Melatonin safeguards against fatty liver by antagonizing TRAFs‐mediated ASK1 deubiquitination and stabilization in a β‐arrestin‐1 dependent manner

Abstract Melatonin has been previously shown to prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we identified a previously unknown regulatory action of melatonin on apoptosis signal‐regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) signaling pathway in the pathogenesis and development of NAFLD. Although melatonin administration did not alter food intake, it significantly alleviated fatty liver phenotypes, including the body weight gain, insulin resistance, hepatic lipid accumulation, steatohepatitis, and fibrosis in a high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced NAFLD mouse model (in vivo). The protection of melatonin against NAFLD was not affected by inactivation of Kupffer cell in this model. In NAFLD mice liver, ASK1 signal cascade was substantially activated, evidence by the enhancement of total ASK1, phospho‐ASK1, phospho‐MKK3/6, phospho‐p38, phospho‐MKK4/7, and phospho‐JNK. Melatonin treatment significantly suppressed the ASK1 upregulation and the phosphorylation of ASK1, MKK3/6, MKK4/7, p38, and JNK. Mechanistically, we found that lipid stress triggered the interaction between ASK1 and TNF receptor‐associated factors (TRAFs), including TRAF1, TRAF2, and TRAF6, which resulted in ASK1 deubiquitination and thereby increased ASK1 protein stability. Melatonin did not alter ASK1 mRNA level; however, it activated a scaffold protein β‐arrestin‐1 and enabled it to bind to ASK1, which antagonized the TRAFs‐mediated ASK1 deubiquitination, and thus reduced ASK1 protein stability. Consistent with these findings, knockout of β‐arrestin‐1 in mice partly abolished the protection of melatonin against NAFLD. Taken together, our results for the first time demonstrate that melatonin safeguards against NAFLD by eliminating ASK1 activation via inhibiting TRAFs‐mediated ASK1 deubiquitination and stabilization in a β‐arrestin‐1 dependent manner.