Accumulation of microbial DNAs promotes to islet inflammation and ß cell abnormalities in obesity in mice.

Various microbial products leaked from gut lumen exacerbate tissue inflammation and metabolic disorders in obesity. Vsig4+ macrophages are key players preventing infiltration of bacteria and their products into host tissues. However, roles of islet Vsig4+ macrophages in the communication between microbiota and ß cells in pathogenesis of obesity-associated islet abnormalities are unknown. Here, we find that bacterial DNAs are enriched in ß cells of individuals with obesity. Intestinal microbial DNA-containing extracellular vesicles (mEVs) readily pass through obese gut barrier and deliver microbial DNAs into ß cells, resulting in elevated inflammation and impaired insulin secretion by triggering cGAS/STING activation. Vsig4+ macrophages prevent mEV infiltration into ß cells through a C3-dependent opsonization, whereas loss of Vsig4 leads to microbial DNA enrichment in ß cells after mEV treatment. Removal of microbial DNAs blunts mEV effects. Loss of Vsig4+ macrophages leads to microbial DNA accumulation in ß cells and subsequently obesity-associated islet abnormalities.