Deficiency of CKIP-1 aggravates high-fat diet-induced fatty liver in mice

Casein kinase 2 interacting protein-1(CRIF-1) is widely expressed in a variety of tissues and cells, and plays an important role in various critical cellular and physiological processes including cell growth, apoptosis, differentiation, cytoskeleton and bone formation. Here, we found: (1) CHIP-1 deficient mice exhibited increased body weight, liver weight, number and size of lipid droplets, and TG content comparing with WT mice after being exposed to high fat diet (HFD); (2) the levels of serum insulin, liver glycogen, phosphorylated C-Jun-N-terminal kinase-1 (pJNK1) and phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate -1(pIRS1) in CHIP-1(-/-) mice were higher than those of WT mice; (3) CHIP-1 interacted with JNK1 in vitro. Our results indicate that CHIP-1 deficiency in mice aggravates HFD-induced fatty liver by upregulating JNK1 phosphorylation and further upregulating IRS-1 phosphorylation and RI.