Phytic acid (InsP<sub>6</sub>) activates HDAC3 epigenetic axis to maintain intestinal barrier function.

Chatterjee, Sujan; Sin, Zachary; Tran, Nguyen; Vierra, Loretta; Shukla, Anuj; Tran, Tam; Koshkaryan, George; Ritter, Kevin et al. · Nat Commun · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

HDAC inhibition shows promise in cancer treatment but pan-HDAC inhibitors cause gastrointestinal issues in 48% of patients. Understanding HDAC activation mechanisms is crucial to treating diverse diseases beyond cancer. Our study reveals that inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK) and inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP<sub>6</sub> or phytic acid), enriched in vegan diets, play essential roles in activating the HDAC3 epigenetic axis and maintaining intestinal barrier integrity. IPMK binds to HDAC3 and drives InsP<sub>6</sub> synthesis, which selectively activates HDAC3 at a 10 nM concentration by recruiting the DAD domain of its corepressor protein. IPMK deletion diminishes HDAC3 activation, leading to histone hyperacetylation and MMP gene transcription that compromise intestinal barrier integrity. InsP<sub>6</sub> treatment is sufficient to rescue these effects. In inflammatory bowel disease, diminished IPMK levels exacerbate intestinal permeability, while oral InsP<sub>6</sub> treatment mitigates leaky gut effects by restoring the HDAC3 epigenetic axis, highlighting the clinical significance of the IPMK-HDAC3 pathway and the therapeutic potential of phytic acid.