The long noncoding RNA ADIPINT regulates human adipocyte metabolism via pyruvate carboxylase

Effect of LncRNA LOC106505926 on myogenesis and Lipogenesis of porcine primary cells

BACKGROUND

Skeletal muscle development and fat deposition have important effects on meat quality. The study of regulating skeletal muscle development and fat deposition is of great significance in improving the quality of carcass and meat. In the present study, whole transcriptome sequencing (including RNA-Seq and miRNA-Seq) was performed on the longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) of Jinfen White pigs at 1, 90, and 180 days of age.

RESULTS

The results showed that a total of 245 differentially expressed miRNAs were screened in any two comparisons, which may be involved in the regulation of myogenesis. Among them, compared with 1-day-old group, miR-22-5p was significantly up-regulated in 90-day-old group and 180-day-old group. Functional studies demonstrated that miR-22-5p inhibited the proliferation and differentiation of porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells (PSCs). Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LOC106505926 and CXXC5 gene had strong negative correlations with miR-22-5p. The LOC106505926 and CXXC5 were proven to promote the proliferation and differentiation of PSCs, as opposed to miR-22-5p. In terms of mechanism, LOC106505926 functions as a molecular sponge of miR-22-5p to modulate the expression of CXXC5, thereby inhibits the differentiation of PSCs. In addition, LOC106505926 regulates the differentiation of porcine preadipocytes through direct binding with FASN.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our results highlight the multifaceted regulatory role of LOC106505926 in controlling skeletal muscle and adipose tissue development in pigs and provide new targets for improving the quality of livestock products by regulating skeletal muscle development and fat deposition.

A modified cultivation strategy to enhance biomass production and lipid accumulation of Tetradesmus obliquus FACHB-14 with copper stress and light quality induction

In this study, a two-stage culture strategy was refined to concurrently enhance the growth and lipid accumulation of Tetradesmus obliquus. The results unveiled that, during the initial stage, the optimal conditions for biomass accumulation were achieved with 0.02 mg·L-1 Cu2+ concentration and red light. Under these conditions, biomass accumulation reached 0.628 g·L-1, marking a substantial 23.62 % increase compared to the control group. In the second stage, the optimal conditions for lipid accumulation were identified as 0.5 mg·L-1 Cu2+ concentration and red light, achieving 64.25 mg·g-1·d-1 and marking a 128.38 % increase over the control. Furthermore, the fatty acid analysis results revealed an 18.85 % increase in the saturated fatty acid content, indicating enhanced combustion performance of microalgae cultivated under the dual stress of red light and 0.5 mg·L-1 Cu2+. This study offers insights into the potential application of Tetradesmus obliquus in biofuel production.

Epigenetic modifications in obesity-associated diseases

The global prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic levels, significantly elevating the susceptibility to various cardiometabolic conditions and certain types of cancer. In addition to causing metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance (IR), elevated blood glucose and lipids, and ectopic fat deposition, obesity can also damage pancreatic islet cells, endothelial cells, and cardiomyocytes through chronic inflammation, and even promote the development of a microenvironment conducive to cancer initiation. Improper dietary habits and lack of physical exercise are important behavioral factors that increase the risk of obesity, which can affect gene expression through epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic alterations can occur in early stage of obesity, some of which are reversible, while others persist over time and lead to obesity-related complications. Therefore, the dynamic adjustability of epigenetic modifications can be leveraged to reverse the development of obesity-associated diseases through behavioral interventions, drugs, and bariatric surgery. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the impact of epigenetic regulation on the initiation and development of obesity-associated cancers, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, establishing a theoretical basis for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions.

Current advancements and future perspectives of long noncoding RNAs in lipid metabolism and signaling

BACKGROUND

The investigation of lncRNAs has provided a novel perspective for elucidating mechanisms underlying diverse physiological and pathological processes. Compelling evidence has revealed an intrinsic link between lncRNAs and lipid metabolism, demonstrating that lncRNAs-induced disruption of lipid metabolism and signaling contribute to the development of multiple cancers and some other diseases, including obesity, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease.

AIMOF REVIEW

The current review summarizes the recent advances in basic research about lipid metabolism and lipid signaling-related lncRNAs. Meanwhile, the potential and challenges of targeting lncRNA for the therapy of cancers and other lipid metabolism-related diseases are also discussed.

KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT OF REVIEW

Compared with the substantial number of lncRNA loci, we still know little about the role of lncRNAs in metabolism. A more comprehensive understanding of the function and mechanism of lncRNAs may provide a new standpoint for the study of lipid metabolism and signaling. Developing lncRNA-based therapeutic approaches is an effective strategy for lipid metabolism-related diseases.

Protein-RNA interactions: from mass spectrometry to drug discovery

Proteins and RNAs are fundamental parts of biological systems, and their interactions affect many essential cellular processes. Therefore, it is crucial to understand at a molecular and at a systems level how proteins and RNAs form complexes and mutually affect their functions. In the present mini-review, we will first provide an overview of different mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods to study the RNA-binding proteome (RBPome), most of which are based on photochemical cross-linking. As we will show, some of these methods are also able to provide higher-resolution information about binding sites, which are important for the structural characterisation of protein-RNA interactions. In addition, classical structural biology techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and biophysical methods such as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and fluorescence-based methods contribute to a detailed understanding of the interactions between these two classes of biomolecules. We will discuss the relevance of such interactions in the context of the formation of membrane-less organelles (MLOs) by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) processes and their emerging importance as targets for drug discovery.

A Wrong Fate Decision in Adipose Stem Cells upon Obesity

Progress has been made in identifying stem cell aging as a pathological manifestation of a variety of diseases, including obesity. Adipose stem cells (ASCs) play a core role in adipocyte turnover, which maintains tissue homeostasis. Given aberrant lineage determination as a feature of stem cell aging, failure in adipogenesis is a culprit of adipose hypertrophy, resulting in adiposopathy and related complications. In this review, we elucidate how ASC fails in entering adipogenic lineage, with a specific focus on extracellular signaling pathways, epigenetic drift, metabolic reprogramming, and mechanical stretch. Nonetheless, such detrimental alternations can be reversed by guiding ASCs towards adipogenesis. Considering the pathological role of ASC aging in obesity, targeting adipogenesis as an anti-obesity treatment will be a key area of future research, and a strategy to rejuvenate tissue stem cell will be capable of alleviating metabolic syndrome.

Genome-wide identification of lncRNAs associated with viral infection in Spodoptera frugiperda

The role of lncRNAs in immune defence has been demonstrated in many multicellular and unicellular organisms. However, investigation of the identification and characterization of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in the insect immune response is still limited. In this study, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate the expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs in the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda in response to virus infection. To assess the tissue- and virus-specificity of lncRNAs, we analysed and compared their expression profiles in haemocytes and fat body of larvae infected with two entomopathogenic viruses with different lifestyles, i.e. the polydnavirus HdIV (Hyposoter didymator IchnoVirus) and the densovirus JcDV (Junonia coenia densovirus). We identified 1883 candidate lncRNAs, of which 529 showed differential expression following viral infection. Expression profiles differed considerably between samples, indicating that many differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs showed virus- and tissue-specific expression patterns. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment and target prediction analyses indicated that DE-LncRNAs were mainly enriched in metabolic process, DNA replication and repair, immune response, metabolism of insect hormone and cell adhesion. In addition, we identified three DE-lncRNAs potentially acting as microRNA host genes, suggesting that they participate in gene regulation by producing miRNAs in response to virus infection. This study provides a catalogue of lncRNAs expressed in two important immune tissues and potential insight into their roles in the antiviral defence in S. frugiperda. The results may help future in-depth functional studies to better understand the biological function of lncRNAs in interaction between viruses and the fall armyworm.

Potential Involvement of LncRNAs in Cardiometabolic Diseases

Characterized by cardiovascular disease and diabetes, cardiometabolic diseases are a major cause of mortality around the world. As such, there is an urgent need to understand the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases. Increasing evidence suggests that most of the mammalian genome are transcribed as RNA, but only a few percent of them encode for proteins. All of the RNAs that do not encode for proteins are collectively called non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Among these ncRNAs, long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) are considered as missing keys to understand the pathogeneses of various diseases, including cardiometabolic diseases. Given the increased interest in lncRNAs, in this study, we will summarize the latest trend in the lncRNA research from the perspective of cardiometabolism and disease by focusing on the major risk factors of cardiometabolic diseases: obesity, cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension. Because genetic inheritance is unavoidable in cardiometabolic diseases, we paid special attention to the genetic factors of lncRNAs that may influence cardiometabolic diseases.

Long Noncoding RNAs in the Pathogenesis of Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance (IR), designated as the blunted response of insulin target tissues to physiological level of insulin, plays crucial roles in the development and progression of diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and other diseases. So far, the distinct mechanism(s) of IR still needs further exploration. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a class of non-protein coding RNA molecules with a length greater than 200 nucleotides. LncRNAs are widely involved in many biological processes including cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis and metabolism. More recently, there has been increasing evidence that lncRNAs participated in the pathogenesis of IR, and the dysregulated lncRNA profile played important roles in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases including obesity, diabetes and NAFLD. For example, the lncRNAs MEG3, H19, MALAT1, GAS5, lncSHGL and several other lncRNAs have been shown to regulate insulin signaling and glucose/lipid metabolism in various tissues. In this review, we briefly introduced the general features of lncRNA and the methods for lncRNA research, and then summarized and discussed the recent advances on the roles and mechanisms of lncRNAs in IR, particularly focused on liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissues.

Comprehensive analysis of epigenomics and transcriptome data to identify potential target genes associated with obesity

DNA methylation is closely related to the occurrence and development of many diseases, but its role in obesity is still unclear. This study aimed to find the potential differentially methylated genes associated with obesity occurrence and development. By combining methylation and transcriptome analysis, we identified the key genes in adipose tissue affecting the occurrence and development of obesity and revealed the possible molecular mechanisms involved in obesity pathogenesis. We first screened 14 methylation-related differential genes and verified their expression in adipose tissue by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Seven genes with the same expression pattern were identified as key genes, namely, CCRL2, GPT, LGALS12, PC, SLC27A2, SLC4A4, and TTC36. Then, the immune microenvironment of adipose tissue was quantified by CIBERSORT, and we found that the content of M0 macrophages and T follicular helper cells in adipose tissue was significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in the obese group. Furthermore, the relationship between key genes and the immune microenvironment was analyzed. Additionally, the metabolic pathway activity of each sample was calculated based on the ssGSEA algorithm, and the key gene–metabolic network was constructed. Moreover, we performed a CMAP analysis based on the differential genes in adipose tissue to screen out drugs potentially effective in obesity treatment. In conclusion, we identified seven methylation-related key genes closely related to obesity pathogenesis and explored the potential mechanism of their role in obesity. This study provided novel insights into the molecular mechanisms and management of obesity.