SUN1/2 controls macrophage polarization via modulating nuclear size and stiffness

作者：Shi Jiao, Chuanchuan Li, Fenghua Guo, Jinjin Zhang, Hui Zhang, Zhifa Cao, Wenjia Wang, Wenbo Bu, Mobin Lin, Junhong Lü, Zhaocai Zhou · 发表于：Nature Communications · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1038/s41467-023-42187-5 · 被引用次数：44 · 研究领域：Nuclear Structure and Function、RNA Research and Splicing、Immune cells in cancer

Alteration of the size and stiffness of the nucleus triggered by environmental cues are thought to be important for eukaryotic cell fate and function. However, it remains unclear how context-dependent nuclear remodeling occurs and reprograms gene expression. Here we identify the nuclear envelope proteins SUN1/2 as mechano-regulators of the nucleus during M1 polarization of the macrophage. Specifically, we show that LPS treatment decreases the protein levels of SUN1/2 in a CK2-βTrCP-dependent manner to shrink and soften the nucleus, therefore altering the chromatin accessibility for M1-associated gene expression. Notably, the transmembrane helix of SUN1/2 is solely required and sufficient for the nuclear mechano-remodeling. Consistently, SUN1/2 depletion in macrophages facilitates their phagocytosis, tissue infiltration, and proinflammatory cytokine production, thereby boosting the antitumor immunity in mice. Thus, our study demonstrates that, in response to inflammatory cues, SUN1/2 proteins act as mechano-regulators to remodel the nucleus and chromatin for M1 polarization of the macrophage.