The Hsc70 disaggregation machinery removes monomer units directly from α-synuclein fibril ends.

Molecular chaperones contribute to the maintenance of cellular protein homoeostasis through assisting de novo protein folding and preventing amyloid formation. Chaperones of the Hsp70 family can further disaggregate otherwise irreversible aggregate species such as α-synuclein fibrils, which accumulate in Parkinson's disease. However, the mechanisms and kinetics of this key functionality are only partially understood. Here, we combine microfluidic measurements with chemical kinetics to study α-synuclein disaggregation. We show that Hsc70 together with its co-chaperones DnaJB1 and Apg2 can completely reverse α-synuclein aggregation back to its soluble monomeric state. This reaction proceeds through first-order kinetics where monomer units are removed directly from the fibril ends with little contribution from intermediate fibril fragmentation steps. These findings extend our mechanistic understanding of the role of chaperones in the suppression of amyloid proliferation and in aggregate clearance, and inform on possibilities and limitations of this strategy in the development of therapeutics against synucleinopathies

Chip-based sensing for release of unprocessed cell surface proteins in vitro and in serum and its (patho)physiological relevance

To study the possibility that certain components of eukaryotic plasma membranes are released under certain (patho)physiological conditions, a chip-based sensor was developed for the detection of cell surface proteins, which are anchored at the outer leaflet of eukaryotic plasma membranes by a covalently attached glycolipid, exclusively, and might be prone to spontaneous or regulated release on the basis of their amphiphilic character. For this, unprocessed, full-length glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-AP), together with associated phospholipids, were specifically captured and detected by a chip- and microfluidic channel-based sensor, leading to changes in phase and amplitude of surface acoustic waves (SAW) propagating over the chip surface. Unprocessed GPI-AP in complex with lipids were found to be released from rat adipocyte plasma membranes immobilized on the chip, which was dependent on the flow rate and composition of the buffer stream. The complexes were identified in the incubation medium of primary rat adipocytes, in correlation to the cell size, and in rat as well as human serum. With rats, the measured changes in SAW phase shift, reflecting specific mass/size or amount of the unprocessed GPI-AP in complex with lipids, and SAW amplitude, reflecting their viscoelasticity, enabled the differentiation between the lean and obese (high-fat diet) state, and the normal (Wistar) and hyperinsulinemic (Zucker fatty) as well as hyperinsulinemic hyperglycemic (Zucker diabetic fatty) state. Thus chip-based sensing for complexes of unprocessed GPI-AP and lipids reveals the inherently labile anchorage of GPI-AP at plasma membranes and their susceptibility for release in response to (intrinsic/extrinsic) cues of metabolic relevance and may, therefore, be useful for monitoring of (pre-)diabetic disease states

A metabolome-wide characterization of the diabetic phenotype in ZDF rats and its reversal by pioglitazone.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex metabolic disease associated with alterations in glucose, lipid and protein metabolism. In order to characterize the biochemical phenotype of the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat, the most common animal model for the study of T2D, and the impact of the insulin sensitizer pioglitazone, a global, mass spectrometry-based analysis of the metabolome was conducted. Overall, 420 metabolites in serum, 443 in the liver and 603 in the intestine were identified at study end. In comparison to two control groups, obese diabetic ZDF rats showed characteristic metabolic signatures that included hyperglycemia, elevated β-oxidation, dyslipidemia-featured by an increase in saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and a decrease of medium chain and of polyunsaturated fatty acids in serum-and decreased amino acid levels, consistent with their utilization in hepatic gluconeogenesis. A 13-week treatment with the PPARγ agonist pioglitazone reversed most of these signatures: Pioglitazone improved glycemic control and the fatty acid profile, elevated amino acid levels in the liver, but decreased branched chain amino acids in serum. The hitherto most comprehensive metabolic profiling study identified a biochemical blueprint for the ZDF diabetic model and captured the impact of genetic, nutritional and pharmacological perturbations. The in-depth characterization on the molecular level deepens the understanding and further validates the ZDF rat as a suitable preclinical model of diabetes in humans

Hepatic Uptake of Synthetic Chlorogenic Acid Derivatives by the Organic Anion Transport Proteins

ABSTRACT Chlorogenic acid derivatives were recently identified as novel, potent, and specific inhibitors of the hepatic glucose 6-phosphate translocase. Inhibition of the glucose 6-phosphate translocase leads to a decrease in hepatic glucose production, rendering chlorogenic acid derivatives as potential novel therapeutics in patients with type 2 diabetes. The present study examines the hepatic uptake mechanism of the radiolabeled chlorogenic acid derivative S 1743 into freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. Initial uptake rates were Na ϩ -independent and followed saturation kinetics with no superimposition of facilitated diffusion. Inhibition studies demonstrated that other chlorogenic acid derivatives inhibited uptake of the radiolabeled compound S 1743 into rat hepatocytes in the range of 1.1 to 11 M, whereas the natural chlorogenic acid (up to 100 M) had no effect at all. In addition, inhibition of S 1743 uptake into rat hepatocytes was found in the presence of sulfobromophthalein, sulfolithocholyltaurine, estrone-3-sulfate, cholyltaurine, verapamil, bumetanide, probenecide, phenol red, digoxin, and ouabain (in decreasing order) but not with N-methylnicotinamide, ␣-ketoglutarate, p-aminohippurate, geneticin sulfate, and 5-sulfosalicylate. The observed inhibition pattern suggested that members of the family of the organic anion transporting polypeptides (Oatps) could be involved in hepatic uptake of chlorogenic acid derivatives. Indeed, S 1743 uptake could be demonstrated in Oatp1-and Oatp2-expressing Xenopus laevis oocytes as well as in Oatp1-expressing Chinese hamster ovary cells. A comparison of the inhibition pattern obtained in hepatocytes compared with that obtained in Oatp1-expressing Chinese hamster ovary cells suggests that facilitated uptake by Oatp1 is a major contributor in total hepatic uptake of chlorogenic acid derivatives. Chlorogenic acid (CHL) derivatives were recently identified as novel, potent, and specific inhibitors of the glucose 6-phosphate (Gl-6-P) translocase (Arion et a

The role of insulin resistance in experimental diabetic retinopathy—Genetic and molecular aspects

<div><p>Background</p><p>Diabetic retinopathy is characterized by defects in the retinal neurovascular unit. The underlying mechanisms of impairment–including reactive intermediates and growth-factor dependent signalling pathways and their possible interplay are incompletely understood. This study aims to assess the relative role of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia alone or in combination on the gene expression patterning in the retina of animal models of diabetes.</p><p>Material and methods</p><p>As insulinopenic, hyperglycemic model reflecting type 1 diabetes, male STZ-Wistar rats (60mg/kg BW; i.p. injection at life age week 7) were used. Male obese ZDF rats (fa/fa) were used as type-2 diabetes model characterized by persisting hyperglycemia and transient hyperinsulinemia. Male obese ZF rats (fa/fa) were used reflecting euglycemia and severe insulin resistance. All groups were kept till an age of 20 weeks on respective conditions together with appropriate age-matched controls. Unbiased gene expression analysis was performed per group using Affymetrix gene arrays. Bioinformatics analysis included analysis for clustering and differential gene expression, and pathway and upstream activator analysis. Gene expression differences were confirmed by microfluidic card PCR technology.</p><p>Results</p><p>The most complex genetic regulation in the retina was observed in ZDF rats with a strong overlap to STZ-Wistar rats. Surprisingly, systemic insulin resistance alone in ZF rats without concomitant hyperglycemia did not induce any significant change in retinal gene expression pattern. Pathway analysis indicate an overlap between ZDF rats and STZ-treated rats in pathways like complement system activation, acute phase response signalling, and oncostatin-M signalling. Major array gene expression changes could be confirmed by subsequent PCR. An analysis of upstream transcriptional regulators revealed interferon-γ, interleukin-6 and oncostatin-M in STZ and ZDF rats. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic hyperinsulinaemia without hyperglycemia does not result in significant gene expression changes in retina. In contrast, persistent systemic hyperglycemia boosts much stronger expression changes with a limited number of known and new key regulators.</p></div

Gene array expression in retina.

<p><b>A</b>, Principal Component Analysis on raw expression data showing the first two principal components; <b>B</b>, Venn diagram of overlap in regulated gene number between the three different animal models.</p

Relationship between oncostatin M (OSM) and literature known downstream effector genes in microarray data sets.

<p>Genes highlighted in orange were regulated in obese versus lean ZDF rats and STZ treated and non-treated rat retina. Genes highlighted in green were regulated in obese versus lean ZDF but not in STZ treated vs non-treated Wistar rat retina. Genes highlighted in purple were differentially regulated in STZ treated versus non-treated rats but not in obese versus lean ZDF rat retina.</p