Cucurbitane Glucosides from the Crude Extract of Siraitia grosvenorii with Moderate Effects on PGC-1α Promoter Activity

Seven new cucurbitane glucosides, 11-oxomogrosides III E and IV (1 and 2), 11-oxoisomogroside V (3), 7-oxomogrosides III E and IV (4 and 5), and mogrosides VI A and VI B (6 and 7), were separated from the crude extract of Siraitia grosvenorii. The new structures were defined by analysis of their ¹H and ¹³C NMR, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS data. Especially, the band-selective constant time HSQC and band-selective constant time HMBC techniques were recuited to elucidate the structures of the complex glucoside moieties. Using the PGC-1α promoter driven luciferase reporter assay, the isolated compounds were examined for PGC-1α promoter activity.

Inhibition of Adhesion Molecule Gene Expression and Cell Adhesion by the Metabolic Regulator PGC-1α

Cell adhesion plays an important role in determining cell shape and function in a variety of physiological and pathophysiological conditions. While links between metabolism and cell adhesion were previously suggested, the exact context and molecular details of such a cross-talk remain incompletely understood. Here we show that PGC-1α, a pivotal transcriptional co-activator of metabolic gene expression, acts to inhibit expression of cell adhesion genes. Using cell lines, primary cells and mice, we show that both endogenous and exogenous PGC-1α down-regulate expression of a variety of cell adhesion molecules. Furthermore, results obtained using mRNA stability measurements as well as intronic RNA expression are consistent with a transcriptional effect of PGC-1α on cell adhesion gene expression. Interestingly, the L2/L3 motifs of PGC-1α, necessary for nuclear hormone receptor activation, are only partly required for inhibition of several cell adhesion genes by PGC-1α. Finally, PGC-1α is able to modulate adhesion of primary fibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells to extracellular matrix proteins. Our results delineate a cross talk between a central pathway controlling metabolic regulation and cell adhesion, and identify PGC-1α as a molecular link between these two major cellular networks.