CBFA2T3 Is PPARA Sensitive and Attenuates Fasting-Induced Lipid Accumulation in Mouse Liver

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that is a key mediator of lipid metabolism and metabolic stress in the liver. Accumulating evidence shows that PPARA regulates the expression of various protein coding and non-coding genes that modulate metabolic stress in the liver. CBFA2/RUNX1 partner transcriptional co-repressor 3 (CBFA2T3) is a DNA-binding transcription factor that belongs to the myeloid translocation gene family. Many studies have shown that CBFA2T3 is associated with acute myeloid leukemia. Especially, CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion is a chimeric oncogene associated with a poor survival rate in pediatric acute megakaryocytic leukemia. A previous study identified that PPARA activation promoted Cbfa2t3 induction in liver and that Cbfa2t3 may have a modulatory role in metabolic stress. However, the effect of CBFA2T3 gene expression on metabolic stress is not understood. In this study, the PPARA ligand WY14643 activated Cbfa2t3 expression in mouse liver. Glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test data showed that insulin resistance is increased in Cbfa2t3^-/- mice compared to Cbfa2t3^+/+ mice. Hepatic CBFA2T3 modulates heat shock protein family A member 1b and carbonic anhydrase 5a expression. Histology analysis revealed lipid droplet and lipid accumulation in the liver of fasting Cbfa2t3^-/- mice but not Cbfa2t3^+/+ mice. The expression of lipid accumulation-related genes, such as Cd36, Cidea, and Fabp1, was increased in the liver of fasting Cbfa2t3^-/- mice. Especially, basal expression levels of Cidea mRNA were elevated in the liver of Cbfa2t3^-/- mice compared to Cbfa2t3^+/+ mice. Much higher induction of Cidea mRNA was seen in the liver of Cbfa2t3^-/- mice after WY14643 administration. These results indicate that hepatic CBFA2T3 is a PPARA-sensitive gene that may modulate metabolic stress in mouse liver.