IFNg Regulates NAD+ Metabolism in Human Monocytes

IFNg is an essential and pleiotropic activator of monocytes, but little is known about the changes in cellular metabolism required for IFNg-induced activation. We sought to characterize and elucidate the mechanisms by which IFNg reprograms monocyte metabolism to support its immunologic activities. Monocytes from healthy controls and patients with gain-of-function mutations in STAT1 (STAT1 GOF), or loss-of-function mutations in mitochondrial complex I (Leigh syndrome) and NADPH oxidase (chronic granulomatous disease, CGD) were metabolically phenotyped. We found that IFNg increased oxygen consumption rates (OCR), indicative of reactive oxygen species generation by both mitochondria and NADPH oxidase. Transcriptional profiling of human monocyte derived macrophages revealed that this oxidative phenotype was driven by an IFNg-induced reprogramming of NAD+ metabolism, which is dependent on nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT)-mediated NAD+ salvage to generate NADH and NADPH for oxidation by mitochondrial complex I and NADPH oxidase, respectively. Monocytes from patients with STAT1 GOF demonstrated higher than normal OCR, while monocytes from Leigh syndrome and CGD patients demonstrated reduced OCR. Chemical inhibition of NAMPT completely abrogated the IFNg-induced oxygen consumption, comparable to levels observed in CGD patients. These data identify an IFNg-induced, NAMPT-dependent, NAD+ salvage pathway that is critical for IFNg activation of human monocytes. Transcriptome profiling by mRNA sequencing from CD14+ human monocytes that were differentiated with M-CSF, and then stimulated without or with IFNg treatment for 24h.