Prenatal EGCG consumption impacts hepatic glycogen synthesis and lipid metabolism in adult mice.

In this study, the impact of prenatal exposure to Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on the liver of adult offspring mice was investigated. While EGCG is known for its health benefits, its effects of prenatal exposure on the liver remain unclear. Pregnant C57BL/6 J mice were exposed to 1 mg/kg of EGCG for 16 days to assess hepatotoxicity effects of adult offspring. Transcriptomics and metabolomics were employed to elucidate the hepatotoxicity mechanisms. The findings revealed that prenatal EGCG exposure led to a decrease in liver somatic index, enhanced inflammatory responses and disrupted liver function through increased glycogen accumulation in adult mice. The integrated omics analysis revealed significant alterations in key pathways involved in liver glucose lipid metabolism, such as gluconeogenesis, dysregulation of insulin signaling, and induction of liver inflammation. Furthermore, the study found a negative correlation between the promoter methylation levels of Ppara and their mRNA levels, suggesting that EGCG could reduce hepatic lipid content through epigenetic modifications. The findings suggest that prenatal EGCG exposure can have detrimental impacts on the liver among adult individuals and emphasize the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the potential risks associated with EGCG consumption during pregnancy.

Aberrant regulation and modification of heat shock factor 1 in senescent human diploid fibroblasts.

Induction of the heat shock response (HSR), determined by hsp70-luciferase reporter and HSP70 protein expression, is attenuated as a function of age of the IMR-90 human diploid fibroblasts. To better understand the underlying mechanism, we evaluated changes in the regulation and function of the HSF1 transcription factor. We show that the activation of HSF1 both in vivo and in vitro was decreased as a function of age, and this was attributable to a change in the regulation of HSF1 as the abundance of HSF1 protein and mRNA was unaffected. HSF1 was primarily cytosolic in young cells maintained at 37 degrees C, and heat shock promoted its quantitative nuclear translocation and trimerization. In old cells, some HSF1 was nuclear sequestered at 37 degrees C, and heat shock failed to promote the quantitative trimerization of HSF1. These changes in HSF1 could be reproduced by treating young cells with H2O2 to stunt them into premature senescence. Flow cytometry measurement of peroxide content showed higher levels in old cells and H2O2-induced premature senescent cells as compared to young cells. Experiments using isoelectric focusing and Western blot showed age-dependent changes in the mobility of HSF1 in a pattern consistent with its S-glutathiolation and S-nitrosylation; these changes could be mimicked by treating young cells with H2O2. Our results demonstrated dynamic age-dependent changes in the regulation but not the amount of HSF1. These changes are likely mediated by oxidative events that promote reversible and irreversible modification of HSF1 including S-glutathiolation and S-nitrosylation.

PCR differential display-based identification of regulator of G protein signaling 10 as the target gene in human colon cancer cells induced by black tea polyphenol theaflavin monogallate.

We have previously reported that black tea polyphenol theaflavin monogallate (TF-2) suppressed COX-2 and induced apoptosis in human colon cancer cells [Lu, J.B., Ho, C.-T., Ghai, G., Chen, K.Y., 2000. Differential effects of theaflavin monogallates on cell growth, apoptosis and Cox-2 gene expression in cancerous versus normal cells. Cancer Res. 60, 6465-6471.]. We now extended the study by using PCR-based differential display to search for genes that were selectively induced by TF-2. Here we report the identification of Regulator of G-binding protein signaling 10 (RGS10) as the target gene, which was induced as early as 4 h after the TF-2 treatment. We then examined the effect of TF-2 on several other RGS genes and found that, in addition to RGS10, TF-2 induced the expression of RGS14, but not RGS4. Other tea polyphenols, including theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TF-3) and (-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), also induced the expression of RGS10 and RGS14, but not RGS4. However, theaflavin (TF-1), which does not contain the gallate moiety, was ineffective. These results showed for the first time that tea polyphenols can induce the expression of selective RGS genes and that the gallate moiety may be important in this induction. In view of the role of RGS in modulating G-protein mediated signal transduction pathways, our findings may be significant since dysregulation of G-signaling is prominently implicated in carcinogenesis.

Chaperone Hsp27, a novel subunit of AUF1 protein complexes, functions in AU-rich element-mediated mRNA decay.

Controlled, transient cytokine production by monocytes depends heavily upon rapid mRNA degradation, conferred by 3' untranslated region-localized AU-rich elements (AREs) that associate with RNA-binding proteins. The ARE-binding protein AUF1 forms a complex with cap-dependent translation initiation factors and heat shock proteins to attract the mRNA degradation machinery. We refer to this protein assembly as the AUF1- and signal transduction-regulated complex, ASTRC. Rapid degradation of ARE-bearing mRNAs (ARE-mRNAs) requires ubiquitination of AUF1 and its destruction by proteasomes. Activation of monocytes by adhesion to capillary endothelium at sites of tissue damage and subsequent proinflammatory cytokine induction are prominent features of inflammation, and ARE-mRNA stabilization plays a critical role in the induction process. Here, we demonstrate activation-induced subunit rearrangements within ASTRC and identify chaperone Hsp27 as a novel subunit that is itself an ARE-binding protein essential for rapid ARE-mRNA degradation. As Hsp27 has well-characterized roles in protein ubiquitination as well as in adhesion-induced cytoskeletal remodeling and cell motility, its association with ASTRC may provide a sensing mechanism to couple proinflammatory cytokine induction with monocyte adhesion and motility.

Regulation of A + U-rich element-directed mRNA turnover involving reversible phosphorylation of AUF1.

Proteins binding A + U-rich elements (AREs) contribute to the rapid cytoplasmic turnover of mRNAs containing these sequences. However, this process is a regulated event and may be accelerated or inhibited by myriad signal transduction systems. For example, monocyte adherence at sites of inflammation or tissue injury is associated with inhibition of ARE-directed mRNA decay, which contributes to rapid increases in cytokine and inflammatory mediator production. Here, we show that acute exposure of THP-1 monocytic leukemia cells to the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate mimics several features of monocyte adherence, including rapid induction and stabilization of ARE-containing mRNAs encoding interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Additionally, TPA treatment alters the activity of cytoplasmic complexes that bind AREs, including complexes containing the ARE-specific, mRNA-destabilizing factor, AUF1. Analyses of AUF1 from control and TPA-treated cells indicated that post-translational modifications of the major cytoplasmic isoform, p40AUF1, are altered concomitant with changes in RNA binding activity and stabilization of ARE-containing mRNAs. In particular, p40AUF1 recovered from polysomes was phosphorylated on Ser83 and Ser87 in untreated cells but lost these modifications following TPA treatment. We propose that selected signal transduction pathways may regulate ARE-directed mRNA turnover by reversible phosphorylation of polysome-associated p40AUF1.

Phosphorylation of p40AUF1 regulates binding to A + U-rich mRNA-destabilizing elements and protein-induced changes in ribonucleoprotein structure.

Messenger RNA turnover directed by A + U-rich elements (AREs) involves selected ARE-binding proteins. Whereas several signaling systems may modulate ARE-directed mRNA decay and/or post-translationally modify specific trans-acting factors, it is unclear how these mechanisms are linked. In THP-1 monocytic leukemia cells, phorbol ester-induced stabilization of some mRNAs containing AREs was accompanied by dephosphorylation of Ser83 and Ser87 of polysome-associated p40AUF1. Here, we report that phosphorylation of p40AUF1 influences its ARE-binding affinity as well as the RNA conformational dynamics and global structure of the p40AUF1-ARE ribonucleoprotein complex. Most notably, association of unphosphorylated p40AUF1 induces a condensed RNA conformation upon ARE substrates. By contrast, phosphorylation of p40AUF1 at Ser83 and Ser87 inhibits this RNA structural transition. These data indicate that selective AUF1 phosphorylation may regulate ARE-directed mRNA turnover by remodeling local RNA structures, thus potentially altering the presentation of RNA and/or protein determinants involved in subsequent trans-factor recruitment.