Activation of nuclear receptor NR5A2 increases Glut4 expression and glucose metabolism in muscle cells.

NR5A2 is a nuclear receptor which regulates the expression of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism, pluripotency maintenance and cell differentiation. It has been recently shown that DLPC, a NR5A2 ligand, prevents liver steatosis and improves insulin sensitivity in mouse models of insulin resistance, an effect that has been associated with changes in glucose and fatty acids metabolism in liver. Because skeletal muscle is a major tissue in clearing glucose from blood, we studied the effect of the activation of NR5A2 on muscle metabolism by using cultures of C2C12, a mouse-derived cell line widely used as a model of skeletal muscle. Treatment of C2C12 with DLPC resulted in increased levels of expression of GLUT4 and also of several genes related to glycolysis and glycogen metabolism. These changes were accompanied by an increased glucose uptake. In addition, the activation of NR5A2 produced a reduction in the oxidation of fatty acids, an effect which disappeared in low-glucose conditions. Our results suggest that NR5A2, mostly by enhancing glucose uptake, switches muscle cells into a state of glucose preference. The increased use of glucose by muscle might constitute another mechanism by which NR5A2 improves blood glucose levels and restores insulin sensitivity.

Association of ACACB polymorphisms with obesity and diabetes.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase beta, encoded by the ACAB gene, plays an important role in the oxidation of fatty acids. The aim of this study was to check the hypothesis that allelic variants of ACACB influence the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Twenty five tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) capturing common variants of the ACACB gene were selected and analyzed in two cohorts including 1695 postmenopausal women of the general population and in 161 women with severe obesity (BMI>35). In vitro binding of transcription factors was explored by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). T alleles at the rs2268388 locus were overrepresented in women with severe obesity (18% vs. 10% in controls; OR 1.74 [95% confidence interval 1.30-2.47]), which was statistically significant after multiple-test adjustment (p=0.0004). Likewise, T alleles at the rs2268388 locus and C alleles at the rs2239607 locus were associated with diabetes, in the discovery as well as in the replication cohorts, even after women with severe obesity were excluded (OR 3.6 and 2.8, for TT and CC homozygotes, respectively). Allelic differences in the binding affinity for nuclear proteins were revealed in vitro by EMSA and competition experiments were consistent with the binding of glucorticoid receptor and serum response factor. In conclusion, common polymorphisms of ACACB gene are associated with obesity and, independently, with type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal women, suggesting that the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase beta plays an important role in these disorders related to energy metabolism.

An NPC1L1 gene promoter variant is associated with autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A substantial number of subjects with autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia (ADH) do not have LDL receptor (LDLR) or apolipoprotein B (APOB) mutations. Some ADH subjects appear to hyperabsorb sterols from the intestine, thus we hypothesized that they could have variants of the Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 gene (NPC1L1). NPC1L1 encodes a crucial protein involved in intestinal sterol absorption. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four NPC1L1 variants (-133A>G, -18C>A, 1679C>G, 28650A>G) were analyzed in 271 (155 women and 116 men) ADH bearers without mutations in LDLR or APOB aged 30-70years and 274 (180 women and 94 men) control subjects aged 25-65years. The AC haplotype determined by the -133A>G and -18C>A variants was underrepresented in ADH subjects compared to controls (p=0.01). In the ADH group, cholesterol absorption/synthesis markers were significantly lower in AC homozygotes that in all others haplotypes. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) results revealed that the -133A-specific oligonucleotide produced a retarded band stronger than the -133G allele. Luciferase activity with NPC1L1 -133G variant was 2.5-fold higher than with the -133A variant. CONCLUSION: The -133A>G polymorphism exerts a significant effect on NPC1L1 promoter activity. NPC1L1 promoter variants might explain in part the hypercholesterolemic phenotype of some subjects with nonLDLR/nonAPOB ADH.

A new role for BMP5 during limb development acting through the synergic activation of Smad and MAPK pathways.

In an attempt to identify new genes implicated in the control of programmed cell death during limb development, we have generated a cDNA library from the regressing interdigital tissue of chicken embryos. We have analyzed 804 sequences from this library and identified 23 genes involved in apoptosis in different models. One of the genes that came up in the screening was the Bone Morphogenetic Protein family member, Bmp5, that has not been previously involved in the control of apoptosis during limb development. In agreement with a possible role in the control of cell death, Bmp5 exhibited a regulated pattern of expression in the interdigital tissue. Transcripts of Bmp5 and BMP5 protein were abundant within the cytoplasm of the fragmenting apoptotic interdigital cells in a way suggesting that delivery of BMPs into the tissue is potentiated during apoptosis. Gain-of-function experiments demonstrated that BMP5 has the same effect as other interdigital BMPs inducing apoptosis in the undifferentiated mesoderm and growth in the prechondrogenic mesenchyme. We have characterized both Smad proteins and MAPK p38 as intracellular effectors for the action of BMPs in the developing limb autopod. Activation of Smad signaling involves the receptor-regulated genes Smad1 and -8, and the inhibitory Smad6, and results in both the upregulation of gene transcription and protein phosphorylation with subsequent nuclear translocation. MAPK p38 is also quickly phosphorylated after BMP stimulation in the limb mesoderm. Treatment with the inhibitor of p38, SB203580, revealed that there are interdigital genes induced by BMPs in a p38-dependent manner (DKK, Snail and FGFr3), and genes induced in a p38-independent manner (BAMBI, Msx2 and Smads). Together, our results suggest that Smad and MAPK pathways act synergistically in the BMP pathway controlling limb development.

Identification of a peroxisome-proliferator-activated-receptor response element in the apolipoprotein E gene control region.

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a protein involved in reverse cholesterol transport. Among other tissues, apoE is expressed in macrophages where its expression increases when macrophages develop into foam cells. It has been recently shown that peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is involved in this conversion. Northern-blot analysis was carried out in the macrophage cell line THP1 to determine whether apoE mRNA levels were regulated by ciglitazone, a PPARgamma inducer. The results indicated that treatment with ciglitazone doubled the levels of apoE mRNA. To identify a possible PPARgamma response element (PPRE), several portions of apoE gene control region were used to construct luciferase reporter plasmids. In U-87 MG cells, a 185 bp fragment located in the apoE/apoCI intergenic region was sufficient to induce a 10-fold increase in the luciferase activity of the extract of cells co-transfected with a PPARgamma expression plasmid. Subsequent analysis revealed the presence of a sequence with a high level of sequence similarity to the consensus PPRE. Mutations in this sequence resulted in a lack of functionality both in transient transfection and in electrophoretic-mobility-shift assays. These results demonstrated the presence of a functional PPRE in the apoE/apoCI intergenic region. These results have implications for the regulation of apoE gene expression and could be relevant for understanding the anti-atherogenic effect of thiazolidinediones.

Role of dHAND in the anterior-posterior polarization of the limb bud: implications for the Sonic hedgehog pathway.

dHAND is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor essential for cardiovascular development. Here we analyze its pattern of expression and functional role during chick limb development. dHAND expression was observed in the lateral plate mesoderm prior to emergence of the limb buds. Coincident with limb initiation, expression of dHAND became restricted to the posterior half of the limb bud. Experimental procedures that caused mirror-image duplications of the limb resulted in mirror-image duplications of the pattern of dHAND expression along the anterior-posterior axis. Retroviral overexpression of dHAND in the limb bud produced preaxial polydactyly, corresponding to mild polarizing activity at the anterior border. At the molecular level, misexpression of dHAND caused ectopic activation of members of the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway, including Gli and Patched, in the anterior limb bud. A subset of infected embryos displayed ectopic anterior activation of Shh. Other factors implicated in anterior-posterior polarization of the bud such as the most 5' Hoxd genes and Bmp2 were also ectopically activated at the anterior border. Our results indicate a role for dHAND in the establishment of anterior-posterior polarization of the limb bud.

Formation of intranuclear crystalloids and proliferation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum in schwann cells induced by tellurium treatment: association with overexpression of HMG CoA reductase and HMG CoA synthase mRNA.

Administration of tellurium (Te) in weaning rats causes a well-established demyelinating neuropathy induced by the inhibition in myelinating Schwann cells (SC) of the synthesis of cholesterol, a major component of the myelin sheath, at the level of squalene epoxidase. We have used this experimental model of Te neuropathy to study the biogenesis and reorganization of the endomembranes of the nuclear envelope and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in response to Te treatment by ultrastructural analysis and in situ hybridization for the detection of HMG CoA reductase and synthase mRNA, which encode key enzymes in cholesterol synthesis. The adaptive response of myelinating SC to cholesterol depletion includes cell hypertrophy, the formation of tubular invaginations of proliferating nuclear membranes giving rise to peculiar nuclear inclusions termed crystalloids, and, at the cytoplasmic level, the formation of lamellar bodies of rough ER, proliferation of the smooth ER, and overexpression of HMG CoA reductase and synthase mRNAs. The changes revert after withdrawal of Te treatment. Our results show that the biogenesis and structural organization of both endomembrane systems change dynamically upon Te-induced cholesterol depletion, indicating that this constituent plays a critical role in the organization of nuclear envelope and ER compartments in SC. The results also suggest that the HMG CoA reductase, an integral membrane protein of ER, provides the signal for the extensive membrane assembly. While the physiological meaning of crystalloid remains to be clarified, the hypertrophy of the smooth ER may represent a cytoprotective mechanism involved in detoxification of the neurotoxic agent or its metabolic derivates.

[Association between lipid profile and Apo E genotype in Spanish children (8-15 years old)]. / Asociación entre el perfil lipídico y genotipo de la apoproteína E en niños españoles (8-15 años).

OBJECTIVE: Different studies conclude that apoprotein E (Apo E) is a genetic determinant of lipid levels and cardiovascular risk, although these studies have been carried out principally in adults, with scarce and variable results available in children. The aim of our study was to analyze the association between lipid profile and the different Apo E isoforms (E2, E3 and E4) in a group of Spanish children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a transversal study, apo E genotypes and the lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), LDL-c, HDL-c, triglycerides (TG), Apo A1, apo B and Lp(a)] were determined in 191 children (110 boys and 81 girls) between 8 and 15 years of age. Apo E genotyping was performed by means of polymerase chain reaction and subsequent digestion with the restriction enzyme HhaI. RESULTS: The relative frequency for the E3, E4 and E2 alleles were 0.87, 0.09 and 0.04, respectively. Total cholesterol, LDL-c and Apo B serum levels were highest in the group of individual with the genotypes E3/E4 and lowest in the group E2/E3, while E3/E3 individuals had intermediate levels. When analyzed according to gender, we only found statistical significance in the group of girls (p < 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The apo E genotype was significantly associated with lipid differences observed in the childhood population and this is modulated by gender.

Pitx2 participates in the late phase of the pathway controlling left-right asymmetry.

Pitx2, a member of the bicoid-related family of homeobox-containing genes, is asymmetrically expressed in the left lateral plate mesoderm and derived tissues during chick and mouse development. Modifications of Pitx2 pattern of expression in the iv mouse mutation correlate with the situs alterations characteristic of the mutation. Misexpression experiments demonstrate that Shh and nodal positively regulate Pitx2 expression. Our results are compatible with a Pitx2 function in the late phase of the gene cascade controlling laterality.

Identification of recurrent and novel mutations in the LDL receptor gene in Spanish patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. Mutations in brief no. 135. Online.

We used the single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) method to investigate 13 apparently unrelated Spanish patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) for mutations in the promoter region and the 18 exons and their flanking intron sequences of the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. We found 16 aberrant SSCP patterns, and the underlying mutations were characterized by DNA sequencing. Five novel missense mutations, Q71E, C74G, C95R, C281Y and D679E, and one nonsense mutation, Q133X, were identified. We also found six missense mutations, S156L, D200Y, D200G, E256K, T413K and C646Y, and one stop codon mutation, W(-18)X, that were previously described in patients from other populations. A new frameshift mutation, 2085del19, was found in one patient. We also identified three splicing mutations; two of them are novel mutations, 1706-10G->A and 2390-1G->A, and the other one has been reported recently, 313+1G->C. Four patients were found to carry two different mutations in the same allele: Q71E and 313+1G->C; C95R and D679E; W(-18)X and E256K, and C281Y and 1706-10G->A. Our results demonstrate that there is a broad spectrum of mutations in the LDL receptor gene in the Spanish population.

Insulin-like growth factor I receptor gene expression during postnatal development of rabbit kidney.

BACKGROUND: Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a peptide growth factor whose biological effects are mediated through a specific receptor (IGF-IR). IGF-I and IGF-IR are detected in both fetal and adult kidneys and have both metabolic and growth effects. IGF-IR expression during postnatal kidney development is not well defined and the biological role of this receptor during the postnatal stage is not clearly established. The purpose of the present study was to analyze IGF-IR gene expression during the postnatal development of rabbit kidney to achieve a better understanding of the correlation between growth and differentiation of kidney tissues and IGF-IR expression. METHODS: Using in situ hybridization, we studied changes in IGF-IR expression in the kidneys of newborn rabbits and those up to 35 days old. Evaluation of the stage of kidney development and morphological maturation was made on histological sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin. RESULTS: High levels of IGF-IR gene expression in the rabbit kidney occurred in the last stages of postnatal development and in the adult stages; during the development of the subcapsular metanephrogenic zone, IGF-IR gene expression was not observed. IGF-IR mRNA was expressed by proximal and distal tubules and by collecting ducts after these tissues attained morphological maturation. The appearance of IGF-IR mRNA in these kidney structures followed a precise temporo-spatial sequence. IGF-IR was not expressed by renal corpuscles, Henle's loops, inner medullary collecting ducts, vessels, or interstitial cells at any study stage. CONCLUSIONS: The temporal and spatial patterns of IGF-IR gene expression during postnatal development of the rabbit kidney suggest that IGF-IR and its ligands are relevant for the acquisition of the function, and not for development events, by proximal and distal tubules and collecting ducts. This study also suggests that IGF-IR mRNA localization constitutes a useful marker to determine the functional maturation of these renal structures.

Induction of insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF IR) mRNA levels by low density lipoproteins.

Smooth-muscle cell (SMC) proliferation is a major step in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF I) is a progression factor for smooth muscle cells. We have previously reported an increased level of expression of insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF IR) gene in SMC of atherosclerotic plaques of rabbit aortas. Here we report that low density lipoproteins (LDL) produced an almost twofold increase in the steady state levels of IGF I R mRNAs in cultured smooth muscle cells of the rat aortic cell line A10. The increase was specific for LDL and was not detected in the presence of high density lipoproteins (HDL). These results indicated that increased IGF IR mRNA levels may be related to the genesis of the atherosclerotic lesion and suggested a new explanation for the atherogenic effect of LDL.

Expression of insulin-like growth factor receptor mRNA in rabbit atherosclerotic lesions.

We have found by 'in situ' hybridization a high level of expression of insulin- like growth factor I receptor (IGF-I R) gene in foam cells of atherosclerotic rabbit aortas. By reaction with either anti- rabbit macrophage (RAM11) or anti smooth muscle cell antibodies we also found that most cells expressing increased amounts of IGF-I R mRNA were of smooth muscle cell origin. Thus, increased IGF-I R mRNA levels might be related to the genesis of the atheroma plaque.