Myeloid Mas drives pyruvate kinase M2-mediated Spi1 lactylation to fuel inflammatory senescence in MASLD

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is driven by unresolved inflammation, yet precise mechanisms linking immune metabolism to disease progression remain elusive. Here, we identified myeloid-expressed Mas, a G protein-coupled receptor, as a critical metabolic checkpoint in MASLD. Mas expression is elevated in hepatic myeloid cells from patients and diet-induced mouse models. Myeloid-specific Mas1 deletion attenuated MASLD by restraining glycolytic reprogramming and inflammatory senescence. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses revealed that this deletion specifically impaired the glycolytic flux and subsequent pathogenic differentiation of FN1⁺CCR2⁺ monocyte precursors. Mechanistically, Mas interacts with the glycolytic enzyme PKM2, enhancing lactate production that drives lactylation of the transcription factor Spi1 at lysine 208. Spi1-K208 lactylation promotes its nuclear localization and transcriptional activation of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) genes. Myeloid-specific Pkm2 ablation phenocopied the protective effect of Mas1 deletion, and PKM2 overexpression rescued the metabolic and transcriptional defects caused by Mas loss. Virtual screening identified theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TFDG) as a Mas inhibitor that disrupts the Mas-PKM2 interaction. A macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticle (MM@NP-TFDG) delivered TFDG specifically to hepatic macrophages, suppressed the Mas-PKM2-Spi1 lactylation axis, and ameliorated MASLD pathology in vivo. Our findings define a novel Mas-PKM2-Spi1 lactylation axis that orchestrates glycolytic reprogramming, monocyte precursor differentiation, and macrophage-driven inflammation in MASLD, presenting a targeted nanotherapeutic strategy for its treatment.

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Publication Details

Journal
Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy
Published
2026-05-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-026-02704-6
Primary Topic
Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Myeloid Mas drives pyruvate kinase M2-mediated Spi1 lactylation to fuel inflammatory senescence in MASLD

王勝嵐, Li Chen, Jing Li, Zhe Wang et al.
Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy
Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
article

Myeloid Mas drives pyruvate kinase M2-mediated Spi1 lactylation to fuel inflammatory senescence in MASLD

王勝嵐, Li Chen, Jing Li, Zhe Wang, Shuo Zhang, Shujing Xu, Shanshan Li, Xiaokun Zhang, Changqing Yang, Luying Zhao, Lu Xia, Peng Wang, Yongping Zhou, Chun Liu, Shikai Qiao, Xianghua Sun, Chengxi Hu
article en

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is driven by unresolved inflammation, yet precise mechanisms linking immune metabolism to disease progression remain elusive. Here, we identified myeloid-expressed Mas, a G protein-coupled receptor, as a critical metabolic checkpoint in MASLD. Mas expression is elevated in hepatic myeloid cells from patients and diet-induced mouse models. Myeloid-specific Mas1 deletion attenuated MASLD by restraining glycolytic reprogramming and inflammatory senescence. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses revealed that this deletion specifically impaired the glycolytic flux and subsequent pathogenic differentiation of FN1⁺CCR2⁺ monocyte precursors. Mechanistically, Mas interacts with the glycolytic enzyme PKM2, enhancing lactate production that drives lactylation of the transcription factor Spi1 at lysine 208. Spi1-K208 lactylation promotes its nuclear localization and transcriptional activation of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) genes. Myeloid-specific Pkm2 ablation phenocopied the protective effect of Mas1 deletion, and PKM2 overexpression rescued the metabolic and transcriptional defects caused by Mas loss. Virtual screening identified theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TFDG) as a Mas inhibitor that disrupts the Mas-PKM2 interaction. A macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticle (MM@NP-TFDG) delivered TFDG specifically to hepatic macrophages, suppressed the Mas-PKM2-Spi1 lactylation axis, and ameliorated MASLD pathology in vivo. Our findings define a novel Mas-PKM2-Spi1 lactylation axis that orchestrates glycolytic reprogramming, monocyte precursor differentiation, and macrophage-driven inflammation in MASLD, presenting a targeted nanotherapeutic strategy for its treatment.

Signal Transduction and Targeted TherapyVol. 11(1)
Jiangnan University (CN), Tongji University (CN), Army Medical University (CN), Second Military Medical University (CN), Wuxi Fourth People's Hospital (CN), Xinqiao Hospital (CN), Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital (CN), Tongji Hospital (CN)
Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
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