Lipid-orchestrated paracrine circuit coordinates mast cell maturation and anaphylaxis through functional interaction with fibroblasts

Abstract

Interaction of mast cells (MCs) with fibroblasts is essential for MC maturation within tissue microenvironments, although the underlying mechanism is incompletely understood. Through a phenotypic screening of >30 mouse lines deficient in lipid-related genes, we found that deletion of the lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor LPA₁, like that of the phospholipase PLA2G3, the prostaglandin D₂ (PGD₂) synthase L-PGDS, or the PGD₂ receptor DP1, impairs MC maturation and thereby anaphylaxis. Mechanistically, MC-secreted PLA2G3 acts on extracellular vesicles (EVs) to supply lysophospholipids, which are converted by fibroblast-derived autotaxin (ATX) to LPA. Fibroblast LPA₁ then integrates multiple pathways required for MC maturation by facilitating integrin-mediated MC-fibroblast adhesion, IL-33-ST2 signaling, L-PGDS-driven PGD₂ generation, and feedforward ATX-LPA₁ amplification. Defective MC maturation resulting from PLA2G3 deficiency is restored by supplementation with LPA₁ agonists or PLA2G3-modified EVs. Thus, the lipid-orchestrated paracrine circuit involving PLA2G3-driven lysophospholipid, eicosanoid, integrin, and cytokine signaling fine-tunes MC-fibroblast communication, ensuring MC maturation.