Repeated fasting events sensitize enhancers, transcription factor activity and gene expression to support augmented ketogenesis

Noga Korenfeld, Meital Charni-Natan, Justine Bruse, Dana Goldberg, Dorin Marciano-Anaki, Dan Rotaro, Tali Gorbonos, Talia Radushkevitz-Frishman, Arnaud Polizzi, Abed Nasereddin, Ofer Gover, Meirav Bar-Shimon, Anne Fougerat, Hervé Guillou, Ido Goldstein*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Mammals withstand frequent and prolonged fasting periods due to hepatic production of glucose and ketone bodies. Because the fasting response is transcriptionally regulated, we asked whether enhancer dynamics impose a transcriptional program during recurrent fasting and whether this generates effects distinct from a single fasting bout. We found that mice undergoing alternate-day fasting (ADF) respond profoundly differently to a following fasting bout compared to mice first experiencing fasting. Hundreds of genes enabling ketogenesis are ‘sensitized’ (i.e. induced more strongly by fasting following ADF). Liver enhancers regulating these genes are also sensitized and harbor increased binding of PPARα, the main ketogenic transcription factor. ADF leads to augmented ketogenesis compared to a single fasting bout in wild-type, but not hepatocyte-specific PPARα-deficient mice. Thus, we found that past fasting events are ‘remembered’ in hepatocytes, sensitizing their enhancers to the next fasting bout and augment ketogenesis. Our findings shed light on transcriptional regulation mediating adaptation to repeated signals.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbergkae1161
JournalNucleic Acids Research
Volume53
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 13 Jan 2025

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