Non-enzymatic ABHD6 interacts with Akt-FoxO1 axis to regulate selective hepatic insulin resistance

The enzymatic function of ABHD6 on insulin secretion and insulin resistance is well documented. However, its non-enzymatic function, especially its effects on selective hepatic insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is completely unexplored. ABHD6 is elevated under conditions of diet-induced obesity and aging. To define the role of ABHD6 in liver physiology, we generated liver-specific ABHD6 knockout mice, as well as liver specific overexpression of native and enzymatic inactive mutant ABHD6 mouse models. We demonstrated that ABHD6 is an unidentified regulator of selective hepatic insulin resistance and contributes to MASLD and liver fibrosis. Furthermore, we found that non-enzymatic ABHD6, rather than its enzymatic form, contributes to this regulation. Mechanistically, we found that ABHD6 translocated into the nucleus and interacted with Akt/FoxO1 axis to regulate its function. In addition, knockdown of FoxO1 in primary hepatocytes or overexpression of constitutively active mutant FoxO1 by AAV approach could completely abolish the effects of ABHD6 on glucose tolerance and gluconeogenesis. Our study reveals an entirely different mechanism underlying selective hepatic insulin resistance that involves a previously unknown non-enzymatic function of ABHD6. This study opens an avenue for the development of a novel class of ABHD6 inhibitors to treat MASLD and liver fibrosis.