The inner nuclear membrane protein SUN1 regulates cullin-3 neddylation to maintain insulin signaling

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease and strongly linked to obesity and insulin resistance. We previously reported that the common nuclear envelope variant rs6461378 (g.842031C>T; SUN1 H118Y) associated with MASLD and related traits including insulin resistance. To gain insight into how wild-type (WT) and H118Y SUN1 might differentially impact insulin signaling, we performed affinity purification-mass spectrometry (AP-MS) in human liver-derived cells stably expressing WT or H118Y SUN1. Unbiased AP-MS revealed a novel SUN1-CUL3 interaction, with comparative analysis showing that WT SUN1 interacted robustly with CUL3, while CUL3 interaction was markedly diminished with H118Y SUN1. Cells in which SUN1 was silenced via siRNA, or in which H118Y SUN1 was ectopically expressed, showed increased CUL3 neddylation, which is required for cullin RING ligase (CRL)-mediated ubiquitination of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins. Inhibition of neddylation restored IRS-1 levels and insulin signaling in H118Y SUN1-expressing cells. Together, our findings provide a potential mechanism of H118Y SUN1-driven insulin resistance and a viable therapeutic approach for its reversal.