Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells induce BMP6 expression in response to non-transferrin bound iron

Homeostatic adaptation to systemic iron overload involves transcriptional induction of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs). BMP6 is then secreted to activate signaling to the iron hormone hepcidin (Hamp) in neighboring hepatocytes. To explore the mechanism for iron sensing by LSECs, we generated TfrcTek-Cre mice with endothelial cell-specific ablation of transferrin receptor 1 (Tfr1). We also used wild type mice to characterize LSEC-specific molecular responses to iron by single cell transcriptomics. TfrcTek-Cre animals tend to have increased liver iron content compared to Tfrcfl/fl controls but do not exhibit blunted Bmp6 or Hamp mRNA expression. They respond to dietary iron challenges with Bmp6 and Hamp induction, yet sometimes to levels slightly lower relative to liver iron load. We noted that liver Bmp6 and Hamp mRNA levels significantly correlated with serum non-transferrin bound iron (NTBI) that emerged following dietary iron loading in both TfrcTek-Cre and Tfrcfl/fl mice. High dietary iron triggered more profound alterations in the LSEC transcriptome of Tfrcfl/fl mice compared to holo-transferrin injection. These culminated in robust induction of Bmp6 and other nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) target genes, as well as Myc target genes involved in ribosomal biogenesis and protein synthesis. Taken together, our data suggest that during systemic iron overload, LSECs internalize NTBI, which promotes oxidative stress and thereby transcriptionally induces Bmp6 via Nrf2. The contribution of Tfr1 and transferrin-bound iron to Bmp6 induction is minimal. Three mice were fed iron deficient diet (IDD) for one week; one of them was used as control (IDD). The other 2 mice were either injected with holo-Tf (IDD + HTF) or switched to Hgh Iron Diet 2% for 18 h (IDD + HID). At the endpoints, livers were dissociated, and single-cell suspensions were used for scRNA-Seq analysis.