Fitm2 is required for ER homeostasis and normal function of murine liver

The ER-resident prote in fat-inducing transcript 2 (FIT2) catalyzes acyl-CoA cleavage in vitro, and in cells is required for endoplasmic reticulum (ER)homeostasis and normal lipid storage. The gene encoding FIT2 is essential for viability of mice and worms. Whether FIT2 acts as anacyl-CoA diphosphatase in vivo and how this activity affects liver, where the protein was discovered,is unknown. Here, we report that hepatocyte-specific Fitm2 knockout (FIT2-LKO) mice exhibited elevated acyl-CoA levels, ER stress, and signs of liver injury. FIT2-LKO mice had increased triglyceride (TG) content in liver when fed a chow diet, compared with control littermates due in part to impaired secretion of TG-rich lipoproteins and reduced capacity for fatty acid oxidation. Challenging FIT2-LKO mice with a high-fat diet to increase FIT2 acyl-CoA substrates worsened hepatic ER stress and liver injury, yet unexpectedly reversed the steatosis phenotype, similar to what is observed in FIT2-deficient cells loaded with fatty acids. Our findings show that FIT2 acts as anacyl-CoA diphosphatase in vivo and is crucial for normal hepatocyte function and ER homeostasis in murine liver