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Fenizia S, Gaggini M, Vassalle C. Interplay between Vitamin D and Sphingolipids in Cardiometabolic Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17123. [PMID: 38069444 PMCID: PMC10706901 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242317123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids (SLs) are structural, bioactive molecules with several key cellular roles, whereas 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)D), the active form of vitamin D, is considered the major regulator of calcium homeostasis, although it also exerts other extraskeletal effects. Many studies reported the physiological connection between vitamin D and SLs, highlighting not only the effects of vitamin D on SL metabolism and signaling but also the influence of SLs on vitamin D levels and function, thus strongly suggesting a crosstalk between these molecules. After a brief description of 1,25(OH)D and SL metabolism, this review aims to discuss the preclinical and clinical evidence on the crosstalk between SLs and 1,25(OH)D, with a special focus on cardiometabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Fenizia
- Department of Sciences and Technological Innovation, University of Piemonte Orientale, Corso Trieste 15/A, I-28100 Novara, Italy;
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Corso Trieste 15/A, I-28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Melania Gaggini
- Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica, Italian National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Cristina Vassalle
- Fondazione CNR-Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
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2
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Fenizia S, Gaggini M, Vassalle C. The Sphingolipid-Signaling Pathway as a Modulator of Infection by SARS-CoV-2. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:7956-7973. [PMID: 37886946 PMCID: PMC10605018 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45100503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ceramides and other related sphingolipids, important cellular components linked to metabolic homeostasis and cardiometabolic diseases, have been found to be involved in different steps of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle. Hence, changes in their physiological levels are identified as predictors of COVID-19 severity and prognosis, as well as potential therapeutic targets. In this review, an overview of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle is given, followed by a description of the sphingolipid metabolism and its role in viral infection, with a particular focus on those steps required to finalize the viral life cycle. Furthermore, the use and development of pharmaceutical strategies to target sphingolipids to prevent and treat severe and long-term symptoms of infectious diseases, particularly COVID-19, are reviewed herein. Finally, research perspectives and current challenges in this research field are highlighted. Although many aspects of sphingolipid metabolism are not fully known, this review aims to highlight how the discovery and use of molecules targeting sphingolipids with reliable and selective properties may offer new therapeutic alternatives to infectious and other diseases, including COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Fenizia
- Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica, Italian National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Melania Gaggini
- Fondazione CNR-Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Vassalle
- Fondazione CNR-Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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Gaggini M, Fenizia S, Vassalle C. Sphingolipid Levels and Signaling via Resveratrol and Antioxidant Actions in Cardiometabolic Risk and Disease. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12051102. [PMID: 37237968 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12051102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Resveratrol (RSV) is a phenolic compound with strong antioxidant activity, which is generally associated with the beneficial effects of wine on human health. All resveratrol-mediated benefits exerted on different systems and pathophysiological conditions are possible through resveratrol's interactions with different biological targets, along with its involvement in several key cellular pathways affecting cardiometabolic (CM) health. With regard to its role in oxidative stress, RSV exerts its antioxidant activity not only as a free radical scavenger but also by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and regulating redox genes, nitric oxide bioavailability and mitochondrial function. Moreover, several studies have demonstrated that some RSV effects are mediated by changes in sphingolipids, a class of biolipids involved in a number of cellular functions (e.g., apoptosis, cell proliferation, oxidative stress and inflammation) that have attracted interest as emerging critical determinants of CM risk and disease. Accordingly, this review aimed to discuss the available data regarding the effects of RSV on sphingolipid metabolism and signaling in CM risk and disease, focusing on oxidative stress/inflammatory-related aspects, and the clinical implications of this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melania Gaggini
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Simona Fenizia
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Vassalle
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
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Cornuti S, Chen S, Lupori L, Finamore F, Carli F, Samad M, Fenizia S, Caldarelli M, Damiani F, Raimondi F, Mazziotti R, Magnan C, Rocchiccioli S, Gastaldelli A, Baldi P, Tognini P. Brain histone beta-hydroxybutyrylation couples metabolism with gene expression. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:28. [PMID: 36607453 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04673-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the impact of metabolic stimuli on brain tissue at a molecular level. The ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) can be a signaling molecule regulating gene transcription. Thus, we assessed lysine beta-hydroxybutyrylation (K-bhb) levels in proteins extracted from the cerebral cortex of mice undergoing a ketogenic metabolic challenge (48 h fasting). We found that fasting enhanced K-bhb in a variety of proteins including histone H3. ChIP-seq experiments showed that K9 beta-hydroxybutyrylation of H3 (H3K9-bhb) was significantly enriched by fasting on more than 8000 DNA loci. Transcriptomic analysis showed that H3K9-bhb on enhancers and promoters correlated with active gene expression. One of the most enriched functional annotations both at the epigenetic and transcriptional level was "circadian rhythms''. Indeed, we found that the diurnal oscillation of specific transcripts was modulated by fasting at distinct zeitgeber times both in the cortex and suprachiasmatic nucleus. Moreover, specific changes in locomotor activity daily features were observed during re-feeding after 48-h fasting. Thus, our results suggest that fasting remarkably impinges on the cerebral cortex transcriptional and epigenetic landscape, and BHB acts as a powerful epigenetic molecule in the brain through direct and specific histone marks remodeling in neural tissue cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Cornuti
- Bio@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
| | - Siwei Chen
- Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | | | - Francesco Finamore
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabrizia Carli
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy
| | - Muntaha Samad
- Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Simona Fenizia
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy
| | - Matteo Caldarelli
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Raffaele Mazziotti
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Christophe Magnan
- Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | | | - Amalia Gastaldelli
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pierre Baldi
- Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Paola Tognini
- Bio@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy. .,Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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Fenizia S, Weissflog J, Pohnert G. Cysteinolic Acid Is a Widely Distributed Compatible Solute of Marine Microalgae. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:md19120683. [PMID: 34940682 PMCID: PMC8703288 DOI: 10.3390/md19120683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytoplankton rely on bioactive zwitterionic and highly polar small metabolites with osmoregulatory properties to compensate changes in the salinity of the surrounding seawater. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a main representative of this class of metabolites. Salinity-dependent DMSP biosynthesis and turnover contribute significantly to the global sulfur cycle. Using advanced chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques that enable the detection of highly polar metabolites, we identified cysteinolic acid as an additional widely distributed polar metabolite in phytoplankton. Cysteinolic acid belongs to the class of marine sulfonates, metabolites that are commonly produced by algae and consumed by bacteria. It was detected in all dinoflagellates, haptophytes, diatoms and prymnesiophytes that were surveyed. We quantified the metabolite in different phytoplankton taxa and revealed that the cellular content can reach even higher concentrations than the ubiquitous DMSP. The cysteinolic acid concentration in the cells of the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii increases significantly when grown in a medium with elevated salinity. In contrast to the compatible solute ectoine, cysteinolic acid is also found in high concentrations in axenic algae, indicating biosynthesis by the algae and not the associated bacteria. Therefore, we add this metabolite to the family of highly polar metabolites with osmoregulatory characteristics produced by phytoplankton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Fenizia
- Bioorganic Analytics, Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743 Jena, Germany;
- MPG Fellow Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany;
| | - Jerrit Weissflog
- MPG Fellow Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany;
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Bioorganic Analytics, Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743 Jena, Germany;
- MPG Fellow Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany;
- Correspondence:
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Vallet M, Kaftan F, Grabe V, Ghaderiardakani F, Fenizia S, Svatoš A, Pohnert G, Wichard T. A new glance at the chemosphere of macroalgal-bacterial interactions: In situ profiling of metabolites in symbiosis by mass spectrometry. Beilstein J Org Chem 2021; 17:1313-1322. [PMID: 34136011 PMCID: PMC8182680 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.17.91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiosis is a dominant form of life that has been observed numerous times in marine ecosystems. For example, macroalgae coexist with bacteria that produce factors that promote algal growth and morphogenesis. The green macroalga Ulva mutabilis (Chlorophyta) develops into a callus-like phenotype in the absence of its essential bacterial symbionts Roseovarius sp. MS2 and Maribacter sp. MS6. Spatially resolved studies are required to understand symbiont interactions at the microscale level. Therefore, we used mass spectrometry profiling and imaging techniques with high spatial resolution and sensitivity to gain a new perspective on the mutualistic interactions between bacteria and macroalgae. Using atmospheric pressure scanning microprobe matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation high-resolution mass spectrometry (AP-SMALDI-HRMS), low-molecular-weight polar compounds were identified by comparative metabolomics in the chemosphere of Ulva. Choline (2-hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethylethan-1-aminium) was only determined in the alga grown under axenic conditions, whereas ectoine (1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidinecarboxylic acid) was found in bacterial presence. Ectoine was used as a metabolic marker for localisation studies of Roseovarius sp. within the tripartite community because it was produced exclusively by these bacteria. By combining confocal laser scanning microscopy (cLSM) and AP-SMALDI-HRMS, we proved that Roseovarius sp. MS2 settled mainly in the rhizoidal zone (holdfast) of U. mutabilis. Our findings provide the fundament to decipher bacterial symbioses with multicellular hosts in aquatic ecosystems in an ecologically relevant context. As a versatile tool for microbiome research, the combined AP-SMALDI and cLSM imaging analysis with a resolution to level of a single bacterial cell can be easily applied to other microbial consortia and their hosts. The novelty of this contribution is the use of an in situ setup designed to avoid all types of external contamination and interferences while resolving spatial distributions of metabolites and identifying specific symbiotic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Vallet
- Research Group Phytoplankton Community Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Filip Kaftan
- Research Group Mass Spectrometry/Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Veit Grabe
- Research Group Olfactory Coding, Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Fatemeh Ghaderiardakani
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Simona Fenizia
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Aleš Svatoš
- Research Group Mass Spectrometry/Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Research Group Phytoplankton Community Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.,Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.,Microverse Cluster, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Wichard
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
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Fenizia S, Thume K, Wirgenings M, Pohnert G. Ectoine from Bacterial and Algal Origin Is a Compatible Solute in Microalgae. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:E42. [PMID: 31935955 PMCID: PMC7024275 DOI: 10.3390/md18010042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Osmoregulation in phytoplankton is attributed to several highly polar low-molecular-weight metabolites. A widely accepted model considers dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) as the most important and abundant osmotically active metabolite. Using an optimized procedure for the extraction and detection of highly polar metabolites, we expand the group of phytoplankton osmolytes by identifying ectoine in several microalgae. Ectoine is known as a bacterial compatible solute, but, to the best of our knowledge, was never considered as a phytoplankton-derived product. Given the ability of microalgae to take up zwitterions, such as DMSP, we tested the hypothesis that the algal ectoine is derived from associated bacteria. We therefore analyzed methanol extracts of xenic and axenic cultures of two different species of microalgae and could detect elevated concentrations of ectoine in those that harbor associated bacteria. However, also microalgae without an associated microbiome contain ectoine in smaller amounts, pointing towards a dual origin of this metabolite in the algae from their own biosynthesis as well as from uptake. We also tested the role of ectoine in the osmoadaptation of microalgae. In the model diatoms Thalassiosira weissflogii and Phaeodactylum tricornutum, elevated amounts of ectoine were found when cultivated in seawater with salinities of 50 PSU compared to the standard culture conditions of 35 PSU. Therefore, we add ectoine to the family of osmoadaptive metabolites in phytoplankton and prove a new, potentially synergistic metabolic interplay of bacteria and algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Fenizia
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich Schiller University, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743 Jena, Germany; (S.F.); (K.T.); (M.W.)
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Kathleen Thume
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich Schiller University, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743 Jena, Germany; (S.F.); (K.T.); (M.W.)
| | - Marino Wirgenings
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich Schiller University, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743 Jena, Germany; (S.F.); (K.T.); (M.W.)
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich Schiller University, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743 Jena, Germany; (S.F.); (K.T.); (M.W.)
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
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