Changes in PGC-1α-Dependent Mitochondrial Biogenesis Are Associated with Inflexible Hepatic Energy Metabolism in the Offspring Born to Dexamethasone-Treated Mothers

In the present study we investigated the participation of hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) in the metabolic programming of newborn rats exposed in utero to dexamethasone (DEX). On the 21st day of life, fasted offspring born to DEX-treated mothers displayed increased conversion of pyruvate into glucose with simultaneous upregulation of PEPCK (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) and G6Pase (glucose-6-phosphatase). Increased oxidative phosphorylation, higher ATP/ADP ratio and mitochondrial biogenesis and lower pyruvate levels were also found in the progeny of DEX-treated mothers. On the other hand, the 21-day-old progeny of DEX-treated mothers had increased hepatic triglycerides (TAG) and lower CPT-1 activity when subjected to short-term fasting. At the mechanistic level, rats exposed in utero to DEX exhibited increased hepatic PGC-1α protein content with lower miR-29a-c expression. Increased PGC-1α content was concurrent with increased association to HNF-4α and NRF1 and reduced PPARα expression. The data presented herein reveal that changes in the transcription machinery in neonatal liver of rats born to DEX-treated mothers leads to an inflexible metabolic response to fasting. Such programming is hallmarked by increased oxidative phosphorylation of pyruvate with impaired FFA oxidation and hepatic TAG accumulation.</jats:p

Biochemical and cellular characterization of the TRIM49 protein

A autofagia é o processo de degradação de estruturas celulares através do seu direcionamento ao lisossomo. As proteínas TRIMs reconhecem as -cargas? autofágicas e reúnem o complexo de nucleação do fagóforo, contudo se desconhece a função de cada domínio e a importância da atividade de E3 ligase para a sua atividade. A proteína TRIM49 clonada e expressa em E. coli ou em células humanas HEK293T não apresentou atividade de E3 ubiquitina ligase in vitro e reduziu os níveis totais de ubiquitinação in vivo, indicando que não é um E3 ubiquitina ligase. Células desafiadas com Htt74Q apresentaram menores níveis de citotoxicidade quando co-transfectadas com TRIM49 selvagem, mas não com os mutantes do domínio RING ou SPRY, indicando os dois domínios são necessários para sua atividade celular. A proteína selvagem se colocaliza com o marcador autofágico LC3, após o bloqueio da autofagia com bafilomicina A1. Os resultados indicam que a TRIM49 pode atuar na degradação intracelular de proteínas, por um mecanismo não dependente de atividade de E3 ligase.Autophagy is the process of degradation of intracellular proteins through their directioning to the lysosome. TRIM proteins can directely recognize autophagic cargo and also act as a hub for the phagophore nucleation complex, however the function of each domain and the role of the E3 ligase activity in this process is unknown. The TRIM49 protein cloned and expressed in E. coli or in human cells HEK23T showed no ubiquitin E3 ligase activity in vitro and cells transfected with the wild type protein showed lower levels of polyubiquitinated proteins, indicating that TRIM49 is not a bona fide E3 ubiquitin ligase. Cells challenged with Htt74Q presented lower cytotoxicity levels when cotransfected with wild type TRIM49, when compared with the RING domain mutant or with the truncated protein lacking the SPRY domain, indicating that both domains are required for its cellular activity. The wild type protein colocalizes with the autophagic marker LC3 after treatment with the autophagy inhibitor bafilomycin A1. Taken together, these results indicate that the TRIM49 protein plays a role in protein degradation independently of a E3 ligase activity

Biochemical and cellular characterization of the TRIM49 protein

A autofagia é o processo de degradação de estruturas celulares através do seu direcionamento ao lisossomo. As proteínas TRIMs reconhecem as -cargas? autofágicas e reúnem o complexo de nucleação do fagóforo, contudo se desconhece a função de cada domínio e a importância da atividade de E3 ligase para a sua atividade. A proteína TRIM49 clonada e expressa em E. coli ou em células humanas HEK293T não apresentou atividade de E3 ubiquitina ligase in vitro e reduziu os níveis totais de ubiquitinação in vivo, indicando que não é um E3 ubiquitina ligase. Células desafiadas com Htt74Q apresentaram menores níveis de citotoxicidade quando co-transfectadas com TRIM49 selvagem, mas não com os mutantes do domínio RING ou SPRY, indicando os dois domínios são necessários para sua atividade celular. A proteína selvagem se colocaliza com o marcador autofágico LC3, após o bloqueio da autofagia com bafilomicina A1. Os resultados indicam que a TRIM49 pode atuar na degradação intracelular de proteínas, por um mecanismo não dependente de atividade de E3 ligase.Autophagy is the process of degradation of intracellular proteins through their directioning to the lysosome. TRIM proteins can directely recognize autophagic cargo and also act as a hub for the phagophore nucleation complex, however the function of each domain and the role of the E3 ligase activity in this process is unknown. The TRIM49 protein cloned and expressed in E. coli or in human cells HEK23T showed no ubiquitin E3 ligase activity in vitro and cells transfected with the wild type protein showed lower levels of polyubiquitinated proteins, indicating that TRIM49 is not a bona fide E3 ubiquitin ligase. Cells challenged with Htt74Q presented lower cytotoxicity levels when cotransfected with wild type TRIM49, when compared with the RING domain mutant or with the truncated protein lacking the SPRY domain, indicating that both domains are required for its cellular activity. The wild type protein colocalizes with the autophagic marker LC3 after treatment with the autophagy inhibitor bafilomycin A1. Taken together, these results indicate that the TRIM49 protein plays a role in protein degradation independently of a E3 ligase activity

Concentração de proteína solúvel por bradford revela diferenças no metabolismo de plantas de ora-pro-nobis em diferentes doses de nitrogênio

O ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.) é um alimento rico em proteínas, muito utilizado no meio rural e com importância crescente na indústria de alimentos e farmacológica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a concentração de proteínas pelos métodos de Bradford e Kjeldahl, em folhas de plantas de ora-pro-nobis submetidas a diferentes doses de adubação nitrogenada, comparando estes métodos. As folhas das plantas de ora-pro-nobis adubadas com diferentes doses de N (0, 50, 100, 200 e 400 kg de N/ha) foram coletadas aos 423 dias após o plantio (DAP). Para o método de Bradford, as folhas foram trituradas com nitrogênio líquido e maceradas em Tris-HCl 50 mM, pH 7,0, o homogenato centrifugado e a proteína solúvel determinada no sobrenadante. Para avaliar o perfil proteico, as amostras dos diferentes tratamentos foram separadas por SDS-Tricina-PAGE 14%. O método de Kjeldahl tradicional foi realizado usando-se o fator de correção 6,25. Os resultados por ambos os métodos indicaram que houve alterações nas concentrações e composição de proteínas presentes em função da disponibilidade de N no solo. A proteína total por Kjeldahl aumentou até a dose de 100 kg de N/ha, e a proteína solúvel por Bradford aumentou nas doses de N entre 50 e 200 kg/ha. Pelo SDS-Tricina-PAGE, verificou-se aumento da intensidade das bandas consonante com o método de Bradford. Estes resultados sugerem que a avaliação de proteínas solúveis pelo método de Bradford permite detectar diferenças no metabolismo das plantas de ora-pro-nobis, expressando informações biológicas relevantes para estudos fisiológicos e nutricionais.Ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.) is a protein-enriched food, widely used in rural communities, presenting increasing importance in the food and pharmaceutics industries. The aim of this study was to determine the protein concentration by the Bradford and Kjeldahl methods in plant leaves of ora-pro-nobis under different nitrogen fertilizer levels, comparing these methods. Leaves of ora-pro-nobis from plants fertilized with different nitrogen levels (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 kg N/ha) were harvested at 423 days after planting (DAP). For the method of Bradford, the leaves were grounded in liquid nitrogen and macerated in 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.0, the homogenate was centrifuged and the soluble proteins were determined in the supernatant. To evaluate the protein profile, samples of the different treatments were separated by 14% SDS-Tricine-PAGE. The traditional method of Kjeldahl was performed using the correction factor 6.25. For both methods, the results indicated that there were changes in the concentration and composition of proteins present for different availability of N in the soil. The total protein by Kjeldahl increased up to the level of 100 kg N/ha, and the soluble protein by Bradford increased in N levels between 50 and 200 kg/ha. By SDS-Tricine-PAGE, there was an increase in intensity of bands in line with the Bradford method results. These results suggest that the evaluation of the soluble protein by the Bradford method allows assessing differences in the metabolism of ora-pro-nobis plants, expressing biological information that was relevant to physiological and nutritional studies

Concentração de proteína solúvel por Bradford releva diferenças no metabolismo de plantas de Ora-pro-nobis em diferentes doses de nitrogênio

DOI: não consta, por isso foi disponibilizado o link de acesso.O ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.) é um alimento rico em proteínas, muito utilizado no meio rural e com importância crescente na indústria de alimentos e farmacológica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a concentração de proteínas pelos métodos de Bradford e Kjeldahl, em folhas de plantas de ora-pro-nobis submetidas a diferentes doses de adubação nitrogenada, comparando estes métodos. As folhas das plantas de ora-pro-nobis adubadas com diferentes doses de N (0, 50, 100, 200 e 400 kg de N/ha) foram coletadas aos 423 dias após o plantio (DAP). Para o método de Bradford, as folhas foram trituradas com nitrogênio líquido e maceradas em Tris-HCl 50 mM, pH 7,0, o homogenato centrifugado e a proteína solúvel determinada no sobrenadante. Para avaliar o perfil proteico, as amostras dos diferentes tratamentos foram separadas por SDS-Tricina-PAGE 14%. O método de Kjeldahl tradicional foi realizado usando-se o fator de correção 6,25. Os resultados por ambos os métodos indicaram que houve alterações nas concentrações e composição de proteínas presentes em função da disponibilidade de N no solo. A proteína total por Kjeldahl aumentou até a dose de 100 kg de N/ha, e a proteína solúvel por Bradford aumentou nas doses de N entre 50 e 200 kg/ha. Pelo SDS-Tricina-PAGE, verificou-se aumento da intensidade das bandas consonante com o método de Bradford. Estes resultados sugerem que a avaliação de proteínas solúveis pelo método de Bradford permite detectar diferenças no metabolismo das plantas de ora-pro-nobis, expressando informações biológicas relevantes para estudos fisiológicos e nutricionais.Ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.) is a protein-enriched food, widely used in rural communities, presenting increasing importance in the food and pharmaceutics industries. The aim of this study was todetermine the protein concentration by the Bradford and Kjeldahl methods in plant leaves of ora-pro-nobis under different nitrogen fertilizer levels, comparing these methods. Leaves of ora-pro-nobis from plants fertilized with different nitrogen levels (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 kg N/ha) were harvested at 423 days after planting (DAP). For the method of Bradford, the leaves were grounded in liquid nitrogen and macerated in 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.0, the homogenate was centrifuged and the soluble proteins were determined in the supernatant. To evaluate the protein profile, samples of the different treatments were separated by 14% SDS-Tricine-PAGE. The traditional method of Kjeldahl was performed using the correction factor 6.25. For both methods, the results indicated that there were changes in the concentration and composition of proteins present for different availability of N in the soil. The total protein by Kjeldahl increased up to the level of 100 kg N/ha, and the soluble protein by Bradford increased in N levels between 50 and 200 kg/ha. By SDS-Tricine-PAGE, there was an increase in intensity of bands in line with the Bradford method results. These results suggest that the evaluation of the soluble protein by the Bradford method allows assessing differences in the metabolism of ora-pro-nobis plants, expressing biological information that was relevant to physiological and nutritional studies

The MicroRNA miR-696 is regulated by SNARK and reduces mitochondrial activity in mouse skeletal muscle through Pgc1α inhibition

Objective: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are known to regulate the expression of genes involved in several physiological processes including metabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis, proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. Methods: Using “in silico” analyses, we identified 219 unique miRNAs that potentially bind to the 3′UTR region of a critical mitochondrial regulator, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator (PGC) 1 alpha (Pgc1α). Of the 219 candidate miRNAs, miR-696 had one of the highest interactions at the 3′UTR of Pgc1α, suggesting that miR-696 may be involved in the regulation of Pgc1α. Results: Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that miR-696 was highly expressed in the skeletal muscle of STZ-induced diabetic mice and chronic high-fat-fed mice. C2C12 muscle cells exposed to palmitic acid also exhibited a higher expression of miR-696. This increased expression corresponded with a reduced expression of oxidative metabolism genes and reduced mitochondrial respiration. Importantly, reducing miR-696 reversed decreases in mitochondrial activity in response to palmitic acid. Using C2C12 cells treated with the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator AICAR and skeletal muscle from AMPKα2 dominant-negative (DN) mice, we found that the signaling mechanism regulating miR-696 did not involve AMPK. In contrast, overexpression of SNF1-AMPK-related kinase (SNARK) in C2C12 cells increased miR-696 transcription while knockdown of SNARK significantly decreased miR-696. Moreover, muscle-specific transgenic mice overexpressing SNARK exhibited a lower expression of Pgc1α, elevated levels of miR-696, and reduced amounts of spontaneous activity. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that metabolic stress increases miR-696 expression in skeletal muscle cells, which in turn inhibits Pgc1α, reducing mitochondrial function. SNARK plays a role in this process as a metabolic stress signaling molecule inducing the expression of miR-696

Changes in PGC-1α-Dependent Mitochondrial Biogenesis Are Associated with Inflexible Hepatic Energy Metabolism in the Offspring Born to Dexamethasone-Treated Mothers

In the present study we investigated the participation of hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) in the metabolic programming of newborn rats exposed in utero to dexamethasone (DEX). On the 21st day of life, fasted offspring born to DEX-treated mothers displayed increased conversion of pyruvate into glucose with simultaneous upregulation of PEPCK (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) and G6Pase (glucose-6-phosphatase). Increased oxidative phosphorylation, higher ATP/ADP ratio and mitochondrial biogenesis and lower pyruvate levels were also found in the progeny of DEX-treated mothers. On the other hand, the 21-day-old progeny of DEX-treated mothers had increased hepatic triglycerides (TAG) and lower CPT-1 activity when subjected to short-term fasting. At the mechanistic level, rats exposed in utero to DEX exhibited increased hepatic PGC-1α protein content with lower miR-29a-c expression. Increased PGC-1α content was concurrent with increased association to HNF-4α and NRF1 and reduced PPARα expression. The data presented herein reveal that changes in the transcription machinery in neonatal liver of rats born to DEX-treated mothers leads to an inflexible metabolic response to fasting. Such programming is hallmarked by increased oxidative phosphorylation of pyruvate with impaired FFA oxidation and hepatic TAG accumulation

Changes in PGC-1α-Dependent Mitochondrial Biogenesis Are Associated with Inflexible Hepatic Energy Metabolism in the Offspring Born to Dexamethasone-Treated Mothers

In the present study we investigated the participation of hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) in the metabolic programming of newborn rats exposed in utero to dexamethasone (DEX). On the 21st day of life, fasted offspring born to DEX-treated mothers displayed increased conversion of pyruvate into glucose with simultaneous upregulation of PEPCK (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) and G6Pase (glucose-6-phosphatase). Increased oxidative phosphorylation, higher ATP/ADP ratio and mitochondrial biogenesis and lower pyruvate levels were also found in the progeny of DEX-treated mothers. On the other hand, the 21-day-old progeny of DEX-treated mothers had increased hepatic triglycerides (TAG) and lower CPT-1 activity when subjected to short-term fasting. At the mechanistic level, rats exposed in utero to DEX exhibited increased hepatic PGC-1α protein content with lower miR-29a-c expression. Increased PGC-1α content was concurrent with increased association to HNF-4α and NRF1 and reduced PPARα expression. The data presented herein reveal that changes in the transcription machinery in neonatal liver of rats born to DEX-treated mothers leads to an inflexible metabolic response to fasting. Such programming is hallmarked by increased oxidative phosphorylation of pyruvate with impaired FFA oxidation and hepatic TAG accumulation