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The role of neutral ceramidase in intestinal fucosylation and liver steatosis and inflammation

Award Number: R01DK131442
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES & DIGESTIVE & KIDNEY DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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The role of neutral ceramidase in intestinal fucosylation and liver steatosis and inflammation - There is an increasing evidence that demonstrates a critical pathogenic role for the “gut-liver axis” in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD). Gut-derived endotoxin leakiness is increased under pathological conditions, including high fat diet (HFD) consumption. Gut fucosylation is a key force in maintaining a homeostatic relationship between the gut and its microbiota. Nevertheless, it is unclear how host fucosylation machinery contributes to obesity-associated intestinal barrier function, microbial translocation and inflammation. Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are major constituents of enterocytes and consist of glycans conjugated to a lipid (ceramide) core. Ceramide is at the center of sphingolipid metabolism, and is hydrolyzed to generate sphingosine and fatty acid by ceramidases including neutral ceramidase (NcDase). However, whether gut NcDase contributes to intestinal fucosylation in NAFLD is unclear. We found that deletion of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) NcDase induced marked upregulation of intestinal fucosylation in response to HFD exposure. Our preliminary studies further demonstrated that HFD-fed NcDase-/- mice have increases in intestinal AhR activity, IL-22 secretion and the production of fucosylated gangliosides (fucosyl-GM1). We also found that fucosyl-GM1 can bind to DC-SIGN, a C-type lectin, expressed in hepatic macrophages and can induce anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage. This has led to the central hypothesis that gut NcDase regulates the intestinal fucosylation and subsequent barrier function via IEC AhR signal; and that IECs NcDase-derived fucosylated glycosphingolipids induce hepatic macrophage polarization via fucosyl-GM1/DC-SIGN pathway and prevent the development of NAFLD. Importantly, the proposal also pursues translational studies that examine the efficacy of prebiotic 2′-FL feeding and fucosyl-GM1 treatment targeted at intestinal fucosylation and hepatic inflammatory macrophages in mitigating gut-liver axis changes. Following specific aims will be carried out: Aim 1: Determine the impact of NcDase on the gut fucosylation and the effects of this impact on intestinal barrier integrity. We will determine the impact of NcDase-related gut microbiota on the gut fucosylaton and barrier function. Aim 2: Determine whether NcDase regulation of IEC AhR contributes to gut fucosylation via microbial metabolite in response to HFD exposure. Aim3: Determine whether IEC NcDase-derived fucosylated gangliosides contribute to the induction of liver tolerogenic macrophages and evaluate the efficacy of fucosylation-based therapeutic interventions in NAFLD. Our studies on the NcDase-mediated gut fucosylation and prebiotic intervention will likely bring new mechanistic understanding and identify new therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $398,430 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE	2301 S 3RD ST	LOUISVILLE	KY	40208	JEFFERSON	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	3	4/16/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$398,430
														Subtotal = $398,430

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2023	UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE	2301 S 3RD ST	LOUISVILLE	KY	40208	JEFFERSON	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	2	4/29/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $405,906 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE	2301 S 3RD ST	LOUISVILLE	KY	40208	JEFFERSON	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	2	3/7/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$405,906
														Subtotal = $405,906

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $413,160 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE	2301 S 3RD ST	LOUISVILLE	KY	40208	JEFFERSON	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	1	6/1/2022	NEW	$413,160
														Subtotal = $413,160

Grand Total All Awards = $1,217,496

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The role of neutral ceramidase in intestinal fucosylation and liver steatosis and inflammation

Award Number: R01DK131442

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES & DIGESTIVE & KIDNEY DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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