IMR Press / FBL / Volume 29 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2904148
Open Access Original Research
A Cell Specific Effect of MBOAT7 MAFLD-risk Variant on Immune Cells
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1 Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
2 Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Taif University, 21944 Taif, Saudi Arabia
*Correspondence: mohammed.eslam@sydney.edu.au (Mohammed Eslam)
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2024, 29(4), 148; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2904148
Submitted: 31 October 2023 | Revised: 19 February 2024 | Accepted: 11 March 2024 | Published: 11 April 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Disease risk variants are likely to affect gene expression in a context- and cell-type specific manner. The membrane bound O-acyltransferase domain containing 7 (MBOAT7) rs8736 metabolic-dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD)-risk variant was recently reported to be a negative regulator of toll-like receptors (TLRs) signalling in macrophages. Whether this effect is generic or cell-type specific in immune cells is unknown. Methods: We investigated the impact of modulating TLR signaling on MBOAT7 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We also examined whether the rs8736 polymorphism in MBOAT7 regulates this effect. Furthermore, we measured the allele-specific expression of MBOAT7 in various immune cell populations under both unstimulated and stimulated conditions. Results: We show that MBOAT7 is down-regulated by TLRs in PBMCs. This effect is modulated by the MBOAT7 rs8736 polymorphism. Additionally, we provide evidence that MBOAT7 acts primarily as a modulator of TLR signalling in mononuclear phagocytes. Conclusion: Our results highlight the importance of studying Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) signals in the specific cell types in which alterations of gene expression are found.

Keywords
immune cells
MBOAT7
TLRs
MAFLD
Funding
Sydney Medical Foundation
APP1053206/National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Program Grant
APP2001692/Project and ideas grants
APP1107178/Project and ideas grants
APP1108422/Project and ideas grants
Figures
Fig. 1.
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