A Low Daily Intake of Simple Sugars in the Diet Is Associated with Improved Liver Function in Cirrhotic Liver Transplant Candidates.

(1) Background: We investigated, for the first time, whether dietary simple sugar intake affects MELD score changes over time in a cohort of cirrhotic liver transplant candidates. (2) Methods: the MELD score, dietary habits using a 3-day food diary, and visceral adipose tissue index (VATI) measured with CT scan were assessed in 80 consecutive outpatient cirrhotic patients at baseline, after counseling to follow current nutritional guidelines. The MELD score was reassessed after six months and the DELTA-MELD was calculated as the MELD at the second assessment minus the MELD at baseline. (3) Results: Compared with the baseline, the MELD score of cirrhotic patients at the end of the study was decreased, stable, or increased in 36%, 8% and 56% of patients, respectively. In separate multiple linear regression models, DELTA-MELD was positively and independently correlated with the daily intake of simple sugars expressed in g/kg body weight (p = 0.01) or as a percentage of total caloric intake (p = 0.0004) and with the number of daily portions of fruit, added sugar, jam, and honey (p = 0.003). These associations were present almost exclusively in patients with VATI above the median value. (4) Conclusions: In cirrhotic patients with high amounts of visceral adipose tissue the consumption of simple sugars and fructose should be limited to improve their clinical outcome.

Increased Butyrate Production in Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum from Lignocellulose-Derived Sugars.

Butyrate is produced by chemical synthesis based on crude oil, produced by microbial fermentation, or extracted from animal fats (M. Dwidar, J.-Y. Park, R. J. Mitchell, and B.-I. Sang, The Scientific World Journal, 2012:471417, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1100/2012/471417). Butyrate production by anaerobic bacteria is highly favorable since waste or sustainable resources can be used as the substrates. For this purpose, the native hyper-butanol producer Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4(HMT) was used as a chassis strain due to its broad substrate spectrum. BLASTp analysis of the predicted proteome of C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4(HMT) resulted in the identification of gene products potentially involved in acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation. Their participation in ABE fermentation was either confirmed or disproven by the parallel production of acids or solvents and the respective transcript levels obtained by transcriptome analysis of this strain. The genes encoding phosphotransacetylase (pta) and butyraldehyde dehydrogenase (bld) were deleted to reduce acetate and alcohol formation. The genes located in the butyryl-CoA synthesis (bcs) operon encoding crotonase, butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase with electron-transferring protein subunits α and ß, and 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase were overexpressed to channel the flux further towards butyrate formation. Thereby, the native hyper-butanol producer C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4(HMT) was converted into the hyper-butyrate producer C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum ΔbldΔpta [pMTL83151_BCS_PbgaL]. The transcription pattern following deletion and overexpression was characterized by a second transcriptomic study, revealing partial compensation for the deletion. Furthermore, this strain was characterized in pH-controlled fermentations with either glucose or Excello, a substrate yielded from spruce biomass. Butyrate was the main product, with maximum butyrate concentrations of 11.7 g·L-1 and 14.3 g·L-1, respectively. Minimal amounts of by-products were detected. IMPORTANCE Platform chemicals such as butyrate are usually produced chemically from crude oil, resulting in the carry-over of harmful compounds. The selective production of butyrate using sustainable resources or waste without harmful by-products can be achieved by bacteria such as clostridia. The hyper-butanol producer Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4(HMT) was converted into a hyper-butyrate producer. Butyrate production with very small amounts of by-products was established with glucose and the sustainable lignocellulosic sugar substrate Excello extracted from spruce biomass by the biorefinery Borregaard (Sarpsborg, Norway).

Constraint-based modeling of yeast mitochondria reveals the dynamics of protein import and iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis.

Mitochondria are a hallmark of eukaryal cells and play an important role in cellular metabolism. There is a vast amount of knowledge available on mitochondrial metabolism and essential mitochondrial functions, such as protein import and iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis, including multiple studies on the mitochondrial proteome. Therefore, there is a need for in silico approaches to facilitate the analysis of these data. Here, we present a detailed model of mitochondrial metabolism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including protein import, iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis, and a description of the coupling between charge translocation processes and ATP synthesis. Model analysis implied a dual dependence of absolute levels of proteins in protein import, iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis and cluster abundance on growth rate and respiratory activity. The model is instrumental in studying dynamics and perturbations in these processes and given the high conservation of mitochondrial metabolism in humans, it can provide insight into their role in human disease.

Proteome reallocation from amino acid biosynthesis to ribosomes enables yeast to grow faster in rich media.

Several recent studies have shown that the concept of proteome constraint, i.e., the need for the cell to balance allocation of its proteome between different cellular processes, is essential for ensuring proper cell function. However, there have been no attempts to elucidate how cells' maximum capacity to grow depends on protein availability for different cellular processes. To experimentally address this, we cultivated Saccharomyces cerevisiae in bioreactors with or without amino acid supplementation and performed quantitative proteomics to analyze global changes in proteome allocation, during both anaerobic and aerobic growth on glucose. Analysis of the proteomic data implies that proteome mass is mainly reallocated from amino acid biosynthetic processes into translation, which enables an increased growth rate during supplementation. Similar findings were obtained from both aerobic and anaerobic cultivations. Our findings show that cells can increase their growth rate through increasing its proteome allocation toward the protein translational machinery.

Building blocks are synthesized on demand during the yeast cell cycle.

For cells to replicate, a sufficient supply of biosynthetic precursors is needed, necessitating the concerted action of metabolism and protein synthesis during progressive phases of cell division. A global understanding of which biosynthetic processes are involved and how they are temporally regulated during replication is, however, currently lacking. Here, quantitative multiomics analysis is used to generate a holistic view of the eukaryal cell cycle, using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Protein synthesis and central carbon pathways such as glycolysis and amino acid metabolism are shown to synchronize their respective abundance profiles with division, with pathway-specific changes in metabolite abundance also being reflected by a relative increase in mitochondrial volume, as shown by quantitative fluorescence microscopy. These results show biosynthetic precursor production to be temporally regulated to meet phase-specific demands of eukaryal cell division.

Absolute yeast mitochondrial proteome quantification reveals trade-off between biosynthesis and energy generation during diauxic shift.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae constitutes a popular eukaryal model for research on mitochondrial physiology. Being Crabtree-positive, this yeast has evolved the ability to ferment glucose to ethanol and respire ethanol once glucose is consumed. Its transition phase from fermentative to respiratory metabolism, known as the diauxic shift, is reflected by dramatic rearrangements of mitochondrial function and structure. To date, the metabolic adaptations that occur during the diauxic shift have not been fully characterized at the organelle level. In this study, the absolute proteome of mitochondria was quantified alongside precise parametrization of biophysical properties associated with the mitochondrial network using state-of-the-art optical-imaging techniques. This allowed the determination of absolute protein abundances at a subcellular level. By tracking the transformation of mitochondrial mass and volume, alongside changes in the absolute mitochondrial proteome allocation, we could quantify how mitochondria balance their dual role as a biosynthetic hub as well as a center for cellular respiration. Furthermore, our findings suggest that in the transition from a fermentative to a respiratory metabolism, the diauxic shift represents the stage where major structural and functional reorganizations in mitochondrial metabolism occur. This metabolic transition, initiated at the mitochondria level, is then extended to the rest of the yeast cell.

Identification and characterization of the mitochondrial membrane sorting signals in phosphatidylserine decarboxylase 1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Phosphatidylserine decarboxylase 1 (Psd1p) catalyzes the formation of the majority of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Psd1p is localized to mitochondria, anchored to the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) through membrane spanning domains and oriented towards the mitochondrial intermembrane space. We found that Psd1p harbors at least two inner membrane-associated domains, which we named IM1 and IM2. IM1 is important for proper orientation of Psd1p within the IMM (Horvath et al., J. Biol. Chem. 287 (2012) 36744-55), whereas it remained unclear whether IM2 is important for membrane-association of Psd1p. To discover the role of IM2 in Psd1p import, processing and assembly into the mitochondria, we constructed Psd1p variants with deletions in IM2. Removal of the complete IM2 led to an altered topology of the protein with the soluble domain exposed to the matrix and to decreased enzyme activity. Psd1p variants lacking portions of the N-terminal moiety of IM2 were inserted into IMM with an altered topology. Psd1p variants with deletions of C-terminal portions of IM2 accumulated at the outer mitochondrial membrane and lost their enzyme activity. In conclusion we showed that IM2 is essential for full enzymatic activity, maturation and correct integration of yeast Psd1p into the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Involvement of a putative substrate binding site in the biogenesis and assembly of phosphatidylserine decarboxylase 1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the mitochondrial phosphatidylserine decarboxylase 1 (Psd1p) produces the largest amount of cellular phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). Psd1p is synthesized as a larger precursor on cytosolic ribosomes and then imported into mitochondria in a three-step processing event leading to the formation of an α-subunit and a ß-subunit. The α-subunit harbors a highly conserved motif, which was proposed to be involved in phosphatidylserine (PS) binding. Here, we present a molecular analysis of this consensus motif for the function of Psd1p by using Psd1p variants bearing either deletions or point mutations in this region. Our data show that mutations in this motif affect processing and stability of Psd1p, and consequently the enzyme's activity. Thus, we conclude that this consensus motif is essential for structural integrity and processing of Psd1p.

Cell biology, physiology and enzymology of phosphatidylserine decarboxylase.

Phosphatidylethanolamine is one of the most abundant phospholipids whose major amounts are formed by phosphatidylserine decarboxylases (PSD). Here we provide a comprehensive description of different types of PSDs in the different kingdoms of life. In eukaryotes, type I PSDs are mitochondrial enzymes, whereas other PSDs are localized to other cellular compartments. We describe the role of mitochondrial Psd1 proteins, their function, enzymology, biogenesis, assembly into mitochondria and their contribution to phospholipid homeostasis in much detail. We also discuss briefly the cellular physiology and the enzymology of Psd2. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Lipids of Mitochondria edited by Guenther Daum.

Phosphatidylcholine Affects Inner Membrane Protein Translocases of Mitochondria.

Two protein translocases transport precursor proteins into or across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The presequence translocase (TIM23 complex) sorts precursor proteins with a cleavable presequence either into the matrix or into the inner membrane. The carrier translocase (TIM22 complex) inserts multispanning proteins into the inner membrane. Both protein import pathways depend on the presence of a membrane potential, which is generated by the activity of the respiratory chain. The non-bilayer-forming phospholipids cardiolipin and phosphatidylethanolamine are required for the activity of the respiratory chain and therefore to maintain the membrane potential for protein import. Depletion of cardiolipin further affects the stability of the TIM23 complex. The role of bilayer-forming phospholipids like phosphatidylcholine (PC) in protein transport into the inner membrane and the matrix is unknown. Here, we report that import of presequence-containing precursors and carrier proteins is impaired in PC-deficient mitochondria. Surprisingly, depletion of PC does not affect stability and activity of respiratory supercomplexes, and the membrane potential is maintained. Instead, the dynamic TIM23 complex is destabilized when the PC levels are reduced, whereas the TIM22 complex remains intact. Our analysis further revealed that initial precursor binding to the TIM23 complex is impaired in PC-deficient mitochondria. We conclude that reduced PC levels differentially affect the TIM22 and TIM23 complexes in mitochondrial protein transport.

Phosphatidylcholine affects the role of the sorting and assembly machinery in the biogenesis of mitochondrial ß-barrel proteins.

Two protein translocases drive the import of ß-barrel precursor proteins into the mitochondrial outer membrane: The translocase of the outer membrane (TOM complex) promotes transport of the precursor to the intermembrane space, whereas the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM complex) mediates subsequent folding of the ß-barrel and its integration into the target membrane. The non-bilayer-forming phospholipids phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and cardiolipin (CL) are required for the biogenesis of ß-barrel proteins. Whether bilayer-forming phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine (PC), the most abundant phospholipid of the mitochondrial outer membrane, play a role in the import of ß-barrel precursors is unclear. In this study, we show that PC is required for stability and function of the SAM complex during the biogenesis of ß-barrel proteins. PC further promotes the SAM-dependent assembly of the TOM complex, indicating a general role of PC for the function of the SAM complex. In contrast to PE-deficient mitochondria precursor accumulation at the TOM complex is not affected by depletion of PC. We conclude that PC and PE affect the function of distinct protein translocases in mitochondrial ß-barrel biogenesis.

Fructose and Fructans: Opposite Effects on Health?

Fructans are fructose-based oligo-and polysaccharides of natural origin. Fructan and fructose species are sometimes confused by the great public, although they clearly have different biochemical and physiological properties. This review discusses aspects of the use of fructose and fructans in foods in the context of human health, with possible differential effects on cellular autophagy in cells of the human body. Although there are uncertainties on the daily levels of ingested fructose to be considered harmful to human health, there is an emerging consensus on the benefits of the use of fructans in functional foods, sustaining health via direct immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects or through indirect, prebiotic mechanisms.