A Defective Circulating Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Profile Reflects the Hepatic One and Outlines Genetic MASLD

Genetics and mitochondrial (mt) dysfunction contribute to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Recently, we demonstrated that the co-presence of <i>PNPLA3</i>, <i>TM6SF2</i> and <i>MBOAT7</i> polymorphisms predisposes to disease progre...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Erika Paolini, Miriam Longo, Marica Meroni, Paola Podini, Marco Maggioni, Angelo Quattrini, Anna Ludovica Fracanzani, Paola Dongiovanni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Antioxidants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/6/618
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850156845794066432
author Erika Paolini
Miriam Longo
Marica Meroni
Paola Podini
Marco Maggioni
Angelo Quattrini
Anna Ludovica Fracanzani
Paola Dongiovanni
author_facet Erika Paolini
Miriam Longo
Marica Meroni
Paola Podini
Marco Maggioni
Angelo Quattrini
Anna Ludovica Fracanzani
Paola Dongiovanni
author_sort Erika Paolini
collection DOAJ
description Genetics and mitochondrial (mt) dysfunction contribute to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Recently, we demonstrated that the co-presence of <i>PNPLA3</i>, <i>TM6SF2</i> and <i>MBOAT7</i> polymorphisms predisposes to disease progression in MASLD patients and that their deletion triggers mt maladaptation in vitro. Here, we deepened the impact of the silencing of these genes on mt dynamism and respiration by reintroducing TM6SF2 and/or MBOAT7 wild-type proteins in deleted cells through lentiviral infection. Since hepatic mt bioenergetics is impaired in MASLD, in the attempt to identify a non-invasive signature, we then compared the enzymatic mt activity of seahorses, which was assessed in liver biopsies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of biopsy-proven MASLD patients (n = 44; Discovery cohort) stratified according to the number of the three at-risk variants (3NRV). Concerning the in vitro results, the rescue of MBOAT7 and/or TM6SF2 wild-type proteins resulted in the assembly of spaghetti-shaped mitochondria with improved oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity. In the Discovery cohort, the hepatic bioenergetic profile fully reflected that in PBMCs and was impaired especially in 3NRV carriers. A lowered serum respiration rate was confirmed in noninvasively assessed MASLD (n = 45; Fibroscan-MASLD cohort), while it did not change in unrelated liver disease patients (n = 45). In summary, we firstly demonstrated that mt circulating respirometry reflects that in liver and is specific in defining genetic MASLD.
format Article
id doaj-art-aeb4e98d99bc4a51ad641c40bac55743
institution OA Journals
issn 2076-3921
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Antioxidants
spelling doaj-art-aeb4e98d99bc4a51ad641c40bac557432025-08-20T02:24:22ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212025-05-0114661810.3390/antiox14060618A Defective Circulating Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Profile Reflects the Hepatic One and Outlines Genetic MASLDErika Paolini0Miriam Longo1Marica Meroni2Paola Podini3Marco Maggioni4Angelo Quattrini5Anna Ludovica Fracanzani6Paola Dongiovanni7Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, ItalyMedicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, ItalyMedicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, ItalyNeuropathology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, ItalyDivision of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, ItalyNeuropathology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, ItalyMedicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, ItalyMedicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, ItalyGenetics and mitochondrial (mt) dysfunction contribute to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Recently, we demonstrated that the co-presence of <i>PNPLA3</i>, <i>TM6SF2</i> and <i>MBOAT7</i> polymorphisms predisposes to disease progression in MASLD patients and that their deletion triggers mt maladaptation in vitro. Here, we deepened the impact of the silencing of these genes on mt dynamism and respiration by reintroducing TM6SF2 and/or MBOAT7 wild-type proteins in deleted cells through lentiviral infection. Since hepatic mt bioenergetics is impaired in MASLD, in the attempt to identify a non-invasive signature, we then compared the enzymatic mt activity of seahorses, which was assessed in liver biopsies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of biopsy-proven MASLD patients (n = 44; Discovery cohort) stratified according to the number of the three at-risk variants (3NRV). Concerning the in vitro results, the rescue of MBOAT7 and/or TM6SF2 wild-type proteins resulted in the assembly of spaghetti-shaped mitochondria with improved oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity. In the Discovery cohort, the hepatic bioenergetic profile fully reflected that in PBMCs and was impaired especially in 3NRV carriers. A lowered serum respiration rate was confirmed in noninvasively assessed MASLD (n = 45; Fibroscan-MASLD cohort), while it did not change in unrelated liver disease patients (n = 45). In summary, we firstly demonstrated that mt circulating respirometry reflects that in liver and is specific in defining genetic MASLD.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/6/618MASLDgeneticsmitochondrianon-invasive biomarker
spellingShingle Erika Paolini
Miriam Longo
Marica Meroni
Paola Podini
Marco Maggioni
Angelo Quattrini
Anna Ludovica Fracanzani
Paola Dongiovanni
A Defective Circulating Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Profile Reflects the Hepatic One and Outlines Genetic MASLD
Antioxidants
MASLD
genetics
mitochondria
non-invasive biomarker
title A Defective Circulating Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Profile Reflects the Hepatic One and Outlines Genetic MASLD
title_full A Defective Circulating Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Profile Reflects the Hepatic One and Outlines Genetic MASLD
title_fullStr A Defective Circulating Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Profile Reflects the Hepatic One and Outlines Genetic MASLD
title_full_unstemmed A Defective Circulating Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Profile Reflects the Hepatic One and Outlines Genetic MASLD
title_short A Defective Circulating Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Profile Reflects the Hepatic One and Outlines Genetic MASLD
title_sort defective circulating mitochondrial bioenergetics profile reflects the hepatic one and outlines genetic masld
topic MASLD
genetics
mitochondria
non-invasive biomarker
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/6/618
work_keys_str_mv AT erikapaolini adefectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT miriamlongo adefectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT maricameroni adefectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT paolapodini adefectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT marcomaggioni adefectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT angeloquattrini adefectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT annaludovicafracanzani adefectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT paoladongiovanni adefectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT erikapaolini defectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT miriamlongo defectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT maricameroni defectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT paolapodini defectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT marcomaggioni defectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT angeloquattrini defectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT annaludovicafracanzani defectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld
AT paoladongiovanni defectivecirculatingmitochondrialbioenergeticsprofilereflectsthehepaticoneandoutlinesgeneticmasld