H3K18 lactylation-mediated nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-2 (NOD2) expression promotes bilirubin-induced pyroptosis of astrocytes

Histone lactylation, a newly glycosis-related histone modification, plays a crucial role in the regulation of gene expression in various immune cells. However, the role of histone lactylation in astrocytes remains unclear. Here, this study showed that the H3K18 lactylation (H3K18la) levels were upregulated in primary astrocytes under unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) stimulation and hippocampus of bilirubin encephalopathy (BE) rats. Inhibition of glycolysis decreased H3K18la and attenuated pyroptosis both in vitro and in vivo. CUT& Tag and RNA-seq results revealed that H3K18la was enriched at the promoter of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) and promoted its transcription. Moreover, NOD2 boosted the activation of downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways, which exacerbated the neuroinflammation of BE. Collectively, this study provides a novel understanding of epigenetic regulation in astrocytes, and interruption of the H3K18la/NOD2 axis may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for treating bilirubin encephalopathy.