1
|
Liu J, Bai Y, Ji H, Wang Y, Jin Z, Svensson B. Controlling the Fine Structure of Glycogen-like Glucan by Rational Enzymatic Synthesis. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:14951-14960. [PMID: 34847321 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Glycogen-like glucan (GnG), a hyperbranched glucose polymer, has been receiving increasing attention to generate synthetic polymers and nanoparticles. Importantly, different branching patterns strongly influence the functionality of GnG. To uncover ways of obtaining different GnG branching patterns, a series of GnG with radius from 22.03 to 27.06 nm were synthesized using sucrose phosphorylase, α-glucan phosphorylase (GP), and branching enzyme (BE). Adjusting the relative activity ratio of GP and BE (GP/BE) made the molecular weight (MW) distribution of intermediate GnG products follow two different paths. At a low GP/BE, the GnG developed from "small to large" during the synthetic process, with the MW increasing from 6.15 × 106 to 1.21 × 107 g/mol, and possessed a compact structure. By contrast, a high GP/BE caused the "large to small" model, with the MW reduction of GnG from 1.62 × 107 to 1.21 × 107 g/mol, and created a loose external structure. The higher GP activity promoted the elongation of external chains and restrained chain transfer by the BE to the inner zone of GnG, which would modulate the loose-tight structure of GnG. These findings provide new useful insights into the construction of structurally well-defined nanoparticles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Yuxiang Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Hangyan Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Yanli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Zhengyu Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Birte Svensson
- International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Enzyme and Protein Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang S, Lachance BB, Mattson MP, Jia X. Glucose metabolic crosstalk and regulation in brain function and diseases. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 204:102089. [PMID: 34118354 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Brain glucose metabolism, including glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and glycogen turnover, produces ATP for energetic support and provides the precursors for the synthesis of biological macromolecules. Although glucose metabolism in neurons and astrocytes has been extensively studied, the glucose metabolism of microglia and oligodendrocytes, and their interactions with neurons and astrocytes, remain critical to understand brain function. Brain regions with heterogeneous cell composition and cell-type-specific profiles of glucose metabolism suggest that metabolic networks within the brain are complex. Signal transduction proteins including those in the Wnt, GSK-3β, PI3K-AKT, and AMPK pathways are involved in regulating these networks. Additionally, glycolytic enzymes and metabolites, such as hexokinase 2, acetyl-CoA, and enolase 2, are implicated in the modulation of cellular function, microglial activation, glycation, and acetylation of biomolecules. Given these extensive networks, glucose metabolism dysfunction in the whole brain or specific cell types is strongly associated with neurologic pathology including ischemic brain injury and neurodegenerative disorders. This review characterizes the glucose metabolism networks of the brain based on molecular signaling and cellular and regional interactions, and elucidates glucose metabolism-based mechanisms of neurological diseases and therapeutic approaches that may ameliorate metabolic abnormalities in those diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Brittany Bolduc Lachance
- Program in Trauma, Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Mark P Mattson
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States
| | - Xiaofeng Jia
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Orthopedics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
DiNuzzo M. How glycogen sustains brain function: A plausible allosteric signaling pathway mediated by glucose phosphates. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2019; 39:1452-1459. [PMID: 31208240 PMCID: PMC6681540 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x19856713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytic glycogen is the sole glucose reserve of the brain. Both glycogen and glucose are necessary for basic neurophysiology and in turn for higher brain functions. In spite of low concentration, turnover and stimulation-induced degradation, any interference with normal glycogen metabolism in the brain severely affects neuronal excitability and disrupts memory formation. Here, I briefly discuss the glycogenolysis-induced glucose-sparing effect, which involves glucose phosphates as key allosteric effectors in the modulation of astrocytic and neuronal glucose uptake and phosphorylation. I further advance a novel and thus far unexplored effect of glycogenolysis that might be mediated by glucose phosphates.
Collapse
|
4
|
Wu L, Wong CP, Swanson RA. Methodological considerations for studies of brain glycogen. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:914-922. [PMID: 30892752 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Glycogen stores in the brain have been recognized for decades, but the underlying physiological function of this energy reserve remains elusive. This uncertainty stems in part from several technical challenges inherent in the study of brain glycogen metabolism. These include low glycogen content in the brain, non-homogeneous labeling of glycogen by radiotracers, rapid glycogenolysis during postmortem tissue handling, and effects of the stress response on brain glycogen turnover. Here we briefly review the aspects of the glycogen structure and metabolism that bear on these technical challenges and present ways they can be addressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Long Wu
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California
| | - Candance P Wong
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California
| | - Raymond A Swanson
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Glycogenolysis in Cerebral Cortex During Sensory Stimulation, Acute Hypoglycemia, and Exercise: Impact on Astrocytic Energetics, Aerobic Glycolysis, and Astrocyte-Neuron Interactions. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2019; 23:209-267. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-27480-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
6
|
Dienel GA, Carlson GM. Major Advances in Brain Glycogen Research: Understanding of the Roles of Glycogen Have Evolved from Emergency Fuel Reserve to Dynamic, Regulated Participant in Diverse Brain Functions. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2019; 23:1-16. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-27480-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
|
7
|
DiNuzzo M, Walls AB, Öz G, Seaquist ER, Waagepetersen HS, Bak LK, Nedergaard M, Schousboe A. State-Dependent Changes in Brain Glycogen Metabolism. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2019; 23:269-309. [PMID: 31667812 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-27480-1_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental understanding of glycogen structure, concentration, polydispersity and turnover is critical to qualify the role of glycogen in the brain. These molecular and metabolic features are under the control of neuronal activity through the interdependent action of neuromodulatory tone, ionic homeostasis and availability of metabolic substrates, all variables that concur to define the state of the system. In this chapter, we briefly describe how glycogen responds to selected behavioral, nutritional, environmental, hormonal, developmental and pathological conditions. We argue that interpreting glycogen metabolism through the lens of brain state is an effective approach to establish the relevance of energetics in connecting molecular and cellular neurophysiology to behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro DiNuzzo
- Center for Basic and Translational Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Anne B Walls
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gülin Öz
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Helle S Waagepetersen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lasse K Bak
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maiken Nedergaard
- Center for Basic and Translational Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Arne Schousboe
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wu L, Butler NJM, Swanson RA. Technical and Comparative Aspects of Brain Glycogen Metabolism. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2019; 23:169-185. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-27480-1_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
9
|
Rothman DL, Dienel GA. Development of a Model to Test Whether Glycogenolysis Can Support Astrocytic Energy Demands of Na +, K +-ATPase and Glutamate-Glutamine Cycling, Sparing an Equivalent Amount of Glucose for Neurons. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2019; 23:385-433. [PMID: 31667817 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-27480-1_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies of glycogen in brain have suggested a much more important role in brain energy metabolism and function than previously recognized, including findings of much higher than previously recognized concentrations, consumption at substantial rates compared with utilization of blood-borne glucose, and involvement in ion pumping and in neurotransmission and memory. However, it remains unclear how glycogenolysis is coupled to neuronal activity and provides support for neuronal as well as astroglial function. At present, quantitative aspects of glycogenolysis in brain functions are very difficult to assess due to its metabolic lability, heterogeneous distributions within and among cells, and extreme sensitivity to physiological stimuli. To begin to address this problem, the present study develops a model based on pathway fluxes, mass balance, and literature relevant to functions and turnover of pathways that intersect with glycogen mobilization. A series of equations is developed to describe the stoichiometric relationships between net glycogen consumption that is predominantly in astrocytes with the rate of the glutamate-glutamine cycle, rates of astrocytic and neuronal glycolytic and oxidative metabolism, and the energetics of sodium/potassium pumping in astrocytes and neurons during brain activation. Literature supporting the assumptions of the model is discussed in detail. The overall conclusion is that astrocyte glycogen metabolism is primarily coupled to neuronal function via fueling glycolytically pumping of Na+ and K+ and sparing glucose for neuronal oxidation, as opposed to previous proposals of coupling neurotransmission via glutamate transport, lactate shuttling, and neuronal oxidation of lactate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas L Rothman
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center and Department of Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Gerald A Dienel
- Department of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.,Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bellesi M, de Vivo L, Koebe S, Tononi G, Cirelli C. Sleep and Wake Affect Glycogen Content and Turnover at Perisynaptic Astrocytic Processes. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:308. [PMID: 30254569 PMCID: PMC6141665 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytic glycogen represents the only form of glucose storage in the brain, and one of the outcomes of its breakdown is the production of lactate that can be used by neurons as an alternative energetic substrate. Since brain metabolism is higher in wake than in sleep, it was hypothesized that glycogen stores are depleted during wake and replenished during sleep. Furthermore, it was proposed that glycogen depletion leads to the progressive increase in adenosine levels during wake, providing a homeostatic signal that reflects the buildup of sleep pressure. However, previous studies that measured glycogen dynamics across the sleep/wake cycle obtained inconsistent results, and only measured glycogen in whole tissue. Since most energy in the brain is used to sustain synaptic activity, here we employed tridimensional electron microscopy to quantify glycogen content in the astrocytic processes surrounding the synapse. We studied axon-spine synapses in the frontal cortex of young mice after ~7 h of sleep, 7–8 h of spontaneous or forced wake, or 4.5 days of sleep restriction. Relative to sleep, all wake conditions increased the number of glycogen granules around the synapses to a similar extent. However, progressively longer periods of wake were associated with progressively smaller glycogen granules, suggesting increased turnover. Despite the increased number of granules, in all wake conditions the estimated amount of glucose within the granules was lower than in sleep, indicating that sleep may favor glucose storage. Finally, chronic sleep restriction moved glycogen granules closer to the synaptic cleft. Thus, both short and long wake lead to increased glycogen turnover around cortical synapses, whereas sleep promotes glycogen accumulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Bellesi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.,Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Luisa de Vivo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Samuel Koebe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Giulio Tononi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Chiara Cirelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bezborodkina NN, Chestnova AY, Vorobev ML, Kudryavtsev BN. Spatial Structure of Glycogen Molecules in Cells. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2018; 83:467-482. [PMID: 29738682 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297918050012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Glycogen is a strongly branched polymer of α-D-glucose, with glucose residues in the linear chains linked by 1→4-bonds (~93% of the total number of bonds) and with branching after every 4-8 residues formed by 1→6-glycosidic bonds (~7% of the total number of bonds). It is thought currently that a fully formed glycogen molecule (β-particle) with the self-glycosylating protein glycogenin in the center has a spherical shape with diameter of ~42 nm and contains ~ 55,000 glucose residues. The glycogen molecule also includes numerous proteins involved in its synthesis and degradation, as well as proteins performing a carcass function. However, the type and force of bonds connecting these proteins to the polysaccharide moiety of glycogen are significantly different. This review presents the available data on the spatial structure of the glycogen molecule and its changes under various physiological and pathological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N N Bezborodkina
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia.
| | - A Yu Chestnova
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia
| | - M L Vorobev
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia
| | - B N Kudryavtsev
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Öz G, DiNuzzo M, Kumar A, Moheet A, Khowaja A, Kubisiak K, Eberly LE, Seaquist ER. Cerebral glycogen in humans following acute and recurrent hypoglycemia: Implications on a role in hypoglycemia unawareness. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2017; 37:2883-2893. [PMID: 27834283 PMCID: PMC5536796 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x16678240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Supercompensated brain glycogen levels may contribute to the development of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure (HAAF) following recurrent hypoglycemia (RH) by providing energy for the brain during subsequent periods of hypoglycemia. To assess the role of glycogen supercompensation in the generation of HAAF, we estimated the level of brain glycogen following RH and acute hypoglycemia (AH). After undergoing 3 hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic and 3 hyperinsulinemic, hypoglycemic clamps (RH) on separate occasions at least 1 month apart, five healthy volunteers received [1-13C]glucose intravenously over 80+ h while maintaining euglycemia. 13C-glycogen levels in the occipital lobe were measured by 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy at ∼8, 20, 32, 44, 56, 68 and 80 h at 4 T and glycogen levels estimated by fitting the data with a biophysical model that takes into account the tiered glycogen structure. Similarly, prior 13C-glycogen data obtained following a single hypoglycemic episode (AH) were fitted with the same model. Glycogen levels did not significantly increase after RH relative to after euglycemia, while they increased by ∼16% after AH relative to after euglycemia. These data suggest that glycogen supercompensation may be blunted with repeated hypoglycemic episodes. A causal relationship between glycogen supercompensation and generation of HAAF remains to be established.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gülin Öz
- 1 Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Mauro DiNuzzo
- 2 Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anjali Kumar
- 3 Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Amir Moheet
- 3 Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Ameer Khowaja
- 3 Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Kristine Kubisiak
- 4 Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Lynn E Eberly
- 4 Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Technical and experimental features of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of brain glycogen metabolism. Anal Biochem 2017; 529:117-126. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2016.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
|
14
|
Falkowska A, Gutowska I, Goschorska M, Nowacki P, Chlubek D, Baranowska-Bosiacka I. Energy Metabolism of the Brain, Including the Cooperation between Astrocytes and Neurons, Especially in the Context of Glycogen Metabolism. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:25959-81. [PMID: 26528968 PMCID: PMC4661798 DOI: 10.3390/ijms161125939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Revised: 09/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycogen metabolism has important implications for the functioning of the brain, especially the cooperation between astrocytes and neurons. According to various research data, in a glycogen deficiency (for example during hypoglycemia) glycogen supplies are used to generate lactate, which is then transported to neighboring neurons. Likewise, during periods of intense activity of the nervous system, when the energy demand exceeds supply, astrocyte glycogen is immediately converted to lactate, some of which is transported to the neurons. Thus, glycogen from astrocytes functions as a kind of protection against hypoglycemia, ensuring preservation of neuronal function. The neuroprotective effect of lactate during hypoglycemia or cerebral ischemia has been reported in literature. This review goes on to emphasize that while neurons and astrocytes differ in metabolic profile, they interact to form a common metabolic cooperation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Falkowska
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Izabela Gutowska
- Department of Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, Pomeranian Medical University, Broniewskiego 24, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Marta Goschorska
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Przemysław Nowacki
- Department of Neurology, Pomeranian Medical University, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-225 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Dariusz Chlubek
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Irena Baranowska-Bosiacka
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Abstract
Glycogen provides an important glucose reservoir in the brain since the concentration of glucosyl units stored in glycogen is several fold higher than free glucose available in brain tissue. We have previously reported 3-4 µmol/g brain glycogen content using in vivo (13)C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in conjunction with [1-(13)C]glucose administration in healthy humans, while higher levels were reported in the rodent brain. Due to the slow turnover of bulk brain glycogen in humans, complete turnover of the glycogen pool, estimated to take 3-5 days, was not observed in these prior studies. In an attempt to reach complete turnover and thereby steady state (13)C labeling in glycogen, here we administered [1-(13)C]glucose to healthy volunteers for 80 h. To eliminate any net glycogen synthesis during this period and thereby achieve an accurate estimate of glycogen concentration, volunteers were maintained at euglycemic blood glucose levels during [1-(13)C]glucose administration and (13)C-glycogen levels in the occipital lobe were measured by (13)C MRS approximately every 12 h. Finally, we fitted the data with a biophysical model that was recently developed to take into account the tiered structure of the glycogen molecule and additionally incorporated blood glucose levels and isotopic enrichments as input function in the model. We obtained excellent fits of the model to the (13)C-glycogen data, and glycogen content in the healthy human brain tissue was found to be 7.8 ± 0.3 µmol/g, a value substantially higher than previous estimates of glycogen content in the human brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gülin Öz
- Department of Radiology, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, 2021 6th St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Mauro DiNuzzo
- Museo storico della fisica e Centro di studi e ricerche Enrico Fermi, Rome, Italy
| | - Anjali Kumar
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Amir Moheet
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Hertz L, Xu J, Song D, Du T, Li B, Yan E, Peng L. Astrocytic glycogenolysis: mechanisms and functions. Metab Brain Dis 2015; 30:317-33. [PMID: 24744118 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-014-9536-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Until the demonstration little more than 20 years ago that glycogenolysis occurs during normal whisker stimulation glycogenolysis was regarded as a relatively uninteresting emergency procedure. Since then, a series of important astrocytic functions has been shown to be critically dependent on glycogenolytic activity to support the signaling mechanisms necessary for these functions to operate. This applies to glutamate formation and uptake and to release of ATP as a transmitter, stimulated by other transmitters or elevated K(+) concentrations and affecting not only other astrocytes but also most other brain cells. It is also relevant for astrocytic K(+) uptake both during the period when the extracellular K(+) concentration is still elevated after neuronal excitation, and capable of stimulating glycogenolytic activity, and during the subsequent undershoot after intense neuronal activity, when glycogenolysis may be stimulated by noradrenaline. Both elevated K(+) concentrations and several transmitters, including the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol and vasopressin increase free cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration in astrocytes, which stimulates phosphorylase kinase so that it activates the transformation of the inactive glycogen phosphorylase a to the active phosphorylase b. Contrary to common belief cyclic AMP plays at most a facilitatory role, and only when free cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration is also increased. Cyclic AMP is not increased during activation of glycogenolysis by either elevated K(+) concentrations or the stimulation of the serotonergic 5-HT(2B) receptor. Not all agents that stimulate glycogenolysis do so by directly activating phophorylase kinase--some do so by activating processes requiring glycogenolysis, e.g. for synthesis of glutamate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leif Hertz
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, China Medical University, No. 92 Beier Road, Heping District, 110001, Shenyang, Peoples' Republic of China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
DiNuzzo M, Mangia S, Maraviglia B, Giove F. Does abnormal glycogen structure contribute to increased susceptibility to seizures in epilepsy? Metab Brain Dis 2015; 30:307-16. [PMID: 24643875 PMCID: PMC4169361 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-014-9524-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a family of brain disorders with a largely unknown etiology and high percentage of pharmacoresistance. The clinical manifestations of epilepsy are seizures, which originate from aberrant neuronal synchronization and hyperexcitability. Reactive astrocytosis, a hallmark of the epileptic tissue, develops into loss-of-function of glutamine synthetase, impairment of glutamate-glutamine cycle and increase in extracellular and astrocytic glutamate concentration. Here, we argue that chronically elevated intracellular glutamate level in astrocytes is instrumental to alterations in the metabolism of glycogen and leads to the synthesis of polyglucosans. Unaccessibility of glycogen-degrading enzymes to these insoluble molecules compromises the glycogenolysis-dependent reuptake of extracellular K(+) by astrocytes, thereby leading to increased extracellular K(+) and associated membrane depolarization. Based on current knowledge, we propose that the deterioration in structural homogeneity of glycogen particles is relevant to disruption of brain K(+) homeostasis and increased susceptibility to seizures in epilepsy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro DiNuzzo
- MARBILab, Museo storico della fisica e Centro di studi e ricerche "Enrico Fermi", Rome, Italy,
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
DiNuzzo M, Mangia S, Maraviglia B, Giove F. Regulatory mechanisms for glycogenolysis and K+ uptake in brain astrocytes. Neurochem Int 2013; 63:458-64. [PMID: 23968961 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in brain energy metabolism support the notion that glycogen in astrocytes is necessary for the clearance of neuronally-released K(+) from the extracellular space. However, how the multiple metabolic pathways involved in K(+)-induced increase in glycogen turnover are regulated is only partly understood. Here we summarize the current knowledge about the mechanisms that control glycogen metabolism during enhanced K(+) uptake. We also describe the action of the ubiquitous Na(+)/K(+) ATPase for both ion transport and intracellular signaling cascades, and emphasize its importance in understanding the complex relation between glycogenolysis and K(+) uptake.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro DiNuzzo
- MARBILab, Museo storico della fisica e Centro di studi e ricerche "Enrico Fermi", Rome, Italy.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|