Exploring the multifaceted role of NRF2 in brain physiology and cancer: A comprehensive review

Chronic oxidative stress plays a critical role in the development of brain malignancies due to the high rate of brain oxygen utilization and concomitant production of reactive oxygen species. The nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2), a master regulator of antioxidant signaling, is a key factor in regulating brain physiology and the development of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Also, NRF2 is known to exert a protective antioxidant effect against the onset of oxidative stress-induced diseases, including cancer, along with its pro-oncogenic activities through regulating various signaling pathways and downstream target genes. In glioblastoma (GB), grade 4 glioma, tumor resistance, and recurrence are caused by the glioblastoma stem cell population constituting a small bulk of the tumor core. The persistence and self-renewal capacity of these cell populations is enhanced by NRF2 expression in GB tissues. This review outlines NRF2's dual involvement in cancer and highlights its regulatory role in human brain physiology and diseases, in addition to the development of primary brain tumors and therapeutic potential, with a focus on GB.

TGF-β promotes microtube formation in glioblastoma through thrombospondin 1

BACKGROUND

Microtubes (MTs), cytoplasmic extensions of glioma cells, are important cell communication structures promoting invasion and treatment resistance through network formation. MTs are abundant in chemoresistant gliomas, in particular glioblastomas (GBMs), while they are uncommon in chemosensitive IDH-mutant and 1p/19q co-deleted oligodendrogliomas. The aim of this study was to identify potential signaling pathways involved in MT formation.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analysis of TCGA was performed to analyze differences between GBM and oligodendroglioma. Patient-derived GBM stem cell lines were used to investigate microtube formation under TGF-βstimulation and inhibition in vitro and in vivo in an orthotopic xenograft model. RNA sequencing and proteomics were performed to detect commonalities and differences between GBM cell lines stimulated with TGF-β.

RESULTS

Analysis of TCGA data showed that the TGF-β pathway is highly activated in GBMs compared to oligodendroglial tumors. We demonstrated that TGF-β1 stimulation of GBM cell lines promotes enhanced MT formation and communication via Calcium signaling. Inhibition of the TGF-β pathway significantly reduced MT formation and its associated invasion in vitro and in vivo. Downstream of TGF-β, we identified thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) as a potential mediator of MT formation in GBM through SMAD activation. TSP1 was upregulated upon TGF- β stimulation and enhanced MT formation, which was inhibited by TSP1 shRNAs in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSION

TGF-β and its downstream mediator TSP1 are important mediators of the MT network in GBM and blocking this pathway could potentially help to break the complex MT driven invasion/ resistance network.

TMEM70 forms oligomeric scaffolds within mitochondrial cristae promoting in situ assembly of mammalian ATP synthase proton channel

Mitochondrial ATP-synthesis is catalyzed by a F1Fo-ATP synthase, an enzyme of dual genetic origin enriched at the edge of cristae where it plays a key role in their structure/stability. The enzyme's biogenesis remains poorly understood, both from a mechanistic and a compartmentalization point of view. The present study provides novel molecular insights into this process through investigations on a human protein called TMEM70 with an unclear role in the assembly of ATP synthase. A recent study has revealed the existence of physical interactions between TMEM70 and the subunit c (Su.c), a protein present in 8 identical copies forming a transmembrane oligomeric ring (c-ring) within the ATP synthase proton translocating domain (Fo). Herein we analyzed the ATP-synthase assembly in cells lacking TMEM70, mitochondrial DNA or F1 subunits and observe a direct correlation between TMEM70 and Su.c levels, regardless of the status of other ATP synthase subunits or of mitochondrial bioenergetics. Immunoprecipitation, two-dimensional blue-native/SDS-PAGE, and pulse-chase experiments reveal that TMEM70 forms large oligomers that interact with Su.c not yet incorporated into ATP synthase complexes. Moreover, discrete TMEM70-Su.c complexes with increasing Su.c contents can be detected, suggesting a role for TMEM70 oligomers in the gradual assembly of the c-ring. Furthermore, we demonstrate using expansion super-resolution microscopy the specific localization of TMEM70 at the inner cristae membrane, distinct from the MICOS component MIC60. Taken together, our results show that TMEM70 oligomers provide a scaffold for c-ring assembly and that mammalian ATP synthase is assembled within inner cristae membranes.

The Warburg Effect in Yeast: Repression of Mitochondrial Metabolism Is Not a Prerequisite to Promote Cell Proliferation

O. Warburg conducted one of the first studies on tumor energy metabolism. His early discoveries pointed out that cancer cells display a decreased respiration and an increased glycolysis proportional to the increase in their growth rate, suggesting that they mainly depend on fermentative metabolism for ATP generation. Warburg's results and hypothesis generated controversies that are persistent to this day. It is thus of great importance to understand the mechanisms by which cancer cells can reversibly regulate the two pathways of their energy metabolism as well as the functioning of this metabolism in cell proliferation. Here, we made use of yeast as a model to study the Warburg effect and its eventual function in allowing an increased ATP synthesis to support cell proliferation. The role of oxidative phosphorylation repression in this effect was investigated. We show that yeast is a good model to study the Warburg effect, where all parameters and their modulation in the presence of glucose can be reconstituted. Moreover, we show that in this model, mitochondria are not dysfunctional, but that there are fewer mitochondria respiratory chain units per cell. Identification of the molecular mechanisms involved in this process allowed us to dissociate the parameters involved in the Warburg effect and show that oxidative phosphorylation repression is not mandatory to promote cell growth. Last but not least, we were able to show that neither cellular ATP synthesis flux nor glucose consumption flux controls cellular growth rate.

Cell energy metabolism: An update

In living cells, growth is the result of coupling between substrate catabolism and multiple metabolic processes that take place during net biomass formation and maintenance processes. During growth, both ATP/ADP and NADH/NAD⁺ molecules play a key role. Cell energy metabolism hence refers to metabolic pathways involved in ATP synthesis linked to NADH turnover. Two main pathways are thus involved in cell energy metabolism: glycolysis/fermentation and oxidative phosphorylation. Glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation are intertwined through thermodynamic and kinetic constraints that are reviewed herein. Further, our current knowledge of short-term and long term regulation of cell energy metabolism will be reviewed using examples such as the Crabtree and the Warburg effect.

Epidermal hepcidin is required for neutrophil response to bacterial infection

Novel approaches for adjunctive therapy are urgently needed for complicated infections and patients with compromised immunity. Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a destructive skin and soft tissue infection. Despite treatment with systemic antibiotics and radical debridement of necrotic tissue, lethality remains high. The key iron regulatory hormone hepcidin was originally identified as a cationic antimicrobial peptide (AMP), but its putative expression and role in the skin, a major site of AMP production, have never been investigated. We report here that hepcidin production is induced in the skin of patients with group A Streptococcus (GAS) NF. In a GAS-induced NF model, mice lacking hepcidin in keratinocytes failed to restrict systemic spread of infection from an initial tissue focus. Unexpectedly, this effect was due to its ability to promote production of the CXCL1 chemokine by keratinocytes, resulting in neutrophil recruitment. Unlike CXCL1, hepcidin is resistant to degradation by major GAS proteases and could therefore serve as a reservoir to maintain steady-state levels of CXCL1 in infected tissue. Finally, injection of synthetic hepcidin at the site of infection can limit or completely prevent systemic spread of GAS infection, suggesting that hepcidin agonists could have a therapeutic role in NF.

"Labile" heme critically regulates mitochondrial biogenesis through the transcriptional co-activator Hap4p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Heme (iron protoporphyrin IX) is a well-known prosthetic group for enzymes involved in metabolic pathways such as oxygen transport and electron transfer through the mitochondrial respiratory chain. However, heme has also been shown to be an important regulatory molecule (as "labile" heme) for diverse processes such as translation, kinase activity, and transcription in mammals, yeast, and bacteria. Taking advantage of a yeast strain deficient for heme production that enabled controlled modulation and monitoring of labile heme levels, here we investigated the role of labile heme in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis. This process is regulated by the HAP complex in yeast. Using several biochemical assays along with EM and epifluorescence microscopy, to the best of our knowledge, we show for the first time that cellular labile heme is critical for the post-translational regulation of HAP complex activity, most likely through the stability of the transcriptional co-activator Hap4p. Consequently, we found that labile heme regulates mitochondrial biogenesis and cell growth. The findings of our work highlight a new mechanism in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis by cellular metabolites.

AMPK Activation Regulates LTBP4-Dependent TGF-β1 Secretion by Pro-inflammatory Macrophages and Controls Fibrosis in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Chronic inflammation and fibrosis characterize Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). We show that pro-inflammatory macrophages are associated with fibrosis in mouse and human DMD muscle. DMD-derived Ly6C^pos macrophages exhibit a profibrotic activity by sustaining fibroblast production of collagen I. This is mediated by the high production of latent-TGF-β1 due to the higher expression of LTBP4, for which polymorphisms are associated with the progression of fibrosis in DMD patients. Skewing macrophage phenotype via AMPK activation decreases ltbp4 expression by Ly6C^pos macrophages, blunts the production of latent-TGF-β1, and eventually reduces fibrosis and improves DMD muscle force. Moreover, fibro-adipogenic progenitors are the main providers of TGF-β-activating enzymes in mouse and human DMD, leading to collagen production by fibroblasts. In vivo pharmacological inhibition of TGF-β-activating enzymes improves the dystrophic phenotype. Thus, an AMPK-LTBP4 axis in inflammatory macrophages controls the production of TGF-β1, which is further activated by and acts on fibroblastic cells, leading to fibrosis in DMD.

High mobility group box 1 orchestrates tissue regeneration via CXCR4

Inflammation and tissue regeneration follow tissue damage, but little is known about how these processes are coordinated. Tirone et al. show that alternative redox forms of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), the “alarmin” signal released by damaged cells, trigger inflammation or tissue repair after injury by interacting with distinct receptors and that a nonoxidizable HMGB1 mutant promotes regeneration without exacerbating inflammation.

Inflammation and tissue regeneration follow tissue damage, but little is known about how these processes are coordinated. High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein that, when released on injury, triggers inflammation. We previously showed that HMGB1 with reduced cysteines is a chemoattractant, whereas a disulfide bond makes it a proinflammatory cytokine. Here we report that fully reduced HMGB1 orchestrates muscle and liver regeneration via CXCR4, whereas disulfide HMGB1 and its receptors TLR4/MD-2 and RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) are not involved. Injection of HMGB1 accelerates tissue repair by acting on resident muscle stem cells, hepatocytes, and infiltrating cells. The nonoxidizable HMGB1 mutant 3S, in which serines replace cysteines, promotes muscle and liver regeneration more efficiently than the wild-type protein and without exacerbating inflammation by selectively interacting with CXCR4. Overall, our results show that the reduced form of HMGB1 coordinates tissue regeneration and suggest that 3S may be used to safely accelerate healing after injury in diverse clinical contexts.

The WEE1 regulators CPEB1 and miR-15b switch from inhibitor to activators at G2/M

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in the AGO-containing RISC complex control messenger RNA (mRNA) translation by binding to mRNA 3' untranslated region (3'UTR). The relationship between miRNAs and other regulatory factors that also bind to mRNA 3'UTR, such as CPEB1 (cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein), remains elusive. We found that both CPEB1 and miR-15b control the expression of WEE1, a key mammalian cell cycle regulator. Together, they repress WEE1 protein expression during G1 and S-phase. Interestingly, the 2 factors lose their inhibitory activity at the G2/M transition, at the time of the cell cycle when WEE1 expression is maximal, and, moreover, rather activate WEE1 translation in a synergistic manner. Our data show that translational regulation by RISC and CPEB1 is essential in cell cycle control and, most importantly, is coordinated, and can be switched from inhibition to activation during the cell cycle.

Highly Dynamic Transcriptional Signature of Distinct Macrophage Subsets during Sterile Inflammation, Resolution, and Tissue Repair

Macrophage gene expression determines phagocyte responses and effector functions. Macrophage plasticity has been mainly addressed in in vitro models that do not account for the environmental complexity observed in vivo. In this study, we show that microarray gene expression profiling revealed a highly dynamic landscape of transcriptomic changes of Ly6C(pos)CX3CR1(lo) and Ly6C(neg)CX3CR1(hi) macrophage populations during skeletal muscle regeneration after a sterile damage. Systematic gene expression analysis revealed that the time elapsed, much more than Ly6C status, was correlated with the largest differential gene expression, indicating that the time course of inflammation was the predominant driving force of macrophage gene expression. Moreover, Ly6C(pos)/Ly6C(neg) subsets could not have been aligned to canonical M1/M2 profiles. Instead, a combination of analyses suggested the existence of four main features of muscle-derived macrophages specifying important steps of regeneration: 1) infiltrating Ly6C(pos) macrophages expressed acute-phase proteins and exhibited an inflammatory profile independent of IFN-γ, making them damage-associated macrophages; 2) metabolic changes of macrophages, characterized by a decreased glycolysis and an increased tricarboxylic acid cycle/oxidative pathway, preceded the switch to and sustained their anti-inflammatory profile; 3) Ly6C(neg) macrophages, originating from skewed Ly6C(pos) cells, actively proliferated; and 4) later on, restorative Ly6C(neg) macrophages were characterized by a novel profile, indicative of secretion of molecules involved in intercellular communications, notably matrix-related molecules. These results show the highly dynamic nature of the macrophage response at the molecular level after an acute tissue injury and subsequent repair, and associate a specific signature of macrophages to predictive specialized functions of macrophages at each step of tissue injury/repair.

Myeloid HIFs are dispensable for resolution of inflammation during skeletal muscle regeneration

Besides their role in cellular responses to hypoxia, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are involved in innate immunity and also have anti-inflammatory (M2) functions, such as resolution of inflammation preceding healing. Whereas the first steps of the inflammatory response are associated with proinflammatory (M1) macrophages (MPs), resolution of inflammation is associated with anti-inflammatory MPs exhibiting an M2 phenotype. This M1 to M2 sequence is observed during postinjury muscle regeneration, which provides an excellent paradigm to study the resolution of sterile inflammation. In this study, using in vitro and in vivo approaches in murine models, we demonstrated that deletion of hif1a or hif2a in MPs has no impact on the acquisition of an M2 phenotype. Furthermore, using a multiscale methodological approach, we showed that muscles did not require macrophagic hif1a or hif2a to regenerate. These results indicate that macrophagic HIFs do not play a crucial role during skeletal muscle regeneration induced by sterile tissue damage.

Myeloid HIF-1 is protective in Helicobacter pylori-mediated gastritis

Helicobacter pylori infection triggers chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa that may progress to gastric cancer. The hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are the central mediators of cellular adaptation to low oxygen levels (hypoxia), but they have emerged recently as major transcriptional regulators of immunity and inflammation. No studies have investigated whether H. pylori affects HIF signaling in immune cells and a potential role for HIF in H. pylori-mediated gastritis. HIF-1 and HIF-2 expression was examined in human H. pylori-positive gastritis biopsies. Subsequent experiments were performed in naive and polarized bone marrow-derived macrophages from wild-type (WT) and myeloid HIF-1α-null mice (HIF-1(Δmyel)). WT and HIF-1(Δmyel) mice were inoculated with H. pylori by oral gavage and sacrificed 6 mo postinfection. HIF-1 was specifically expressed in macrophages of human H. pylori-positive gastritis biopsies. Macrophage HIF-1 strongly contributed to the induction of proinflammatory genes (IL-6, IL-1β) and inducible NO synthase in response to H. pylori. HIF-2 expression and markers of M2 macrophage differentiation were decreased in response to H. pylori. HIF-1(Δmyel) mice inoculated with H. pylori for 6 mo presented with a similar bacterial colonization than WT mice but, surprisingly, a global increase of inflammation, leading to a worsening of the gastritis, measured by an increased epithelial cell proliferation. In conclusion, myeloid HIF-1 is protective in H. pylori-mediated gastritis, pointing to the complex counterbalancing roles of innate immune and inflammatory phenotypes in driving this pathology.

Post-transcriptional regulation of cyclins D1, D3 and G1 and proliferation of human cancer cells depend on IMP-3 nuclear localization

RNA-binding proteins of the IMP family (insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) mRNA-binding proteins 1-3) are important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Multiple studies have linked high expression of IMP proteins, and especially of IMP-3, to an unfavorable prognosis in numerous types of cancer. The specific importance of IMP-3 for cancer transformation remains poorly understood. We here show that all three IMPs can directly bind the mRNAs of cyclins D1, D3 and G1 (CCND1, D3 and G1) in vivo and in vitro, and yet only IMP-3 regulates the expression of these cyclins in a significant manner in six human cancer cell lines of different origins. In the absence of IMP-3, the levels of CCND1, D3 and G1 proteins fall dramatically, and the cells accumulate in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, leading to almost complete proliferation arrest. Our results show that, compared with IMP-1 and IMP-2, IMP-3 is enriched in the nucleus, where it binds the transcripts of CCND1, D3 and G1. The nuclear localization of IMP-3 depends on its protein partner HNRNPM and is indispensable for the post-transcriptional regulation of expression of the cyclins. Cytoplasmic retention of IMP-3 and HNRNPM in human cancer cells leads to significant drop in proliferation. In conclusion, a nuclear IMP-3-HNRNPM complex is important for the efficient synthesis of CCND1, D3 and G1 and for the proliferation of human cancer cells.

Monocyte/macrophage interactions with myogenic precursor cells during skeletal muscle regeneration

Adult skeletal muscle has the remarkable property of regenerating after damage, owing to satellite cells and myogenic precursor cells becoming committed to adult myogenesis to rebuild the muscle. This process is accompanied by the continuing presence of macrophages, from the phagocytosis of damaged myofibres to the full re-formation of new myofibres. In recent years, there has been huge progress in our understanding of the roles of macrophages during skeletal muscle regeneration, notably concerning their effects on myogenic precursor cells. Here, we review the most recent knowledge acquired on monocyte entry into damaged muscle, the various macrophage subpopulations, and their respective roles during the sequential phases of muscle repair. We also discuss the role of macrophages after exercise-induced muscle damage, notably in humans.

[Micro-RNAs and muscle differentiation]

Deciphering the mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle differentiation in mammals is an important challenge. Cell differentiation involves complex pathways regulated at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Recent observations have revealed the importance of small (20-25 base pairs) non-coding RNAs (microRNAs or miRNAs) that are expressed in both lower organisms and in mammals. miRNAs modulate gene expression by affecting mRNA translation or stability. In lower organisms, miRNAs are essential for cell differentiation during development; some miRNAs are involved in maintenance of the differentiated state. We have shown that miR-181, a microRNA that is strongly upregulated during differentiation, participates in establishing the muscle phenotype. Moreover, our results suggest that miR-181 downregulates the homeobox protein Hox-A11 (a repressor of the differentiation process), thus establishing a functional link between miR-181 and the complex process of mammalian skeletal muscle differentiation. Therefore, miRNAs can be involved in the establishment of a differentiated phenotype - even when they are not expressed in the corresponding fully differentiated tissue.

Lin-28 binds IGF-2 mRNA and participates in skeletal myogenesis by increasing translation efficiency

Lin-28 is a highly conserved, RNA-binding, microRNA-regulated protein that is involved in regulation of developmental timing in Caenorhabditis elegans. In mammals, Lin-28 is stage-specifically expressed in embryonic muscle, neurons, and epithelia, as well as in embryonic carcinoma cells, but is suppressed in most adult tissues, with the notable exception of skeletal and cardiac muscle. The specific function and mechanism of action of Lin-28 are not well understood. Here we used loss-of-function and gain-of-function assays in cultured myoblasts to show that expression of Lin-28 is essential for skeletal muscle differentiation in mice. In order to elucidate the specific function of Lin-28, we used a combination of biochemical and functional assays, which revealed that, in differentiating myoblasts, Lin-28 binds to the polysomes and increases the efficiency of protein synthesis. An important target of Lin-28 is IGF-2, a crucial growth and differentiation factor for muscle tissue. Interaction of Lin-28 with translation initiation complexes in skeletal myoblasts and in the embryonic carcinoma cell line P19 was confirmed by localization of Lin-28 to the stress granules, temporary structures that contain stalled mRNA-protein translation complexes. Our results unravel novel mechanisms of translational regulation in skeletal muscle and suggest that Lin-28 performs the role of "translational enhancer" in embryonic and adult cells and tissues.

Acetylation is important for MyoD function in adult mice

Acetylation is a post-translational modification that influences the activity of numerous proteins in vitro. Among them, the myogenic transcription factor MyoD shows an increased transcriptional activity in vitro when acetylated on two lysines (K): lysines 99 and 102. Here, we have investigated the biological relevance of this acetylation in vivo. Using specific antibodies, we show that endogenous MyoD is acetylated on lysines 99 and 102 in myoblasts. Moreover, we show the functional importance of acetylation in live animals by using a mutant of MyoD in which lysines 99 and 102 were replaced by arginines (R). Knock-in embryos homozygous for the MyoD(R99,102) allele expressed slightly reduced levels of MyoD but developed normally. However, the knock-in homozygous adult mice showed a phenotype that was almost identical to that of MyoD-knockout animals, including delayed muscle regeneration in vivo and an increased number of myoblasts but with reduced differentiation potential in vitro. Together, these results show the importance of MyoD acetylation for adult myogenesis.

The microRNA miR-181 targets the homeobox protein Hox-A11 during mammalian myoblast differentiation

Deciphering the mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle-cell differentiation in mammals is an important challenge. Cell differentiation involves complex pathways regulated at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Recent observations have revealed the importance of small (20-25 base pair) non-coding RNAs (microRNAs or miRNAs) that are expressed in both lower organisms and in mammals. miRNAs modulate gene expression by affecting mRNA translation or stability. In lower organisms, miRNAs are essential for cell differentiation during development; some miRNAs are involved in maintenance of the differentiated state. Here, we show that miR-181, a microRNA that is strongly upregulated during differentiation, participates in establishing the muscle phenotype. Moreover, our results suggest that miR-181 downregulates the homeobox protein Hox-A11 (a repressor of the differentiation process), thus establishing a functional link between miR-181 and the complex process of mammalian skeletal-muscle differentiation. Therefore, miRNAs can be involved in the establishment of a differentiated phenotype - even when they are not expressed in the corresponding fully differentiated tissue.

Complete loss of Fas ligand gene causes massive lymphoproliferation and early death, indicating a residual activity of gld allele

To investigate the in vivo function of Fas ligand (FasL), we produced a mouse strain with a FasL gene flanked by loxP sequences. Mice with homozygous floxed FasL gene showed no obvious abnormalities. However, germline deletion of the FasL gene, obtained after mating with mice expressing ubiquitous Cre recombinase, resulted in an unexpectedly severe phenotype. FasL(-/-) mice exhibited an extreme splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy associated with lymphocytic infiltration into multiple organs and autoimmune disease. This severe phenotype led to the premature death at 4 mo of age of >50% of the homozygous mice. It stands in sharp contrast with the milder disease observed in gld (generalized lymphoproliferative disease) mice, indicating that the FasL allele of these mice encodes a protein still able to bind, albeit at a very low level, the Fas receptor.

Genetic control of non obese diabetic mice susceptibility to high-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetes

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Streptozotocin is a monofunctional alkylating agent that induces diabetes in a large variety of mammals. While multiple low doses of streptozotocin induce immune-mediated diabetes, a single high dose of streptozotocin causes a strictly toxic diabetes. Among mouse strains, non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice are characterized by an extreme susceptibility to high dose of streptozotocin-induced diabetes whereas C3H/Or mice are particularly resistant. We hypothesized that NOD genes involved in high dose streptozotocin-induced diabetes could be also involved in the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells that characterizes this mouse strain which is a model of Type 1 diabetes.

METHODS

We carried out a whole genome linkage scan on a population of (C3H/Or x NOD) x NOD backcross 1 mice in order to identify the genetic loci involved in NOD susceptibility to high dose of streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

RESULTS

Two loci, in chromosome 9 (D9Mit135 marker, 48 cM) and in chromosome 11 (D11Mit286 marker, 52 cM), were associated with NOD susceptibility to high dose streptozotocin-induced diabetes, the latter being co-localized with the autoimmune diabetes-predisposing idd4 locus. Moreover, we report here that C57BL/6 mice deficient in Nitric Oxide Synthase 2 were as sensitive as wild-type C57BL/6 mice to high dose streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION

Although the Nitric Oxide Synthase 2 ( Nos2) gene, localized at 45.6 cM in chromosome 11, is a good candidate gene, our results suggest that Nitric Oxide Synthase 2 activation might not be a crucial event for streptozotocin-induced destruction of pancreatic beta cells.