Autophagy Induced by Palmitic Acid Regulates Neutrophil Adhesion Through the Granule-Dependent Degradation of αMβ2 Integrin in Dairy Cows With Fatty Liver

Abstract

β2 integrins are critical for neutrophil firm adhesion, trans-endothelial migration, and the recruitment to the inflamed tissue. Autophagy is implicated in cell migration and tumor metastasis through facilitating the turnover of β1 integrins; however, whether autophagy is able to control neutrophil migration by promoting the degradation of β2 integrins is unexplored. Here, we show that high blood levels of palmitic acid (PA) strongly triggered neutrophil autophagy activation, leading to adhesion deficiency in dairy cows with fatty liver. The three neutrophil granule subtypes, namely, azurophil granules (AGs), specific granules (SGs), and gelatinase granules (GGs), were engulfed by the autophagosomes for degradation, resulting in an increased vacuolation in fatty liver dairy cow neutrophils. Importantly, the adhesion-associated molecules CD11b and CD18 distributed on AGs, SGs, and GGs were degraded with the three granule subtypes by autophagy. Moreover, FGA, Hsc70, and TRIM21 mediated the degradation of cytosolic oxidized–ubiquitinated CD11b and CD18. Collectively, our results demonstrate that high blood PA triggers neutrophil autophagy-dependent vacuolation and granule-dependent adhesion deficiency, decreasing neutrophil mobility, and impairing the innate immune system of dairy cow with fatty liver. This theory extends the category of autophagy in maintaining granule homeostasis and provides a novel strategy to improve the immune of dairy cows with metabolic disease.