Lordén et al. show that the phosphatidic acid phosphatase lipin-2 is a key regulator of the cellular machinery that generates IL-1β in macrophages. This work provides a molecular explanation for the development of the autoinflammatory disease known as Majeed syndrome.

Lipin-1 is a Mg2+-dependent phosphatidic acid phosphatase involved in the de novo synthesis of phospholipids and triglycerides. Using macrophages from lipin-1–deficient animals and human macrophages deficient in the enzyme, we show in this work that this phosphatase acts as a proinflammatory mediator during TLR signaling and during the development of in vivo inflammatory processes. After TLR4 stimulation lipin-1–deficient macrophages showed a decreased production of diacylglycerol and activation of MAPKs and AP-1. Consequently, the generation of proinflammatory cytokines like IL-6, IL-12, IL-23, or enzymes like inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase 2, was reduced. In addition, animals lacking lipin-1 had a faster recovery from endotoxin administration concomitant with a reduced production of harmful molecules in spleen and liver. These findings demonstrate an unanticipated role for lipin-1 as a mediator of macrophage proinflammatory activation and support a critical link between lipid biosynthesis and systemic inflammatory responses.