Protein homeostasis in LGMDR9 (LGMD2I) - The role of ubiquitin-proteasome and autophagy-lysosomal system.

AIMS: Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R9 (LGMDR9) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the fukutin-related protein gene (FKRP), encoding a glycosyltransferase involved in α-dystroglycan modification. Muscle atrophy, a significant feature of LGMDR9, occurs by a change in the normal balance between protein synthesis and protein degradation. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy-lysosomal system play a key role in protein degradation in skeletal muscle cells, but their involvement in the pathology of LGMDR9 is still largely unknown. We have aimed at clarifying whether proteolysis through the UPS and the autophagy-lysosomal pathway is dysregulated in LGMDR9 patients. METHODS: Vastus lateralis biopsies from 8 normal controls and 12 LGMDR9 patients harbouring the c.826C>A/c.826C>A FKRP genotype were assessed for protein markers related to UPS, the autophagy-lysosomal system and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress/unfolded protein response (UPR), followed by ultrastructural analysis by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: Protein levels of E3 ubiquitin ligases Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 showed a pattern similar to normal controls. Elevation of the autophagy markers Atg7, LC3B-II, decreased level of p62 as well as downregulation of the negative autophagy regulator mTORC1, indicated an activation of autophagy in LGMDR9. Mitophagy markers Bnip3 and Parkin were decreased. TEM analysis demonstrated accumulation of autophagosome-like structures in LGMDR9 muscle. There was also an increase in the expression of ER stress/UPR markers PDI, peIF2α and CHOP and a decrease in IRE1α. However, GRP94, Bip and Calnexin remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that autophagy and ER stress are induced in LGMDR9 muscle.

Dietary Calanus oil antagonizes angiotensin II-induced hypertension and tissue wasting in diet-induced obese mice.

BACKGROUND: We have recently shown that Calanus oil, which is extracted from the marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus, reduces fat deposition, suppresses adipose tissue inflammation and improves insulin sensitivity in high fat-fed rodents. This study expands upon our previous observations by examining whether dietary supplementation with Calanus oil could antagonize angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension and ventricular remodeling in mice given a high fat diet (HFD). METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were initially subjected to 8 weeks of HFD with or without 2% (w/w) Calanus oil. Thereafter, animals within each group were randomized for the administration of either Ang II (1µg/kg/min) or saline for another two weeks, while still on the same dietary regimen. RESULTS: Ang II caused a marked decline in body and organ weights in mice receiving non-supplemented HFD, a response which was clearly attenuated in mice receiving Calanus oil supplementation. Furthermore, Ang II-induced elevation in blood pressure was also attenuated in the Calanus oil-supplemented group. As expected, infusion of Ang II produced hypertrophy and up-regulation of marker genes (mRNA level) of both hypertrophy and fibrosis in cardiac muscle, but this response was unaffected by dietary Calanus oil. Fibrosis and inflammation were up-regulated also in the aorta following Ang II infusion. However, the inflammatory response was blocked by Calanus oil supplementation. A final, and unexpected, finding was that dietary intake of Calanus oil caused a robust increase in the level of O-GlcNAcylation in cardiac tissue. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that dietary intake of oil from the marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus could be a beneficial addition to conventional hypertension treatment. The compound attenuates inflammation and the severe metabolic stress caused by Ang II infusion. Although the present study suggests that the anti-hypertensive effect of the oil (or its n-3 PUFAs constituents) is related to its anti-inflammatory action in the vessel wall, other mechanisms such as interaction with intracellular calcium mechanisms or a direct antagonistic effect on Ang II receptors should be examined.

Marine omega-3 fatty acids prevent myocardial insulin resistance and metabolic remodeling as induced experimentally by high insulin exposure.

Insulin resistance is an important risk factor for the development of several cardiac pathologies, thus advocating strategies for restoring insulin sensitivity of the heart in these conditions. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3), have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity in insulin-sensitive tissues, but their direct effect on insulin signaling and metabolic parameters in the myocardium has not been reported previously. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the ability of EPA and DHA to prevent insulin resistance in isolated rat cardiomyocytes. Primary rat cardiomyocytes were made insulin resistant by 48 h incubation in high insulin (HI) medium. Parallel incubations were supplemented by 200 µM EPA or DHA. Addition of EPA or DHA to the medium prevented the induction of insulin resistance in cardiomyocytes by preserving the phosphorylation state of key proteins in the insulin signaling cascade and by preventing persistent relocation of fatty acid transporter CD36 to the sarcolemma. Only cardiomyocytes incubated in the presence of EPA, however, exhibited improvements in glucose and fatty acid uptake and cell shortening. We conclude that ω-3 PUFAs protect metabolic and functional properties of cardiomyocytes subjected to insulin resistance-evoking conditions.

Modification of the cytosolic regions of GABA transporter GAT1 by calpain.

Cytosolic regions of sodium dependent neurotransmitter transporters regulate their surface density and transporting function by interconnecting themselves with intracellular signaling pathways. Here we show that calpain activation in rat brain synaptosomes leads to cleavage of both N- and C-terminal regions of GABA transporter GAT1. In the C-terminal region, calpain removes a short segment of amino acids involved in binding of GAT1 to a high-density PDZ anchoring matrix. Using a protein pull-down assay, we found that C-terminal truncation of GAT1 results in modification of its interacting proteome in vitro. Results indicate that calpain activation/inhibition in GABAergic terminals may influence the scaffolding and surface expression of GABA transporter GAT1 under normal conditions or imbalance GAT1-mediated GABAergic transmission under pathological states.

Truncation of human dopamine transporter by protease calpain.

It has been shown recently that the N-terminal domain of the dopamine transporter (DAT) plays a role in several transporter functions. Here we provide evidence for a possible cellular mechanism of how the N-terminus of dopamine transporter might be removed in vivo. We isolated a recombinant N-terminal protein region of human dopamine transporter and cleaved it with calpain protease. Peptide fragment analysis revealed the existence of two calpain cleavage sites at positions Thr43/Ser44 and Leu71/Ser72 of the DATN-terminus. We show that calpain activation in rat striatal synaptosomes leads to a rapid decrease of dopamine transporter N-terminal epitopes corresponding to the protein sequences removed by a calpain cleavage at Thr43/Ser44 and that the process is totally blocked by a calpain inhibitor. Calpain truncation of the DATN-terminus abolishes its interaction with the receptor of activated protein kinase C, RACK1 and removes protein sequences previously implicated in amphetamine-induced dopamine release, PKC-dependent endocytosis and the interaction of DAT with the dopamine D2 receptor. The above suggests that cleavage of DAT by calpain may significantly modify dopamine homeostasis under pathological or physiological conditions.