FXR/Menin-mediated epigenetic regulation of E2F3 expression controls β-cell proliferation and is increased in islets from diabetic GK rats after RYGB.

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) improves the function of islets, especially in the setting of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Here we investigated how FXR activation regulates β-cell proliferation and explored the potential link between FXR signaling and the menin pathway in controlling E2F3 expression, a key transcription factor for controlling adult β-cell proliferation. Stimulation with the FXR agonist GW4064 or chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) increased E2F3 expression and β-cell proliferation. Consistently, E2F3 knockdown abolished GW4064-induced proliferation. Treatment with GW4064 increased E2F3 expression in β-cells via enhancing Steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC1) recruitment, increasing the pro-transcriptional acetylation of histone H3 at the E2f3 promoter. GW4064 treatment also decreased the association between FXR and menin, leading to the induction of FXR-mediated SRC1 recruitment. Mimicking the impact of FXR agonists, RYGB also increased E2F3 expression and β-cell proliferation in GK rats and SD rats. These findings unravel the crucial role of the FXR/menin signaling in epigenetically controlling E2F3 expression and β-cell proliferation, a mechanism possibly underlying RYGB-induced β-cell proliferation.