Muscular G9a regulates muscle-liver-fat axis by musclin under overnutrition in female mice

Crosstalk among different tissues and organs is a hotspot in metabolic research. Recent studies have revealed the regulatory roles of a number of myokines in metabolism. Here, we report that female mice muscle-specific lacking histone methylase G9a (Ehmt2^Ckmm KO or Ehmt2^HSA KO) are resistant to high-fat-diet (HFD) induced obesity and hepatic steatosis. Furthermore, we identified significantly upregulated circulating level of musclin, a myokine, in HFD-fed Ehmt2^Ckmm KO or Ehmt2^HSA KO female mice. Similarly, upregulated musclin was observed in mice injected with two structurally different inhibitors for G9a methylase activity, BIX01294 and A366. Moreover, injection of recombinant full-length musclin or its functional core domain, inhibited the HFD-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis in wildtype female and male mice. Mechanistically, G9a methylase activity-dependently regulated muscular musclin level by binding to its promoter, also by regulating p-Foxo1/Foxo1 level in vivo and in vitro. Collectively, these data suggested a critical role for G9a in the ‘muscle-liver-fat’ metabolic axis, at least for female mice. Musclin may serve as a potential therapeutic candidate for obesity and associated diseases.