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Nature Sep 2023Insulin resistance is the primary pathophysiology underlying metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Previous metagenomic studies have described the characteristics of...
Insulin resistance is the primary pathophysiology underlying metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Previous metagenomic studies have described the characteristics of gut microbiota and their roles in metabolizing major nutrients in insulin resistance. In particular, carbohydrate metabolism of commensals has been proposed to contribute up to 10% of the host's overall energy extraction, thereby playing a role in the pathogenesis of obesity and prediabetes. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we investigate this relationship using a comprehensive multi-omics strategy in humans. We combine unbiased faecal metabolomics with metagenomics, host metabolomics and transcriptomics data to profile the involvement of the microbiome in insulin resistance. These data reveal that faecal carbohydrates, particularly host-accessible monosaccharides, are increased in individuals with insulin resistance and are associated with microbial carbohydrate metabolisms and host inflammatory cytokines. We identify gut bacteria associated with insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity that show a distinct pattern of carbohydrate metabolism, and demonstrate that insulin-sensitivity-associated bacteria ameliorate host phenotypes of insulin resistance in a mouse model. Our study, which provides a comprehensive view of the host-microorganism relationships in insulin resistance, reveals the impact of carbohydrate metabolism by microbiota, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for ameliorating insulin resistance.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mice; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Insulin Resistance; Monosaccharides; Insulin; Metabolic Syndrome; Feces; Metabolomics
PubMed: 37648852
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06466-x -
Nature Communications Sep 2023MAVS is an adapter protein involved in RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) signaling in mitochondria, peroxisomes, and mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAMs). However, the...
MAVS is an adapter protein involved in RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) signaling in mitochondria, peroxisomes, and mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAMs). However, the role of MAVS in glucose metabolism and RLR signaling cross-regulation and how these signaling pathways are coordinated among these organelles have not been defined. This study reports that RLR action drives a switch from glycolysis to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) through MAVS. We show that peroxisomal MAVS is responsible for glucose flux shift into PPP and type III interferon (IFN) expression, whereas MAMs-located MAVS is responsible for glucose flux shift into HBP and type I IFN expression. Mechanistically, peroxisomal MAVS interacts with G6PD and the MAVS signalosome forms at peroxisomes by recruiting TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1). By contrast, MAMs-located MAVS interact with glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate transaminase, and the MAVS signalosome forms at MAMs by recruiting TRAF6 and TRAF2. Our findings suggest that MAVS mediates the interaction of RLR signaling and glucose metabolism.
Topics: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Glucose; Glycolysis; Hexosamines; Pentose Phosphate Pathway; TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6; Humans; Animals; Mice; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 37660168
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41028-9 -
Nature Communications Oct 2023Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a transmembrane protein that is predominantly expressed by microglia in the brain. The proteolytic shedding...
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a transmembrane protein that is predominantly expressed by microglia in the brain. The proteolytic shedding of TREM2 results in the release of soluble TREM2 (sTREM2), which is increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). It remains unknown whether sTREM2 regulates the pathogenesis of AD. Here we identified transgelin-2 (TG2) expressed on neurons as the receptor for sTREM2. The microglia-derived sTREM2 binds to TG2, induces RhoA phosphorylation at S188, and deactivates the RhoA-ROCK-GSK3β pathway, ameliorating tau phosphorylation. The sTREM2 (77-89) fragment, which is the minimal active sequence of sTREM2 to activate TG2, mimics the inhibitory effect of sTREM2 on tau phosphorylation. Overexpression of sTREM2 or administration of the active peptide rescues tau pathology and behavioral defects in the tau P301S transgenic mice. Together, these findings demonstrate that the sTREM2-TG2 interaction mediates the cross-talk between microglia and neurons. sTREM2 and its active peptide may be a potential therapeutic intervention for tauopathies including AD.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Humans; Alzheimer Disease; Phosphorylation; Mice, Transgenic; Peptides; Cognition; tau Proteins; Biomarkers; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Membrane Glycoproteins; Receptors, Immunologic
PubMed: 37865646
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42505-x -
Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) May 2024The renin-angiotensin system is the most important peptide hormone system in the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis. Its classical arm consists of the enzymes,... (Review)
Review
The renin-angiotensin system is the most important peptide hormone system in the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis. Its classical arm consists of the enzymes, renin, and angiotensin-converting enzyme, generating angiotensin II from angiotensinogen, which activates its AT receptor, thereby increasing blood pressure, retaining salt and water, and inducing cardiovascular hypertrophy and fibrosis. However, angiotensin II can also activate a second receptor, the AT receptor. Moreover, the removal of the C-terminal phenylalanine from angiotensin II by ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) yields angiotensin-(1-7), and this peptide interacts with its receptor Mas. When the aminoterminal Asp of angiotensin-(1-7) is decarboxylated, alamandine is generated, which activates the Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor D, MrgD (Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor type D). Since Mas, MrgD, and the AT receptor have opposing effects to the classical AT receptor, they and the enzymes and peptides activating them are called the alternative or protective arm of the renin-angiotensin system. This review will cover the historical aspects and the current standing of this recent addition to the biology of the renin-angiotensin system.
Topics: Angiotensin I; Angiotensin II; Peptide Fragments; Peptides; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Renin; Renin-Angiotensin System; Humans
PubMed: 38362781
DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.21364 -
Nature Oct 2023Lysine residues in histones and other proteins can be modified by post-translational modifications that encode regulatory information. Lysine acetylation and methylation...
Lysine residues in histones and other proteins can be modified by post-translational modifications that encode regulatory information. Lysine acetylation and methylation are especially important for regulating chromatin and gene expression. Pathways involving these post-translational modifications are targets for clinically approved therapeutics to treat human diseases. Lysine methylation and acetylation are generally assumed to be mutually exclusive at the same residue. Here we report cellular lysine residues that are both methylated and acetylated on the same side chain to form N-acetyl-N-methyllysine (Kacme). We show that Kacme is found on histone H4 (H4Kacme) across a range of species and across mammalian tissues. Kacme is associated with marks of active chromatin, increased transcriptional initiation and is regulated in response to biological signals. H4Kacme can be installed by enzymatic acetylation of monomethyllysine peptides and is resistant to deacetylation by some HDACs in vitro. Kacme can be bound by chromatin proteins that recognize modified lysine residues, as we demonstrate with the crystal structure of acetyllysine-binding protein BRD2 bound to a histone H4Kacme peptide. These results establish Kacme as a cellular post-translational modification with the potential to encode information distinct from methylation and acetylation alone and demonstrate that Kacme has all the hallmarks of a post-translational modification with fundamental importance to chromatin biology.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Acetylation; Chromatin; Histones; Lysine; Methylation; Peptides; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Transcription Initiation Site; Histone Deacetylases
PubMed: 37731000
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06565-9 -
Adipocyte Dec 2023Adipokines are proteins secreted by adipose tissue to regulate glucolipid metabolism and play vital roles in our body. Different adipokines have more than one endocrine...
Adipokines are proteins secreted by adipose tissue to regulate glucolipid metabolism and play vital roles in our body. Different adipokines have more than one endocrine function and be divided into several different categories according to their functions, including adipokines involved in glucolipid metabolism, the inflammatory response, insulin action, activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and appetite regulation. Multiple adipokines interact with each other to regulate metabolic processes. Based on the recent progress of adipokine research, this article discusses the role and mechanism of various adipokines in glucolipid metabolism, which may provide new ideas for understanding the pathogenesis and improving the treatment of various metabolic diseases.
Topics: Adipokines; Glucose; Lipid Metabolism; Adipose Tissue; Adipose Tissue, Brown; Energy Metabolism; Leptin
PubMed: 37077042
DOI: 10.1080/21623945.2023.2202976 -
Theranostics 2023Recent studies indicate that microglial activation and the resulting inflammatory response could be potential targets of adjuvant therapy for ischemic stroke. Many...
Recent studies indicate that microglial activation and the resulting inflammatory response could be potential targets of adjuvant therapy for ischemic stroke. Many studies have emphasized a well-established function of Annexin-A1 (ANXA1) in the immune system, including the regulation of microglial activation. Nevertheless, few therapeutic interventions targeting ANXA1 in microglia for ischemic stroke have been conducted. In the present study, Tat-NTS, a small peptide developed to prevent ANXA1 from entering the nucleus, was utilized. We discovered the underlying mechanism that Tat-NTS peptide targets microglial ANXA1 to protect against ischemic brain injury. Preclinical studies of ischemic stroke were performed using an oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) cell model in vitro and the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) animal model of ischemic stroke in vivo. Confocal imaging and 3D reconstruction analyses for detecting the protein expression and subcellular localization of microglia in vivo. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), immunoblotting, ELISA, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Luciferase reporter assay for determining the precise molecular mechanism. Measurement on the cytotoxicity of Tat-NTS peptide for microglia was assessed by CCK-8 and LDH assay. TUNEL staining was used to detect the microglia conditioned medium-mediated neuronal apoptosis. Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) were injected into the cerebral cortex, striatum and hippocampal CA1 region of adult male Cx3cr1-Cre mice, to further verify the neurofunctional outcome and mechanism of Tat-NTS peptide by TTC staining, the modified Neurological Severity Score (mNSS) test, the open field test (OFT), the novel object recognition task (NORT), the Morris water maze (MWM) test, the long-term potentiation (LTP) and the Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was observed that administration of Tat-NTS led to a shift of subcellular localization of ANXA1 in microglia from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in response to ischemic injury. Notably, this shift was accompanied by an increase in ANXA1 SUMOylation in microglia and a transformation of microglia towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. We confirmed that Tat-NTS-induced ANXA1 SUMOylation in microglia mediated IKKα degradation via NBR1-dependent selective autophagy, then blocking the activation of the NF-κB pathway. As a result, the expression and release of the pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β and TNF-α were reduced in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Furthermore, we found that Tat-NTS peptide's protective effect on microglia relieved ischemic neuron apoptosis. Finally, we demonstrated that Tat-NTS peptide administration, through induction of ANXA1 SUMOylation in microglia, reduced infarct volume, improved neurological function and facilitated behavioral recovery in MCAO mice. Our study provides evidence for a novel mechanism of Tat-NTS peptide in regulating microglial ANXA1 function and its substantial neuroprotective effect on neurons with ischemic injuries. These findings suggest that Tat-NTS peptides have a high potential for clinical application and may be a promising therapeutic candidate for treating cerebral ischemia.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Male; Microglia; Annexin A1; Sumoylation; Brain Ischemia; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery; Peptides; Ischemic Stroke; Reperfusion Injury; Neurons
PubMed: 37908731
DOI: 10.7150/thno.85390 -
Phosphorylation of phase-separated p62 bodies by ULK1 activates a redox-independent stress response.The EMBO Journal Jul 2023NRF2 is a transcription factor responsible for antioxidant stress responses that is usually regulated in a redox-dependent manner. p62 bodies formed by liquid-liquid...
NRF2 is a transcription factor responsible for antioxidant stress responses that is usually regulated in a redox-dependent manner. p62 bodies formed by liquid-liquid phase separation contain Ser349-phosphorylated p62, which participates in the redox-independent activation of NRF2. However, the regulatory mechanism and physiological significance of p62 phosphorylation remain unclear. Here, we identify ULK1 as a kinase responsible for the phosphorylation of p62. ULK1 colocalizes with p62 bodies, directly interacting with p62. ULK1-dependent phosphorylation of p62 allows KEAP1 to be retained within p62 bodies, thus activating NRF2. p62 mice are phosphomimetic knock-in mice in which Ser351, corresponding to human Ser349, is replaced by Glu. These mice, but not their phosphodefective p62 counterparts, exhibit NRF2 hyperactivation and growth retardation. This retardation is caused by malnutrition and dehydration due to obstruction of the esophagus and forestomach secondary to hyperkeratosis, a phenotype also observed in systemic Keap1-knockout mice. Our results expand our understanding of the physiological importance of the redox-independent NRF2 activation pathway and provide new insights into the role of phase separation in this process.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1; Phosphorylation; Sequestosome-1 Protein; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative Stress; Autophagy; Autophagy-Related Protein-1 Homolog; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
PubMed: 37306101
DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022113349 -
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine... Aug 2023Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP)-targeting radioligands have recently demonstrated high diagnostic potential. However, their therapeutic value is impaired by the...
Head-to-head comparison of different classes of FAP radioligands designed to increase tumor residence time: monomer, dimer, albumin binders, and small molecules vs peptides.
PURPOSE
Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP)-targeting radioligands have recently demonstrated high diagnostic potential. However, their therapeutic value is impaired by the short tumor residence time. Several strategies have been tested to overcome this limitation, but a head-to-head comparison has never been done. With the aim to identify strengths and limitations of the suggested strategies, we compared the monomer FAPI-46 versus (a) its dimer (FAPI-46-F1D), (b) two albumin binders conjugates (FAPI-46-Ibu (ibuprofen) and FAPI-46-EB (Evans Blue)), and (c) cyclic peptide FAP-2286.
METHODS
Lu-labeled ligands were evaluated in vitro in cell lines with low (HT-1080.hFAP) and high (HEK-293.hFAP) humanFAP expression. SPECT/CT imaging and biodistribution studies were conducted in HT-1080.hFAP and HEK-293.hFAP xenografts. The areas under the curve (AUC) of the tumor uptake and tumor-to-critical-organs ratios and the absorbed doses were estimated.
RESULTS
Radioligands showed IC in the picomolar range. Striking differences were observed in vivo regarding tumor uptake, residence, specificity, and total body distribution. All [Lu]Lu-FAPI-46-based radioligands showed similar uptake between the two tumor models. [Lu]Lu-FAP-2286 showed higher uptake in HEK-293.hFAP and the least background. The AUC of the tumor uptake and absorbed dose was higher for [Lu]Lu-FAPI-46-F1D and the two albumin binder conjugates, [Lu]Lu-FAPI-46-Ibu and [Lu]Lu-FAPI-46-EB, in HT1080.hFAP xenografts and for [Lu]Lu-FAPI-46-EB and [Lu]Lu-FAP-2286 in HEK293.hFAP xenografts. The tumor-to-critical-organs AUC values and the absorbed doses were in favor of [Lu]Lu-FAP-2286, but tumor-to-kidneys.
CONCLUSION
The study indicated dimerization and cyclic peptide structures as promising strategies for prolonging tumor residence time, sparing healthy tissues. Albumin binding strategy outcome depended on the albumin binding moiety. The peptide showed advantages in terms of tumor-to-background ratios, besides tumor-to-kidneys, but its tumor uptake was FAP expression-dependent.
Topics: Humans; HEK293 Cells; Tissue Distribution; Cell Line, Tumor; Albumins; Peptides; Peptides, Cyclic; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; Gallium Radioisotopes
PubMed: 37261473
DOI: 10.1007/s00259-023-06272-7 -
Journal of Chemical Information and... Aug 2023Peptides are sustainable alternatives to conventional therapeutics for G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) linked disorders, promising biocompatible and tailorable...
Peptides are sustainable alternatives to conventional therapeutics for G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) linked disorders, promising biocompatible and tailorable next-generation therapeutics for metabolic disorders including type-2 diabetes, as agonists of the glucagon receptor (GCGR) and the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R). However, single agonist peptides activating GLP-1R to stimulate insulin secretion also suppress obesity-linked glucagon release. Hence, bioactive peptides cotargeting GCGR and GLP-1R may remediate the blood glucose and fatty acid metabolism imbalance, tackling both diabetes and obesity to supersede current monoagonist therapy. Here, we design and model optimized peptide sequences starting from peptide sequences derived from earlier phage-displayed library screening, identifying those with predicted molecular binding profiles for dual agonism of GCGR and GLP-1R. We derive design rules from extensive molecular dynamics simulations based on peptide-receptor binding. Our newly designed coagonist peptide exhibits improved predicted coupled binding affinity for GCGR and GLP-1R relative to endogenous ligands and could in the future be tested experimentally, which may provide superior glycemic and weight loss control.
Topics: Humans; Glucagon; Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; Receptors, Glucagon; Peptides; Obesity; Diabetes Mellitus
PubMed: 37523325
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00752