-
International Journal of Biological... 2024Aberrant activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway commonly occurs in cancers and correlates with multiple aspects of malignant progression. In particular, recent evidence... (Review)
Review
Aberrant activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway commonly occurs in cancers and correlates with multiple aspects of malignant progression. In particular, recent evidence suggests that the PI3K/Akt signaling plays a fundamental role in promoting the so-called aerobic glycolysis or Warburg effect, by phosphorylating different nutrient transporters and metabolic enzymes, such as GLUT1, HK2, PFKB3/4 and PKM2, and by regulating various molecular networks and proteins, including mTORC1, GSK3, FOXO transcription factors, MYC and HIF-1α. This leads to a profound reprogramming of cancer metabolism, also impacting on pentose phosphate pathway, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, de novo lipid synthesis and redox homeostasis and thereby allowing the fulfillment of both the catabolic and anabolic demands of tumor cells. The present review discusses the interactions between the PI3K/Akt cascade and its metabolic targets, focusing on their possible therapeutic implications.
Topics: Humans; Neoplasms; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Glucose; Signal Transduction; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Animals; Glycolysis
PubMed: 38904014
DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.89942 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that cancer progression is under mitochondrial control. Mitochondrial fission plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of...
Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that cancer progression is under mitochondrial control. Mitochondrial fission plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of cancer cell homeostasis. The inhibition of DRP1, the main regulator of mitochondrial fission, with the mitochondrial division inhibitor (mdivi-1) had been associated with cancer cell sensitivity to chemotherapeutics and decrease proliferation. Here, using breast cancer cells we find that mdivi-1 induces the detachment of the cells, leading to a bulk of floating cells that conserved their viability. Despite a decrease in their proliferative and clonogenic capabilities, these floating cells maintain the capacity to re-adhere upon re-seeding and retain their migratory and invasive potential. Interestingly, the cell detachment induced by mdivi-1 is independent of DRP1 but relies on inhibition of mitochondrial complex I. Furthermore, mdivi-1 induces cell detachment rely on glucose and the pentose phosphate pathway. Our data evidence a novel DRP1-independent effect of mdivi-1 in the attachment of cancer cells. The generation of floating viable cells restricts the use of mdivi-1 as a therapeutic agent and demonstrates that mdivi-1 effect on cancer cells are more complex than anticipated.
Topics: Humans; Dynamins; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Extracellular Matrix; Cell Line, Tumor; Quinazolinones; Mitochondrial Dynamics; Cell Adhesion; Cell Movement; Cell Survival; Cell Proliferation; Mitochondria
PubMed: 38898058
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64228-9 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jun 2024Finasteride, a steroid 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, is commonly used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and hair loss. However, despite continued use, its...
Finasteride, a steroid 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, is commonly used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and hair loss. However, despite continued use, its environmental implications have not been thoroughly investigated. Thus, we investigated the acute and chronic adverse impacts of finasteride on Daphnia magna, a crucial planktonic crustacean in freshwater ecosystems selected as bioindicator organism for understanding the ecotoxicological effects. Chronic exposure (for 23 days) to finasteride negatively affected development and reproduction, leading to reduced fecundity, delayed first brood, reduced growth, and reduced neonate size. Additionally, acute exposure (< 24 h) caused decreased expression levels of genes crucial for reproduction and development, especially EcR-A/B (ecdysone receptors), Jhe (juvenile hormone esterase), and Vtg2 (vitellogenin), with oxidative stress-related genes. Untargeted lipidomics/metabolomic analyses revealed lipidomic alteration, including 19 upregulated and 4 downregulated enriched lipid ontology categories, and confirmed downregulation of metabolites. Pathway analysis implicated significant effects on metabolic pathways, including the pentose phosphate pathway, histidine metabolism, beta-alanine metabolism, as well as alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. This comprehensive study unravels the intricate molecular and metabolic responses of D. magna to finasteride exposure, underscoring the multifaceted impacts of this anti-androgenic compound on a keystone species of freshwater ecosystems. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding the environmental repercussions of widely used pharmaceuticals to protect biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems.
PubMed: 38896907
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116606 -
Frontiers in Nutrition 2024Chinese black truffle () is a hypogenous fungus of great value due to its distinctive aroma. In this study, both transcriptome and physicochemical analyses were...
Chinese black truffle () is a hypogenous fungus of great value due to its distinctive aroma. In this study, both transcriptome and physicochemical analyses were performed to investigate the changes of nutrients and gene expression in truffle fruiting bodies during cold storage. The results of physicochemical analysis revealed the active metabolism of fruiting bodies in cold storage, showing the decreased contents of protein and soluble sugar, the variations in both polyphenol oxidase activity and total phenol content, and the detrimental effect of reactive oxygen species production caused by heavy metals (cadmium and lead) in truffles. Transcriptome analysis identified a total of 139,489 unigenes. Down-regulated expression of genes encoding the catalase-like domain-containing protein (katE), glutaredoxin protein (GRX), a copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Sod_Cu), and aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) affected the degradation metabolism of intracellular oxides. Ribulose-5-phosphate-3-epimerase (RPE) was a key enzyme in response to oxidative stress in truffle cells through the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). A total of 51,612 simple sequence repeats were identified, providing valuable resources for further genetic diversity analysis, molecular breeding, and genetic map-ping in . Transcription factors GAL4 and SUF4-like protein were involved in glucose metabolism and histone methylation processes, respectively. Our study provided a fundamental characterization of the physicochemical and molecular variations in during the cold storage at 4°C, providing strong experimental evidence to support the improvement of storage quality of .
PubMed: 38895661
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1375386 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Gilli is a rare annual wild herb grown in Libya. It belongs to the Apiaceae family, which is one of the largest flowering plant families. Plants of this family are... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Gilli is a rare annual wild herb grown in Libya. It belongs to the Apiaceae family, which is one of the largest flowering plant families. Plants of this family are outstanding sources of various secondary metabolites with various biological activities. A UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of different extracts of in vivo and in vitro tissues of together with the fruit extract of the cultivated plant in both ionization modes was carried out for the first time in the current study. Our results reveal the tentative identification of eighty-seven compounds in the tested extracts, including thirty-two phenolic acids and their derivatives; thirty-seven flavonoid glycosides and aglycones of apigenin, luteolin, diosmetin, myricetin and quercetin, containing glucose, rhamnose, pentose and/or glucuronic acid molecules; seven anthocyanins; six tannins; three acetylenic compounds; and three nitrogenous compounds. The tentative identification of the above compounds was based on the comparison of their retention times and ESI-MS/MS fragmentation patterns with those previously in the literature. For this Apiaceae plant, our results confirm the presence of a wide array of secondary metabolites with reported biological activities. This study is among the first ones to shed light on the phytoconstituents of this rare plant.
Topics: Plant Extracts; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Secondary Metabolism; Flavonoids; Methanol; Apiaceae; Fruit
PubMed: 38893577
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112694 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024The stem base of alfalfa is a critical part for its overwintering, regeneration, and yield. To better understand the specificity and importance of the stem base, we...
The stem base of alfalfa is a critical part for its overwintering, regeneration, and yield. To better understand the specificity and importance of the stem base, we analyzed the structure, metabolic substances, and transcriptome of the stem base using anatomical techniques, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and compared it with stems and roots. The anatomical structure shows that the ratio of xylem to phloem changes at the base of the stem. A total of 801 compounds involved in 91 metabolic pathways were identified from the broadly targeted metabolome. Transcriptome analysis revealed 4974 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at the stem base compared to the stem, and 5503 DEGs compared to the root. Comprehensive analyses of differentially accumulated compounds (DACs) and DEGs, in the stem base vs. stem, identified 10 valuable pathways, including plant hormone signal transduction, zeatin biosynthesis, α-Linolenic acid metabolism, histidine metabolism, carbon metabolism, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, pentose phosphate pathway, galactose metabolism, and fructose and mannose metabolism. The pathways of plant hormone signal transduction and carbon metabolism were also identified by comparing the stem base with the roots. Taken together, the stem base of alfalfa is the transition region between the stem and root in morphology; in terms of material metabolism, its growth, development, and function are regulated through hormones and sugars.
Topics: Medicago sativa; Plant Stems; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Plant Roots; Transcriptome; Gene Expression Profiling; Metabolome; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Plant Growth Regulators
PubMed: 38892413
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116225 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Currently, tandem mass spectrometry-based newborn screening (NBS), which examines targeted biomarkers, is the first approach used for the early detection of maple syrup...
Currently, tandem mass spectrometry-based newborn screening (NBS), which examines targeted biomarkers, is the first approach used for the early detection of maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) in newborns, followed by confirmatory genetic mutation tests. However, these diagnostic approaches have limitations, demanding the development of additional tools for the diagnosis/screening of MUSD. Recently, untargeted metabolomics has been used to explore metabolic profiling and discover the potential biomarkers/pathways of inherited metabolic diseases. Thus, we aimed to discover a distinctive metabolic profile and biomarkers/pathways for MSUD newborns using untargeted metabolomics. Herein, untargeted metabolomics was used to analyze dried blood spot (DBS) samples from 22 MSUD and 22 healthy control newborns. Our data identified 210 altered endogenous metabolites in MSUD newborns and new potential MSUD biomarkers, particularly L-alloisoleucine, methionine, and lysoPI. In addition, the most impacted pathways in MSUD newborns were the ascorbate and aldarate pathways and pentose and glucuronate interconversions, suggesting that oxidative and detoxification events may occur in early life. Our approach leads to the identification of new potential biomarkers/pathways that could be used for the early diagnosis/screening of MSUD newborns but require further validation studies. Our untargeted metabolomics findings have undoubtedly added new insights to our understanding of the pathogenicity of MSUD, which helps us select the appropriate early treatments for better health outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Maple Syrup Urine Disease; Infant, Newborn; Dried Blood Spot Testing; Biomarkers; Metabolomics; Male; Female; Neonatal Screening; Metabolome; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 38891907
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115720 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 20246-BA, a small molecule compound of cytokinins, has been proven to delay leaf senescence in different species, including Chinese flowering cabbage; however, its specific...
6-BA, a small molecule compound of cytokinins, has been proven to delay leaf senescence in different species, including Chinese flowering cabbage; however, its specific mechanism remains relatively unknown. In this study, the application of external 6-BA delayed leaf senescence in Chinese flowering cabbage, showing that 6-BA effectively prevented the decrease in the maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and overall chlorophyll content and suppressed the expression of the senescence-associated gene over a 7-day period of storage. Moreover, treatment with 6-BA decreased the respiratory rate, NAD(H) content, the activities of hexose phosphate isomerase (PHI), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), cytochrome c oxidase (CCO), and ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the transcriptional abundance of related genes by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, 6-BA also increased the activity and expression levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and 6-phosphate gluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGDH). The group treated with 6-BA retained elevated levels of NADP (H), ATP, total ATPase, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide kinase (NADK) activity, as well as the expression of respiratory enzymes. Molecular docking indicated that 6-BA hinders the glycolysis pathway (EMP), tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), and cytochrome pathway (CCP), and sustains elevated levels of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) through interactions with the PHI, SDH, 6-PGDH, G6PDH, CCO, and AAO proteins, consequently delaying postharvest leaf senescence in Chinese flowering cabbage.
PubMed: 38890835
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111607 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Douchi is a Chinese traditional fermented food with a unique flavor. Methyl anthranilate (MA) plays an important role in formation of this flavor. However, the...
Douchi is a Chinese traditional fermented food with a unique flavor. Methyl anthranilate (MA) plays an important role in formation of this flavor. However, the complicated relationship between the MA formation and the metabolic mechanism of the key functional microorganisms remains unclear. Here, we elucidated the response mechanism of aroma production driven by high salt stress in WLW ( WLW), which originates from the douchi fermentation process. The highest production of MA was obtained in a 10% NaCl environment. The enhanced expression of the key enzyme genes of the pentose phosphate pathway and shikimic acid pathway directed carbon flow toward aromatic amino acid synthesis and helped sustain an increased expression of to synthesize a large amount of the methyl donor -adenosylmethionine, which promoted methyl anthranilate yield. This provides a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the applications of the flavor formation mechanisms of fermented foods.
PubMed: 38890822
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111593 -
Metabolic Engineering Communications Jun 2024Neutrophils are innate immune cells and the first line of defense for the maintenance of homeostasis. However, our knowledge of the metabolic rewiring associated with...
Neutrophils are innate immune cells and the first line of defense for the maintenance of homeostasis. However, our knowledge of the metabolic rewiring associated with their differentiation and immune stimulation is limited. Here, quantitative C-metabolic flux analysis was performed using HL-60 cells as the neutrophil model. A metabolic model for C-metabolic flux analysis of neutrophils was developed based on the accumulation of C in intracellular metabolites derived from C-labeled extracellular carbon sources and intracellular macromolecules. Aspartate and glutamate in the medium were identified as carbon sources that enter central carbon metabolism. Furthermore, the breakdown of macromolecules, estimated to be fatty acids and nucleic acids, was observed. Based on these results, a modified metabolic model was used for C-metabolic flux analysis of undifferentiated, differentiated, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated HL-60 cells. The glucose uptake rate and glycolytic flux decreased with differentiation, whereas the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle flux remained constant. The addition of LPS to differentiated HL-60 cells activated the glucose uptake rate and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) flux levels, resulting in an increased rate of total NADPH regeneration, which could be used to generate reactive oxygen species. The flux levels of fatty acid degradation and synthesis were also increased in LPS-activated HL-60 cells. Overall, this study highlights the quantitative metabolic alterations in multiple pathways via the differentiation and activation of HL-60 cells using C-metabolic flux analysis.
PubMed: 38883865
DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2024.e00239