Ubiquitin ligase E3 HUWE1/MULE targets transferrin receptor for degradation and suppresses ferroptosis in acute liver injury

Hepatic ischemia followed by reperfusion (I/R), a major clinical problem during liver surgical procedures, can induce liver injury with severe cell death including ferroptosis which is characterized by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid peroxidation. The HECT domain-containing ubiquitin E3 ligase HUWE1 (also known as MULE) was initially shown to promote apoptosis. However, our preliminary study demonstrates that high expression of HUWE1 in the liver donors corelates with less injury and better hepatic function after liver transplantation in patients. Thus, we investigate the role of HUWE1 in acute liver injury, and identify HUWE1 as a negative ferroptosis modulator through transferrin receptor 1(TfR1). Deficiency of Huwe1 in mice hepatocytes (HKO) exacerbated I/R and CCl4-induced liver injury with more ferroptosis occurrence. Moreover, Suppression of Huwe1 remarkably enhances cellular sensitivity to ferroptosis in primary hepatocytes and mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Mechanistically, HUWE1 specifically targets TfR1 for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation, thereby regulates iron metabolism. Importantly, chemical and genetic inhibition of TfR1 dramatically diminishes the ferroptotic cell death in Huwe1 KO cells and Huwe1 HKO mice. Therefore, HUWE1 is a potential protective factor to antagonize both aberrant iron accumulation and ferroptosis thereby mitigating acute liver injury. These findings may provide clinical implications for patients with the high-expression Huwe1 alleles.