FATP4 stimulates JNK activation via ER stress and Rac1/MLK3/p-MKK7 signaling leading to enhanced lipoapoptosis

In non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), saturated fatty acids injure hepatocytes by inducing apoptosis. It has been reported that inhibitors of fatty acyl-CoA synthetases inhibit palmitate-induced apoptosis. While the functions of FATP4 in the liver are not known, we aim to study the mechanisms of FATP4 on lipoapoptosis in liver cells, and whether FATP4 directs hepatic lipid metabolism to specific pathways. We generated stable cell lines by transfection of HUH-7 cells with GFP or FATP4-plasmids. Compared to GFP+/+, FATP4+/+ cells were more susceptible towards apoptosis induced by palmitate by 3-folds. For both…