Hepatic FoxOs link insulin signaling with plasma lipoprotein metabolism through an apolipoprotein M/sphingosine-1-phosphate pathway

Multiple beneficial cardiovascular effects of HDL depend on sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). S1P associates with HDL by binding to apolipoprotein M (ApoM). Insulin resistance is a major driver of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risk. However, the mechanisms linking alterations in insulin signaling with plasma lipoprotein metabolism are incompletely understood. The insulin-repressible FoxO transcription factors mediate key effects of hepatic insulin action on glucose and lipoprotein metabolism. This work tested whether hepatic insulin signaling regulates HDL-S1P and aimed to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. We report that insulin-resistant, nondiabetic individuals had decreased HDL-S1P levels, but no change in total plasma S1P. This also occurred in insulin-resistant db/db mice, which had low ApoM and a specific reduction of S1P in the HDL fraction, with no change in total plasma S1P levels. Using mice lacking hepatic FoxOs (L-FoxO1,3,4), we found that hepatic FoxOs were required for ApoM expression. Total plasma S1P levels were similar to those in controls, but S1P was nearly absent from HDL and was instead increased in the lipoprotein-depleted plasma fraction. This phenotype was restored to normal by rescuing ApoM in L-FoxO1,3,4 mice. Our findings show that insulin resistance in humans and mice is associated with decreased HDL-associated S1P. Our study shows that hepatic FoxO transcription factors are regulators of the ApoM/S1P pathway

Roles of the forkhead in rhabdomyosarcoma (FKHR) phosphorylation sites in regulating 14-3-3 binding, transactivation and nuclear targetting

The transcription factor, forkhead in rhabdomyosarcoma (FKHR), is phosphorylated at three amino acid residues (Thr-24, Ser-256 and Ser-319) by protein kinase B (PKB)alpha. In the present study, mutagenesis has been used to study the roles of these phosphorylation events in regulating FKHR function in transfected HEK-293 cells. We find that the overexpression of FKHR[S256A] (where Ser-256-->Ala) blocks PKB activity in cells, preventing phosphorylation of the endogenous substrates FKHRL1 and glycogen synthase kinase-3. Thus some reported effects of overexpression of this and other mutants may be indirect, and result from suppression of the phosphorylation of other sites on FKHR and/or other PKB substrates. For example, we have shown that Thr-24 phosphorylation alone is critical for interaction with 14-3-3 proteins, and that the substitution of Ser-256 with an alanine residue indirectly blocks 14-3-3 protein binding by preventing the phosphorylation of Thr-24. We also found that insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and serum-induced nuclear exclusion of FKHR[S256A] depends on the degree of overexpression of this mutant. Our results indicated that the interaction of FKHR with 14-3-3 proteins was not required for IGF-1-stimulated exclusion of FKHR from the nucleus. We present evidence in support of another mechanism, which depends on the phosphorylation of Ser-256 and may involve the masking of a nuclear localization signal. Finally, we have demonstrated that the failure of IGF-1 to suppress transactivation by FKHR[S256A] is not explained entirely by its failure to bind 14-3-3 proteins or to undergo nuclear exclusion. This result suggests that Ser-256 phosphorylation may also suppress transactivation by FKHR by yet another mechanism, perhaps by disrupting the interaction of FKHR with target DNA binding sites and/or the function of the transactivation domain

AKT-Independent Protection of Prostate Cancer Cells from Apoptosis Mediated through Complex Formation between the Androgen Receptor and FKHR

Recent studies suggested that the protection of cell apoptosis by AKT involves phosphorylation and inhibition of FKHR and related FOXO forkhead transcription factors and that androgens provide an AKT-independent cell survival signal in prostate cancer cells. Here, we report receptor-dependent repression of FKHR function by androgens in prostate cancer cells. Transcriptional analysis demonstrated that activation of the androgen receptor caused an inhibition of both wild-type FKHR and a mutant in which all three known AKT sites were mutated to alanines, showing that the repression is AKT independent. In vivo and in vitro coprecipitation studies demonstrated that the repression is mediated through protein-protein interaction between FKHR and the androgen receptor. Mapping analysis localized the interacting domains to the carboxyl terminus between amino acids 350 and 655 of FKHR and to the amino-terminal A/B region and the ligand binding domain of the receptor. Further analysis demonstrated that the activated androgen receptor blocked FKHR's DNA binding activity and impaired its ability to induce Fas ligand expression and prostate cancer cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. These studies identify a new mechanism for androgen-mediated prostate cancer cell survival that appears to be independent of the activity of the receptor on androgen response element-mediated transcription and establish FKHR and related FOXO forkhead proteins as important nuclear targets for both AKT-dependent and -independent survival signals in prostate cancer cells

FoxO1 and HNF-4 are involved in regulation of hepatic glucokinase gene expression by resveratrol

Abstract Resveratrol, a polyphenol derived from grapes, exerts important effects on glucose and lipid metabolism, yet detailed mechanisms mediating these effects remain unknown. The liver plays a central role in energy homeostasis, and glucokinase (GK) is a key enzyme involved in glucose utilization. Resveratrol activates SIRT1 (sirtuin 1), which promotes deacetylation of the forkhead transcription factor FoxO1. Previously, we reported that FoxO1 can suppress and that HNF-4 can stimulate GK expression in the liver. Here, we examined the role of FoxO1 and HNF-4 in mediating resveratrol effects on liver GK expression. Resveratrol suppressed hepatic GK expression in vivo and in isolated hepatocytes, and knocking down FoxO1 with shRNAs disrupted this effect. Reporter gene, gel shift, supershift assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies show that FoxO1 binds to the GK promoter and that the interplay between FoxO1 and HNF-4 within the GK promoter is essential for mediating the effects of resveratrol. Resveratrol promotes deacetylation of FoxO1 and enhances its recruitment to the FoxO-binding element. Conversely, resveratrol suppresses recruitment of HNF-4 to its binding site, and knockdown of FoxO1 blocks this effect of resveratrol. Coprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies show that resveratrol enhances interaction between FoxO1 and HNF-4, reduces binding of HNF-4 to its own site, and promotes its recruitment to the FoxO site in a FoxO1-dependent manner. These results provide the first evidence that resveratrol represses GK expression via FoxO1 and that the interaction between FoxO1 and HNF-4 contributes to these effects of resveratrol