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ResearchIn-Press PreviewHepatologyMetabolism Open Access | 10.1172/JCI194148

Targeting the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF10 ameliorates metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis in mice

Chunyuan Du,1 Yinliang Zhang,1 Hongkai Chang,2 Chaofan Xu,1 Sufang Sheng,3 Ke Xu,1 Wei Qiao,1 Yanjun Liu,4 Tongtong Zhang,4 Yong Gao,5 Peng Li,2 and Yongsheng Chang1

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Du, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Zhang, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Chang, H. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Xu, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Sheng, S. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Xu, K. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Qiao, W. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Liu, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Zhang, T. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Gao, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Li, P. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

2Department of Gastroenterology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China

4Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

5Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Chang, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Published August 11, 2026 - More info

J Clin Invest. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI194148.
Copyright © 2026, Du et al. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Published August 11, 2026 - Version history
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Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has emerged as a global health concern. Nevertheless, its underlying pathological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we showed that E3 ubiquitin ligase ring finger protein 10 (RNF10) protein levels were positively correlated with MASLD in both mice and humans. Hepatic-specific Rnf10 deletion attenuated liver steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Conversely, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated hepatic-specific Rnf10 overexpression exacerbated MASLD-related phenotypes. Mechanistically, RNF10 interacted with carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) and facilitated its degradation through K48-linked ubiquitination, thereby inhibiting fatty acid oxidation, promoting hepatic lipid accumulation, and ultimately exacerbating liver inflammation and fibrosis. Moreover, we utilized triantennary N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) to deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) specifically targeting Rnf10 to hepatocytes. This approach effectively ameliorated diet-induced liver steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in mice. Therefore, interfering with the expression or function of RNF10 may be a promising therapeutic strategy for MASLD.

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