Cardiomyocyte Regulation of Systemic Lipid Metabolism by the Apolipoprotein B-Containing Lipoproteins in Drosophila

Abstract

Author Summary The heart is increasingly recognized to serve an important role in the regulation of whole-body lipid homeostasis; however, the underlying mechanisms remained poorly understood. Here, our study in Drosophila reveals that cardiomyocytes regulate systemic lipid metabolism by producing apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins (apoB-lipoproteins), essential lipid carriers that are so far known to be generated only in the fat body (insect liver and adipose tissue). We found that apoB-lipoproteins generated by the Drosophila cardiomyocytes serve an equally significant role as their fat body-derived counterparts in maintaining systemic lipid homeostasis on normal food diet. Importantly, on high fat diet (HFD), the cardiomyocyte-derived apoB-lipoproteins are the major determinants of whole-body lipid metabolism, a role which could be attributed to the HFD-induced up-regulation of apoB-lipoprotein biosynthesis genes in the cardiomyocytes and their down-regulation in the fat body. Taken together, our results reveal that apoB-lipoproteins are new players in mediating the heart control of lipid metabolism, and provide first evidence supporting the notion that HFD-induced differential regulation of apoB-lipoprotein biosynthesis genes could alter the input of different tissue-derived apoB-lipoproteins in systemic lipid metabolic control.