Lipids reprogram metabolism to become a major carbon source for histone acetylation

We found that lipid-derived acetyl-CoA is a major source of carbon for histone acetylation. Gene expression profiling of octanoate-treated hepatocytes identified a pattern of upregulated lipid metabolic genes, demonstrating a specific transcriptional response to lipid. These studies expand the landscape of nutrient sensing and uncover how lipids and metabolism are integrated by epigenetic events that control gene expression. Cells were plated at 350,000 cells per well in 6-well plates and seeded overnight; the following day cells were treated with PBS, 1 mM, 2 mM or 5 mM octanoate for 24 hours added to complete DMEM media with 10% FBS.