 and Awat2) and investigated their dry eye phenotypes and meibum lipid composition. Awat2 KO and DKO mice exhibited severe dry eye with meibomian gland dysfunction, whereas Awat1 KO mice had mild dry eye. In these mice, specific meibum lipid classes were reduced: (O-acyl)-ω-hydroxy fatty acids and type 1ω wax diesters in Awat1 KO mice, wax monoesters and types 1ω and 2ω wax diesters in Awat2 KO mice, and most of these in DKO mice. Our findings reveal that Awat1 and Awat2 show characteristic substrate specificity and together produce diverse meibum lipids. [Display omitted] •Awat2 knockout mice exhibit severe dry eye phenotypes•Awat1 knockout mice exhibit mild dry eye phenotypes•Awat2 is responsible for the production of wax monoesters and type 2ω wax diesters•Awat1 is involved in (O-acyl)-ω-hydroxy fatty acid production