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Zhang Y, Sun W, Wang B, Liu Z, Liu Z, Zhang X, Wang B, Han Y, Zhang H. Metabolomics reveals the lipid metabolism disorder in Pelophylax nigromaculatus exposed to environmentally relevant levels of microcystin-LR. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 358:124458. [PMID: 38942276 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial blooms have emerged as a significant environmental issue worldwide in recent decades. However, the toxic effects of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) on aquatic organisms, such as frogs, have remained poorly understood. In this study, frogs (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of MC-LR (0, 1, and 10 μg/L) for 21 days. Subsequently, we assessed the impact of MC-LR on the histomorphology of the frogs' livers and conducted a global MS-based nontarget metabolomics analysis, followed by the determination of substances involved in lipid metabolism. Results showed that MC-LR significantly induced histological alterations in the frogs' hepatopancreas. Over 200 differentially expressed metabolites were identified, primarily enriched in lipid metabolism. Biochemical analysis further confirmed that MC-LR exposure led to a disorder in lipid metabolism in the frogs. This study laid the groundwork for a mechanistic understanding of MC-LR toxicity in frogs and potentially other aquatic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinan Zhang
- Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Wenhui Sun
- Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Bingyi Wang
- Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Zhiqun Liu
- Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Zhiquan Liu
- Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310018, China; Hangzhou International Urbanology Research Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | | | - Binhao Wang
- Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Yu Han
- Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Hangjun Zhang
- Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310018, China; Hangzhou International Urbanology Research Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
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Senaldi L, Hassan N, Cullen S, Balaji U, Trigg N, Gu J, Finkelstein H, Phillips K, Conine C, Smith-Raska M. Khdc3 Regulates Metabolism Across Generations in a DNA-Independent Manner. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.27.582278. [PMID: 38464133 PMCID: PMC10925209 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.27.582278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Genetic variants can alter the profile of heritable molecules such as small RNAs in sperm and oocytes, and in this manner ancestral genetic variants can have a significant effect on offspring phenotypes even if they are not themselves inherited. Here we show that wild type female mice descended from ancestors with a mutation in the mammalian germ cell gene Khdc3 have hepatic metabolic defects that persist over multiple generations. We find that genetically wild type females descended from Khdc3 mutants have transcriptional dysregulation of critical hepatic metabolic genes, which persist over multiple generations and pass through both female and male lineages. This was associated with dysregulation of hepatically-metabolized molecules in the blood of these wild type mice with mutational ancestry. The oocytes of Khdc3-null females, as well as their wild type descendants, had dysregulation of multiple small RNAs, suggesting that these epigenetic changes in the gametes transmit the phenotype between generations. Our results demonstrate that ancestral mutation in Khdc3 can produce transgenerational inherited phenotypes, potentially indefinitely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Senaldi
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nora Hassan
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sean Cullen
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Uthra Balaji
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie Trigg
- Departments of Genetics and Paediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jinghua Gu
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hailey Finkelstein
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kathryn Phillips
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Colin Conine
- Departments of Genetics and Paediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Smith-Raska
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Mosalev KI, Ivanov ID, Tenditnik MV, Shults EE, Vavilin VA. Hepatotropic activity of a betulonic acid based compound. BIOMEDITSINSKAIA KHIMIIA 2024; 70:15-24. [PMID: 38450677 DOI: 10.18097/pbmc20247001015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Using the model of cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced immunosuppression in C57BL/6 mice, the hepatotropic effects of a conjugate of betulonic acid with 9-(4-methylpiperazin-1-ylmethyl)-2-(1,2,3-triazolyl) oreozelone (BABC) have been studied. In the liver of treated animals the expression of genes for cytochromes (CYP 1A1, CYP 1A2, CYP 3A44, CYP 2B10, CYP 2C29, CYP 17A1), PPARA, and cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-12α, IL-10) and the relative levels of NF-κB p65, GST-π, and NAT-1 proteins were determined. On day six after administration of the compound and CP to animals a significant (3.2-fold) increase in the expression of the CYP 2B10 as compared to the control group was observed. Treatment of mice with the compound and CP also caused a 2.4-fold increase in the mRNA level of the pro-inflammatory TNF-α gene as compared to the group of animals receiving CP. Administration of the studied compound to intact animals was accompanied by a 2.5-fold increase in the IL-1β expression and a 1.8-fold decrease in the IL-10 expression as compared to the control group. An increase in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes in the liver of animals treated with the compound was accompanied by an increase in the content of NF-κB p65 (by 1.6 times), as well as an increase in the relative amount of NAT-1 protein (by 2.7 times) as compared to control animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- K I Mosalev
- Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - I D Ivanov
- Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - M V Tenditnik
- Research Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - E E Shults
- N.N. Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - V A Vavilin
- Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Zapata RC, Zhang D, Libster A, Porcu A, Montilla-Perez P, Nur A, Xu B, Zhang Z, Correa SM, Liu C, Telese F, Osborn O. Nuclear receptor 5A2 regulation of Agrp underlies olanzapine-induced hyperphagia. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1857-1867. [PMID: 36765131 PMCID: PMC10412731 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01981-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Antipsychotic (AP) drugs are efficacious treatments for various psychiatric disorders, but excessive weight gain and subsequent development of metabolic disease remain serious side effects of their use. Increased food intake leads to AP-induced weight gain, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In previous studies, we identified the neuropeptide Agrp and the transcription factor nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 2 (Nr5a2) as significantly upregulated genes in the hypothalamus following AP-induced hyperphagia. While Agrp is expressed specifically in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and plays a critical role in appetite stimulation, Nr5a2 is expressed in both the CNS and periphery, but its role in food intake behaviors remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of hypothalamic Nr5a2 in AP-induced hyperphagia and weight gain. In hypothalamic cell lines, olanzapine treatment resulted in a dose-dependent increase in gene expression of Nr5a2 and Agrp. In mice, the pharmacological inhibition of NR5A2 decreased olanzapine-induced hyperphagia and weight gain, while the knockdown of Nr5a2 in the arcuate nucleus partially reversed olanzapine-induced hyperphagia. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation studies showed for the first time that NR5A2 directly binds to the Agrp promoter region. Lastly, the analysis of single-cell RNA seq data confirms that Nr5a2 and Agrp are co-expressed in a subset of neurons in the arcuate nucleus. In summary, we identify Nr5a2 as a key mechanistic driver of AP-induced food intake. These findings can inform future clinical development of APs that do not activate hyperphagia and weight gain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rizaldy C Zapata
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Dinghong Zhang
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Avraham Libster
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Alessandra Porcu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | | | - Aisha Nur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Baijie Xu
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Departments of Internal Medicine and Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Stephanie M Correa
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Chen Liu
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Departments of Internal Medicine and Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Francesca Telese
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Olivia Osborn
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Lu H, Lei X, Winkler R, John S, Kumar D, Li W, Alnouti Y. Crosstalk of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4a and glucocorticoid receptor in the regulation of lipid metabolism in mice fed a high-fat-high-sugar diet. Lipids Health Dis 2022; 21:46. [PMID: 35614477 PMCID: PMC9134643 DOI: 10.1186/s12944-022-01654-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR), master regulators of liver metabolism, are down-regulated in fatty liver diseases. The present study aimed to elucidate the role of down-regulation of HNF4α and GR in fatty liver and hyperlipidemia. Methods Adult mice with liver-specific heterozygote (HET) and knockout (KO) of HNF4α or GR were fed a high-fat-high-sugar diet (HFHS) for 15 days. Alterations in hepatic and circulating lipids were determined with analytical kits, and changes in hepatic mRNA and protein expression in these mice were quantified by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Serum and hepatic levels of bile acids were quantified by LC-MS/MS. The roles of HNF4α and GR in regulating hepatic gene expression were determined using luciferase reporter assays. Results Compared to HFHS-fed wildtype mice, HNF4α HET mice had down-regulation of lipid catabolic genes, induction of lipogenic genes, and increased hepatic and blood levels of lipids, whereas HNF4α KO mice had fatty liver but mild hypolipidemia, down-regulation of lipid-efflux genes, and induction of genes for uptake, synthesis, and storage of lipids. Serum levels of chenodeoxycholic acid and deoxycholic acid tended to be decreased in the HNF4α HET mice but dramatically increased in the HNF4α KO mice, which was associated with marked down-regulation of cytochrome P450 7a1, the rate-limiting enzyme for bile acid synthesis. Hepatic mRNA and protein expression of sterol-regulatory-element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1), a master lipogenic regulator, was induced in HFHS-fed HNF4α HET mice. In reporter assays, HNF4α cooperated with the corepressor small heterodimer partner to potently inhibit the transactivation of mouse and human SREBP-1C promoter by liver X receptor. Hepatic nuclear GR proteins tended to be decreased in the HNF4α KO mice. HFHS-fed mice with liver-specific KO of GR had increased hepatic lipids and induction of SREBP-1C and PPARγ, which was associated with a marked decrease in hepatic levels of HNF4α proteins in these mice. In reporter assays, GR and HNF4α synergistically/additively induced lipid catabolic genes. Conclusions induction of lipid catabolic genes and suppression of lipogenic genes by HNF4α and GR may mediate the early resistance to HFHS-induced fatty liver and hyperlipidemia. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12944-022-01654-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.
| | - Xiaohong Lei
- Department of Pharmacology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Rebecca Winkler
- Department of Pharmacology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Savio John
- Department of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Devendra Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Wenkuan Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Yazen Alnouti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
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6
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Sun Y, Demagny H, Schoonjans K. Emerging functions of the nuclear receptor LRH-1 in liver physiology and pathology. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2021; 1867:166145. [PMID: 33862147 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2021.166145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear receptors play pleiotropic roles in cell differentiation, development, proliferation, and metabolic processes to govern liver physiology and pathology. The nuclear receptor, liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1, NR5A2), originally identified in the liver as a regulator of bile acid and cholesterol homeostasis, was recently recognized to coordinate a multitude of other hepatic metabolic processes, including glucose and lipid processing, methyl group sensing, and cellular stress responses. In this review, we summarize the physiological and pathophysiological functions of LRH-1 in the liver, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes. This review also focuses on the recent advances highlighting LRH-1 as an attractive target for liver-associated diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Sun
- Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hadrien Demagny
- Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kristina Schoonjans
- Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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7
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FXR in liver physiology: Multiple faces to regulate liver metabolism. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2021; 1867:166133. [PMID: 33771667 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2021.166133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The liver is the central metabolic hub which coordinates nutritional inputs and metabolic outputs. Food intake releases bile acids which can be sensed by the bile acid receptor FXR in the liver and the intestine. Hepatic and intestinal FXR coordinately regulate postprandial nutrient disposal in a network of interacting metabolic nuclear receptors. In this review we summarize and update the "classical roles" of FXR as a central integrator of the feeding state response, which orchestrates the metabolic processing of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and bile acids. We also discuss more recent and less well studied FXR effects on amino acid, protein metabolism, autophagic turnover and inflammation. In addition, we summarize the recent understanding of how FXR signaling is affected by posttranslational modifications and by different FXR isoforms. These modifications and variations in FXR signaling might be considered when FXR is targeted pharmaceutically in clinical applications.
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8
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Manna LB, Williamson C. Nuclear receptors, gestational metabolism and maternal metabolic disorders. Mol Aspects Med 2021; 78:100941. [PMID: 33455843 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2021.100941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Normal pregnancy is characterised by a gradual alteration in metabolism that results in elevated serum bile acids, dyslipidaemia and impaired glucose tolerance in the third trimester. Nuclear receptors play important roles in regulating metabolic pathways that influence alterations in these parameters. There is evidence for altered function of FXR and LXR in gestation; these nuclear receptors play an integral role in bile acid and lipid homeostasis. There is some evidence for influence of clock genes in late pregnancy metabolic changes, and this may be linked to alterations in placental gene expression and function, thereby influencing fetal growth. This article will review the current data from human studies and investigation of animal models to illustrate the role of nuclear receptors (namely LXR, FXR, PPARs and clock genes) in gestational alterations in metabolism and the ways this may influence susceptibility to metabolic disorders of pregnancy such as gestational diabetes mellitus and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Borges Manna
- Division of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine Williamson
- Division of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
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9
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Zhou J, Wang Y, Wu D, Wang S, Chen Z, Xiang S, Chan FL. Orphan nuclear receptors as regulators of intratumoral androgen biosynthesis in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Oncogene 2021; 40:2625-2634. [PMID: 33750894 PMCID: PMC8049868 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01737-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) almost invariably occurs after androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) for the advanced metastatic disease. It is generally believed that among multiple mechanisms and signaling pathways, CRPC is significantly driven by the reactivation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling in ADT-treated patients with castrate levels of androgen, partially at least mediated by the androgen biosynthesis within the tumor, also known as intratumoral or intraprostatic androgen biosynthesis. Steroidogenic enzymes, such as CYP11A1, CYP17A1, HSD3B1, AKR1C3 and SRD5A, are essential to catalyze the conversion of the initial substrate cholesterol into potent androgens that confers the CRPC progression. Accumulating evidences indicate that many steroidogenic enzymes are upregulated in the progression setting; however, little is known about the dysregulation of these enzymes in CRPC. Orphan nuclear receptors (ONRs) are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily, of which endogenous physiological ligands are unknown and which are constitutively active independent of any physiological ligands. Studies have validated that besides AR, ONRs could be the potential therapeutic targets for prostate cancer, particularly the lethal CRPC progression. Early studies reveal that ONRs play crucial roles in the transcriptional regulation of steroidogenic enzyme genes. Notably, we and others show that three distinct ONRs, including liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1, NR5A2), steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1, AD4BP, NR5A1) and estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα, NR3B1), can contribute to the CRPC progression by promotion of the intratumoral androgen synthesis via their direct transcriptional regulation on multiple steroidogenic enzymes. This review presents an overview of the current understanding on the intratumoral androgen biosynthesis in CRPC, with a special focus on the emerging roles of ONRs in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfu Zhou
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China ,grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685The Second Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China ,grid.10784.3a0000 0004 1937 0482School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yuliang Wang
- grid.10784.3a0000 0004 1937 0482School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dinglan Wu
- grid.488521.2Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Oncology, The Clinical Innovation & Research Center, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shusheng Wang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Chen
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Songtao Xiang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Franky Leung Chan
- grid.10784.3a0000 0004 1937 0482School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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10
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Himmelstein R, Spahija A, Fokidis HB. Evidence for fasting induced extra-adrenal steroidogenesis in the male brown anole, Anolis sagrei. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2020; 253:110544. [PMID: 33338607 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2020.110544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are steroids secreted by the adrenal glands into circulation to effect distant target tissues and coordinate physiological processes. This classic systemic view of steroids has been challenged by evidence that other tissues can independently synthesize their own steroids. Little is known however regarding circumstances that can promote this extra-adrenal steroidogenesis. Here we tested if fasting can induce tissues to increase GC and DHEA synthesis in the brown anole lizard Anolis sagrei. Lizards fasted for eight days lost body mass and increased fatty acid oxidation. Fasting also increased plasma concentrations of DHEA and corticosterone, but not cortisol. Corticosterone concentration within the adrenals, heart, intestines, lungs and liver exceeded that in plasma, with the latter two increasing with fasting. Levels of DHEA in the adrenals and heart were higher than in plasma, but no significant effect of fasting was observed, expect for a noticeable increase in intestinal DHEA. Two steroidogenic genes, the steroidogenic acute regulatory (Star) protein and Cyp17a1, a cytochrome P450 enzyme, were expressed in several tissues including the liver, lungs and intestines, which were increased with fasting. Continued research should aim to test for expression of additional enzymes further along the steroidogenic pathway. Nonetheless these data document potential extra-adrenal steroidogenesis as a possible mechanism for coping with energy shortages, although much work remains to be done to determine the specific roles of locally synthesized steroids in each tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ada Spahija
- Department of Biology, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL, USA
| | - H Bobby Fokidis
- Department of Biology, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL, USA.
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11
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Ramos Pittol JM, Milona A, Morris I, Willemsen ECL, van der Veen SW, Kalkhoven E, van Mil SWC. FXR Isoforms Control Different Metabolic Functions in Liver Cells via Binding to Specific DNA Motifs. Gastroenterology 2020; 159:1853-1865.e10. [PMID: 32712104 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H member 4 (NR1H4, also called FXR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that, upon binding of bile acids, regulates the expression of genes involved in bile acid, fat, sugar, and amino acid metabolism. Transcript variants encode the FXR isoforms alpha 1, alpha 2, alpha 3, and alpha 4, which activate different genes that regulate metabolism. Little is known about the mechanisms by which the different isoforms regulate specific genes or how the expression of these genes affects the outcomes of patients given drugs that target FXR. METHODS We determined genome-wide binding of FXR isoforms in mouse liver organoids that express individual FXR isoforms using chromatin immunoprecipitation, followed by sequencing analysis and DNA motif discovery. We validated regulatory DNA sequences by mobility shift assays and with luciferase reporters using mouse and human FXR isoforms. We analyzed mouse liver organoids and HepG2 cells that expressed the FXR isoforms using chromatin immunoprecipitation, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and immunoblot assays. Organoids were analyzed for mitochondrial respiration, lipid droplet content, and triglyceride excretion. We used the FXR ligand obeticholic acid to induce FXR activity in organoids, cell lines, and mice. We collected data on the binding of FXR in mouse liver and the expression levels of FXR isoforms and gene targets in human liver tissue and primary human hepatocytes from the Gene Expression Omnibus. RESULTS In mouse liver cells, 89% of sites that bound FXR were bound by only FXRα2 or FXRα4, via direct interactions with the DNA sequence motif ER-2. Via DNA binding, these isoforms regulated metabolic functions in liver cells, including carbon metabolism and lipogenesis. Incubation with obeticholic acid increased mitochondrial pyruvate transport and reduced insulin-induced lipogenesis in organoids that expressed FXRα2 but not FXRα1. In human liver tissues, levels of FXRα2 varied significantly and correlated with expression of genes predicted to be regulated via an ER-2 motif. CONCLUSIONS Most metabolic effects regulated by FXR in mouse and human liver cells are regulated by the FXRα2 isoform via specific binding to ER-2 motifs. The expression level of FXRα2 in liver might be used to predict responses of patients to treatment with FXR agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Miguel Ramos Pittol
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Institute of Biochemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexandra Milona
- Medical Research Council, London Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Imogen Morris
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ellen C L Willemsen
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Suzanne W van der Veen
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Eric Kalkhoven
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Saskia W C van Mil
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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