Semaphorin 6A phase separation sustains a histone lactylation–dependent lactate buildup in pathological angiogenesis

Y Ya Ma (School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering) Z Zhuyi Zhang (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University) X Xiaolian Cao (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University) D Dianlei Guo (State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University) S Shuting Huang (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University) L Lijing Xie (State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University) M Mingjuan Wu (State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University) J Junru Li (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University) C Chenxin Li (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University) Y Yu Chu (Research Center for Crystal Materials; CAS Key Laboratory of Functional Materials and Devices for Special Environmental Conditions; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Functional Crystal Materials, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, CAS, 40-1 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China) S Shuxin Jiang (State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry and Shanghai-Hongkong Joint Laboratory in Chemical Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry) Y Yu Hao (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University) C Can Wang X Xiali Zhong (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University) R Rong Ju (State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University) F Feng Zhang C Chunqiao Liu (State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University) Y Yanhong Wei (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University)

Abstract

Ischemic retinal diseases are major causes of blindness worldwide and are characterized by pathological angiogenesis. Epigenetic alterations in response to metabolic shifts in endothelial cells (ECs) suffice to underlie excessive angiogenesis. Lactate accumulation and its subsequent histone lactylation in ECs contribute to vascular disorders. However, the regulatory mechanism of establishing and sustaining lactylation modification remains elusive. Here, we showed that lactate accumulation induced histone lactylations on H3K9 and H3K18 in neovascular ECs in the proliferative stage of oxygen-induced retinopathy. Joint CUT&Tag and scRNA-seq analyses identified Prmt5 as a target of H3K9la and H3K18la in isolated retinal ECs. EC-specific deletion of Prmt5 since the early stage of revascularization suppressed a positive feedback loop of lactate production and histone lactylation, thus inhibiting neovascular tuft formation. Mechanistically, the C-terminal intrinsically disorder region (IDR) of the transmembrane semaphorin 6A (SEMA6A) forms liquid–liquid phase separation condensates to recruit RHOA and P300, facilitating P300 phosphorylation and histone lactylation cycle. Deletion of endothelial Sema6A reduced H3K9la and H3K18la at the promoter of PRMT5 and diminished its expression. The induction of histone lactylation by SEMA6A-IDR and its pro-angiogenic effect were abrogated by deletion of Prmt5 . Our study illustrates a sustainable histone lactylation machinery driven by phase separation-dependent lactyltransferase activation in dysregulated vascularization.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 122, Issue 16
Published April 22, 2025
ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher National Academy of Sciences

Authors (18)

Y

Ya Ma

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Z

Zhuyi Zhang

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University

X

Xiaolian Cao

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University

D

Dianlei Guo

State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University

S

Shuting Huang

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University

L

Lijing Xie

State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University

M

Mingjuan Wu

State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University

J

Junru Li

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University

C

Chenxin Li

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University

Y

Yu Chu

Research Center for Crystal Materials; CAS Key Laboratory of Functional Materials and Devices for Special Environmental Conditions; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Functional Crystal Materials, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, CAS, 40-1 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China

S

Shuxin Jiang

State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry and Shanghai-Hongkong Joint Laboratory in Chemical Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry

Y

Yu Hao

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University

C

Can Wang

X

Xiali Zhong

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University

R

Rong Ju

State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University

F

Feng Zhang

C

Chunqiao Liu

State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University

Y

Yanhong Wei

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University