Polychlorinated biphenyl congener 180 (PCB 180) regulates mitotic clonal expansion and enhances adipogenesis through modulation of C/EBPβ SUMOylation in preadipocytes

High-Throughput GPCRome Screen of Pollutants Reveals the Activity of Polychlorinated Biphenyls at Melatonin and Sphingosine-1-phosphate Receptors

Exposure to environmental pollutants is linked to numerous toxic outcomes, warranting concern about the effect of pollutants on human health. To assess the threat of pollutant exposure, it is essential to understand their biological activity. Unfortunately, gaps remain for many pollutants' specific biological activity and molecular targets. A superfamily of signaling proteins, G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), has been shown as potential targets for pollutant activity. However, research investigating the pollutant activity at the GPCRome is scarce. This work explores pollutant activity across a library of human GPCRs by leveraging modern high-throughput screening techniques devised for drug discovery and pharmacology. We designed and implemented a pilot screen of eight pollutants at 314 human GPCRs and discovered specific polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) activity at sphingosine-1-phosphate and melatonin receptors. The method utilizes open-source resources available to academic and governmental institutions to enable future campaigns that screen large numbers of pollutants. Thus, we present a novel high-throughput approach to assess the biological activity and specific targets of pollutants.

2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl Ether (PBDE 47) Selectively Stimulates Proatherogenic PPARγ Signatures in Human THP-1 Macrophages to Contribute to Foam Cell Formation

2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE 47) is one of the most prominent PBDE congeners detected in the human body, suggesting that the potential health risks of PBDE 47 should be thoroughly considered. However, the cardiovascular toxicity of PBDE 47 remains poorly understood. Here, toxic outcomes of PBDE 47 in human THP-1 macrophages concerning foam cell formation, which play crucial roles in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis, were elucidated. First, our results indicated that PBDE 47 affected the PPARγ pathway most efficiently in THP-1 macrophages by transcriptomic analysis. Second, the PPARγ target genes CD36 and FABP4, responsible for lipid uptake and accumulation in macrophages, were consistently upregulated both at transcriptional and translational levels in THP-1 macrophages upon PBDE 47. Unexpectedly, PBDE 47 failed to activate the PPARγ target gene LXRα and PPARγ-LXRα-ABCA1/G1 cascade, which is activated by the PPARγ full agonist rosiglitazone and enables cholesterol efflux in macrophages. Thus, coincident with the selective upregulation of the PPARγ target genes CD36 and FABP4, PBDE 47, distinct from rosiglitazone, functionally resulted in more lipid accumulation and oxLDL uptake in THP-1 macrophages through high-content analysis (HCA). Moreover, these effects were markedly abrogated by the addition of the PPARγ antagonist T0070907. Mechanistically, the structural basis of selective activation of PPARγ by PBDE 47 was explored by molecular docking and dynamics simulation, which indicated that PBDE 47 interacted with the PPARγ ligand binding domain (PPARγ-LBD) distinctively from that of rosiglitazone. PBDE 47 was revealed to interact with helix 3 and helix 5 but not helix 12 in the PPARγ-LBD. Collectively, these results unraveled the potential cardiovascular toxicity of PBDE 47 by selective activation of PPARγ to facilitate foam cell formation for the first time.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether congener 99 (PBDE 99) promotes adipocyte lineage commitment of C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells

Obesogens are defined as chemicals that trigger obesity partially by stimulating adipogenesis. Adipogenesis consists of two successive processes: the adipocyte lineage commitment of pluripotent stem cells and the differentiation of preadipocytes. Compared with the differentiation of preadipocytes, the effects of most environmental obesogens on adipocyte lineage commitment remain largely unknown. In this study, investigations are performed to explore the influences of PBDE 99 on the adipocyte lineage commitment based on C3H10T1/2, which has been widely used as a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) model. Our results indicated that exposure to PBDE 99 during commitment stage resulted in significant up-regulation of subsequent adipogenesis in C3H10T1/2 MSCs. Interestingly, PBDE 99 did not affect the osteogenesis of C3H10T1/2 MSCs, although the adipogenesis and osteogenesis of MSCs are typically reciprocal. PBDE 99 was further demonstrated to significantly decrease the expression of Pref1, the marker of very early adipose mesenchymal precursor, and its downstream effector, Sox9. This result strongly suggested that PBDE 99 facilitated adipocyte commitment to exert adipogenic effect on C3H10T1/2 MSCs. Mechanistic studies revealed that PBDE 99 efficiently inhibited Hedgehog signaling transduction, a conserved negative regulator of the adipocyte lineage commitment. Furthermore, the effects of PBDE 99 on adipogenesis were abrogated by the co-treatment with SAG, a specific Hedgehog signaling activator, suggesting inhibition of Hedgehog signaling is responsible for the effect of PBDE 99 on adipocyte commitment. Taking together, these results strongly suggested enhanced adipocyte lineage commitment was involved in potential obesogenic effect of PBDE 99, presumably through repressing Hedgehog signalling during commitment stage. Moreover, the results of this study indicated that C3H10T1/2 can be used as a feasible MSCs cell model to evaluate the capabilities of potential obesogens on adipocyte commitment.

The Role of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Obesity: A Review of Laboratory and Epidemiological Studies

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are considered as potential obesogens that may affect adipose tissue development and functioning, thus promoting obesity. However, various POPs may have different mechanisms of action. The objective of the present review is to discuss the key mechanisms linking exposure to POPs to adipose tissue dysfunction and obesity. Laboratory data clearly demonstrate that the mechanisms associated with the interference of exposure to POPs with obesity include: (a) dysregulation of adipogenesis regulators (PPARγ and C/EBPα); (b) affinity and binding to nuclear receptors; (c) epigenetic effects; and/or (d) proinflammatory activity. Although in vivo data are generally corroborative of the in vitro results, studies in living organisms have shown that the impact of POPs on adipogenesis is affected by biological factors such as sex, age, and period of exposure. Epidemiological data demonstrate a significant association between exposure to POPs and obesity and obesity-associated metabolic disturbances (e.g., type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome), although the existing data are considered insufficient. In conclusion, both laboratory and epidemiological data underline the significant role of POPs as environmental obesogens. However, further studies are required to better characterize both the mechanisms and the dose/concentration-response effects of exposure to POPs in the development of obesity and other metabolic diseases.

Metabolic Disrupting Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyls Revealed by Long-Term Temporal Variations of Lipids in Detritivorous Fish from the Rio de la Plata Basin

The long-term covariation (2002-2017) of lipids, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and sewage tracers was studied in the detritivorous fish (Prochilodus lineatus) and settling detritus from the Rio de la Plata. Fatty fish from polluted Buenos Aires area (BA) exhibited a significant decrease of muscle lipids (71 ± 12 to 29 ± 8.6% dry weight; p < 0.0001), triglycerides (94 to 85%, p < 0.001), and 18 carbon fatty acids (18C-FA: 59 ± 4.8 to 48 ± 1.4%; p < 0.01), reflecting a reduction of lipid accumulation, largely triglycerides enriched in 18C-FA, with a concomitant ∼20-times decline of PCBs (∼20 to >1 μg g^-1 dw). The 2017 individuals of the BA series converged with leaner and more pristine northern fish (N), which showed no significant temporal variation (20 ± 10% lipids, 67 ± 8.7% triglycerides, 41 ± 8.1% 18C-FA, and 0.22 ± 0.42 μg g^-1 dw PCB). In contrast, the fecal sterol tracer coprostanol remained abnormally higher in BA fish muscle with no significant temporal trend (120 ± 102 vs 6.6 ± 10 μg g^-1 dw or 4.4 ± 2.8 vs 0.63 ± 1.2% sterols at N). The same pattern was observed in BA settling detritus, i.e., a temporal decrease of PCBs with high, stable coprostanol concentrations denoting sustained sewage inputs, while northern detritus was enriched in plant sterols. This long-term covariation of lipids and PCBs in fish muscle from polluted BA converging with more pristine and homogeneous northern specimens while maintaining a sewage-derived diet provides rare field evidence of the declining effect of PCBs controlling the temporal variation of muscular lipids in fish.