Decreased fatty acid synthesis due to mitochondrial uncoupling in adipose tissue.

Synthesis of fatty acid (FA) in adipose tissue requires cooperation of mitochondrial and cytoplasmic enzymes. Mitochondria are required for the production of ATP and they also support the formation of acetyl-CoA and NADPH in cytoplasm. Since cellular levels of all these metabolites depend on the efficiency of mitochondrial energy conversion, mitochondrial proton leak via uncoupling proteins (UCPs) could modulate FA synthesis. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, 2,4-dinitrophenol depressed the synthesis of FA 4-fold while increasing FA oxidation 1. 5-fold and the production of lactate 14-fold. Inhibition of FA synthesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was proportional to the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. FA synthesis from D-[U-(14)C] glucose was reduced up to fourfold by ectopic UCP1 in the white fat of transgenic aP2-Ucp1 mice, reflecting the magnitude of UCP1 expression in different fat depots and the reduction of adiposity. Transcript levels for lipogenic enzymes were lower in the white fat of the transgenic mice than in the control animals. Our results show that uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation depresses FA synthesis in white fat. Reduction of adiposity via mitochondrial uncoupling in white fat not only reflects increased energy expenditure, but also decreased in situ lipogenesis.

Brown fat is essential for cold-induced thermogenesis but not for obesity resistance in aP2-Ucp mice.

The role of brown adipose tissue in total energy balance and cold-induced thermogenesis was studied. Mice expressing mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) from the fat-specific aP2 gene promoter (heterozygous and homozygous aP2-Ucp transgenic mice) and their nontransgenic C57BL6/J littermates were used. The transgenic animals are resistant to obesity induced by a high-fat diet, presumably due to ectopic synthesis of UCP-1 in white fat. These animals exhibited atrophy of brown adipose tissue, as indicated by smaller size of brown fat and reduction of its total UCP-1 and DNA contents. Norepinephrine-induced respiration (measured in pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized animals) was decreased proportionally to the dosage of the transgene, and the homozygous (but not heterozygous) transgenic mice exhibited a reduction in their capacity to maintain body temperature in the cold. Our results indicate that the role of brown fat in cold-induced thermogenesis cannot be substituted by increased energy expenditure in other tissues.

Reduction of dietary obesity in aP2-Ucp transgenic mice: physiology and adipose tissue distribution.

We seek to determine whether increased energy dissipation in adipose tissue can prevent obesity. Transgenic mice with C57BL6/J background and the adipocyte lipid-binding protein (aP2) gene promoter directing expression of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP) gene in white and brown fat were used. Physiologically, UCP is essential for nonshivering thermogenesis in brown fat. Mice were assigned to a chow or a high-fat (HF) diet at 3 mo of age. Over the next 25 wk, gains of body weight were similar in corresponding subgroups (n = 6-8) of female and male mice: 4-5 g in chow nontransgenic and transgenic, 20 g in HF nontransgenic, and 9-11 g in HF transgenic mice. The lower body weight gain in the HF transgenic vs. nontransgenic mice corresponded to a twofold lower feed efficiency. Gonadal fat was enlarged, but subcutaneous white fat was decreased in the transgenic vs. nontransgenic mice in both dietary conditions. The results suggest that UCP synthesized from the aP2 gene promoter is capable of reducing dietary obesity.

Reduction of dietary obesity in aP2-Ucp transgenic mice: mechanism and adipose tissue morphology.

C57BL6/J mice with the expression of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP) gene from the fat-specific aP2 gene promoter were used to study the mechanism by which the aP2-Ucp transgene affects adiposity and reduces high-fat diet induced obesity. In the transgenic mice, UCP synthesized in white fat was inserted into mitochondria, and oxygen uptake by epididymal fat fragments indicated UCP-induced thermogenesis. The respirometry data, UCP content, cytochrome oxidase activity, and tissue morphology suggested functional involution of brown fat. Despite 25- to 50-fold lower mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase activity in white than in brown fat cells, total oxidative capacity in white and brown adipose tissue is comparable. Appearance of novel small cells in the gonadal fat of the transgenic mice was associated with a higher DNA content than that of the nontransgenic mice. The results prove a potential of transgenically altered mitochondria in white fat to modulate adiposity and energy expenditure and suggest the existence of a yet unidentified site-specific link between energy metabolism in adipocytes and cellularity.

Glycation of albumin: reaction with glucose, fructose, galactose, ribose or glyceraldehyde measured using four methods.

Albumin was glycated (nonenzymatically glycosylated) with glucose, fructose, galactose, ribose or glyceraldehyde for 5, 9, 15 and 19 days. The extent of glycation was determined (a) by the thiobarbituric acid method, (b) by fructosamine assay, (c) by method based on the reaction with hydrazine, and (d) by measurement of fluorescence. Results show that the three colorimetric methods used differ in the sensitivity and in addition with the use of each method not the same extent of glycation with various sugars was found.

Glycation of myofibrillar proteins and ATPase activity after incubation with eleven sugars.

Rat skeletal muscle myofibrils were incubated in the presence of D-glucose, D-fructose, D-galactose, D-ribose, D-tagatose, D-arabinose, D-xylose, D-mannose, L-sorbose, L-rhamnose or DL-glyceraldehyde and myofibrillar ATPase activity as well as the extent of glycation was measured. The attachment of sugars to proteins during glycation was generally dependent on the percentage of a given sugar present in the open-chain form. Glycation resulted in the decrease of myofibrillar ATPase activity. This decrease was low after incubation of myofibrillar proteins with slowly glycating sugars (e.g. glucose) and high with fast glycating sugars (e.g. ribose or glyceraldehyde). ATPase activity was less reduced in the presence of beta-mercaptoethanol.

The interference of cysteine thiols in the detection of glycated and non-glycated proteins by modified silver staining after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

In the previous study a staining intensification of in vitro glycated collagen type I versus a non-glycated one after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under a modified silver staining procedure was observed (Hodny, Z., Struzinsky, R. and Deyl, Z. (1992) J. Chromatogr. 578, 53-62). While investigating the specificity of this stain to glycation product(s) on protein we have observed that a great number of proteins (e.g. bovine serum albumin) was sensitive to this stain even in a non-glycated state. It is proposed from results of the analysis of amino acid composition of these proteins that their better stainability correlates with the amount of cysteine present in the protein. Modification of SH groups by iodoacetamide (or N-ethylmaleimide) had an inhibitory effect on the staining of bovine serum albumin (and some other proteins) in its 'native' state but had no visible inhibitory effect on their staining in the glycated state. However, the positive staining response of a great number of components from cellular lysates even after iodoacetamide treatment indicates the existence of further chemical groups (either of protein or nucleic acid origin) participating in this silver staining method.

In vitro non-enzymatic glycosylation of myofibrillar proteins.

1. Glycation is non-enzymatic modification of proteins by sugars in which not only structural but also biological properties of proteins are altered. 2. Our in vitro experiments show that incubation of myofibrillar proteins with ribose results in sugar attachment to proteins and at the same time myofibrillar ATPase activity is lowered. 3. DETAPAC, aminoguanidine and 2-mercaptoethanol all partially block myofibrillar protein glycation and ATPase activity is less inactivated. 4. The dependence of ATPase activity of myofibrils incubated with ribose on the amount of 2-mercaptoethanol present suggests that also modification of SH groups is involved in enzyme inactivation. 5. Electrophoretic studies revealed that heavy chains of myosin, actin, and tropomyosins are proteins which are mainly glycated in vitro.

Decreased Coomassie brilliant blue colour yield with glycated proteins.

Collagen, myosin and albumin were incubated for 7 days at 20 degrees C with fructose, ribose or glyceraldehyde. For thus-formed glycated proteins, quantities were determined by the Conway microdiffusion technique and by the colorimetric method based on Coomassie brilliant blue G-250 colour yield. It was found that when albumin was glycated with increasing amounts of glyceraldehyde, the colour yield was decreased by 7-33%. In collagen, myosin and albumin incubated with 0.5 mol/l fructose, 0.5 mol/l ribose or 0.1 mol/l glyceraldehyde, protein concentration was not changed, as proved by the Conway microdiffusion technique; the Coomassie brilliant blue G-250 colour yield was up to 50% lower, depending on the protein used, and was decreased much less when proteins were incubated with less sugar.

Non-enzymatic glycosylation of myosin: effects of diabetes and ageing.

The influence of diabetes mellitus, streptozotocin-induced diabetes and ageing on the non-enzymatic glycosylation of myosin from cardiac and skeletal muscles was investigated. In cardiac muscle, and to a lesser extent also in skeletal muscles of the rat, non-enzymatic glycosylation of myosin increases with the age, as measured in 6-, 12- and 29-month-old animals. Skeletal muscle myosin from diabetic humans and also that from diabetic rat cardiac muscle are more glycosylated when compared with control myosin preparations. Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of myosin is lower in muscles of diabetic individuals as compared with control muscles.

Staining and quantification of proteins separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

The present review concentrates on techniques for the staining and quantification of proteins separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Staining with organic dyes has been used for approximately thirty years; the silver staining technique was introduced in 1979. The problems of silver staining are presented separately because the mechanism of this staining is in principle different from staining with organic dyes. Less attention has been devoted to quantification of two-dimensional gels, because this autoradiography is preferred because of its high sensitivity and fewer problems with accurate quantification in contrast to silver staining.

Ontogenic differentiation of pig atrial and ventricular myosin.

Myosin was isolated from pig atrial and ventricular myocardium during postnatal development and Ca2+-ATPase was determined and myosin light chains were analysed by electrophoresis in sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel. During ontogenesis ATPase activity of ventricular myosin remains virtually unchanged, whereas that of atrial myosin increases. The patterns of myosin light chains of atrial and ventricular myosin differ from each other, but the individual pattern remains unchanged during the development.

The effect of time, 2-mercaptoethanol and inhibitors of proteases on isolation of cardiac myosin and its properties.

Myosin was isolated from the ventricular myocardium of adult rats and the effect of time, 2-mercaptoethanol and inhibitors of proteases was investigated on its properties. It was found that the storage of cardiac muscle up to 4 hours does not influence the myosin ATPase, the electrophoretic pattern of light chains of myosin or the pattern of peptides produced by digestion of myosin with chymotrypsin. Neither does the presence of pepstatin and phenylmethyl sulfonylfluoride during myosin preparation influence the activity of myosin ATPase. It was found that the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol during myosin preparation enhances myosin ATPase of the product. This myosin was more stable when kept at 4 degrees C for four days.

Expression of myosin in atrial areas of the bovine myocardium.

1. A comparison of myosins from defined areas of the bovine atrial myocardium was performed by measuring Ca2+-ATPase activity and electrophoretic separation of myosin light chains. 2. Some areas of atrial myocardium contained myosin with slightly higher ATPase activity than others. 3. There were also clear differences in the amount of one ventricular light chain of myosin in defined regions of atrial myocardium. 4. No close relationship existed between the expression of ventricular and atrial myosin light chains and myosin ATPase activity.

Ventricular myosin from young and adult animals with respect to the thyroid state.

Studies were conducted to analyze the effect of the thyroid hormone on ventricular myosin during ontogenesis of mice, rats and rabbits. Hypothyroidism was induced in mice and rats by administering propylthiouracyl in drinking water. Rabbits were made hyperthyroid by chronic administration of thyroxine. The change in the thyroid state of rats and rabbits influenced young and adult animals differently depending on whether V1 or V3 was the major ventricular isomyosin form present. Measurements of Ca2+-ATPase activity of myosins from young and old control animals and from animals with changed thyroid state showed that hypothyroidism in rats is associated with a greater decrease of myosin ATPase in young rats which contain V1 isomyosin only, when compared with old rats which contain a preponderance of V3 isomyosin and less of the V1 form. In rabbits, ATPase activity of ventricular myosin was more elevated after thyroxine administration in adult rabbits, which contain V3 isomyosin only, than in young rabbits in which myosin consists of V1 and V3 isomyosins. Ventricular myosins of young and adult mice did not differ in their ATPase activity and the treatment of mice with propylthiouracyl had only slight effect on myosin ATPase. It can be concluded based on these results that the hypothesis concerning hypothyroidism inducing transformation of V1 into V3 isomyosin does not hold generally.

Contractile function and Ca2+ transport system of myocardium in ageing.

Experiments with animals with various species-specific life span (rats, rabbits, cats, dogs) and different models (in situ heart, isolated perfused heart, isolated papillary muscle) have proved the reduction of functional capacity of the ageing heart. Diversely directional age-dependent shifts have been established involving myocardial Ca2+ transport system, i.e. an increase in the rate of Na+-Ca2+ exchange and passive Ca2+ transport across sarcolemma and a decrease in its Ca2+-binding capacity and a decrease in Ca2+ accumulation by sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria (Ca2+ uptake). The experiments revealed a decrease in the Ca2+ ATPase myosin activity in the myocardium of aged animals and absence of age changes in the K+ ATPase activity. The findings obtained suggest that the development in the cardiac contractile function disorders in ageing largely depends on the age-related changes in the Ca2+ transport system.

Properties of atrial and ventricular myosin in mammals of various size.

Myosin was isolated from atria and ventricles of adult rats, rabbits and pigs, and characterized by ATPase activities, the effects of temperature on the latter, the influence of alkaline preincubation on enzymatic activity and by electrophoretic fractionation of myosin peptides. It was shown that ventricular myosins are clearly distinguished by their ATPase activities and their response to pH and temperature, whereas atrial myosins were more similar to each other in this respect. However, the electrophoretic patterns of rat, rabbit and pig atrial myosin peptides produced by digestion with S. aureus V8 protease were different.

Differential effect of thyroxine on atrial and ventricular isomyosins in rats.

Two myosin heavy chains (MHCs), alpha and beta, which exhibit different levels of ATPase activity related to the different velocities of muscle shortening, are differentially expressed in rat cardiac ventricles, depending on the developmental stage and the thyroid status of the animals. In contrast, no changes have been reported concerning the expression of atrial MHCs in the same physiological and pathological conditions. We have now performed studies with sensitive techniques to test the hypothesis that the expression of alpha- and beta-MHCs can also be modulated in the rat atria, although at a low level. Atrial and ventricular isomyosin patterns of various groups of rats were examined by two-dimensional peptide mapping, immunofluorescence with specific anti-alpha- and anti-beta-MHC immunoglobulins, and electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions. Normal ontogenic development of the atria is characterized by the disappearance of a small amount of beta-MHC, present at 19 days in utero. At 3 wk of age, atria and ventricles both contain only alpha-MHC. Severe hypothyroidism, produced either by methylthiouracil (MTU) treatment of pregnant females and of their litters or by hypophysectomy of adult animals, did not significantly deinduce atrial alpha-MHC but was characterized by a significant although slight accumulation of beta-MHC (less than 5% of total myosin). This latter effect was abolished by L-thyroxine restoration. It is concluded that alpha- and beta-MHC are developmentally and hormonally regulated both in atria and ventricles, although the extent of regulation is very different for the two tissues.

Relation of fast and slow skeletal, and atrial and ventricular myosin in various mammals.

Myosin was isolated from adult mouse, rat, rabbit and cat atrial and ventricular myocardium and fast and slow skeletal muscles and examined by measuring Ca2+-ATPase activity and by electrophoretic fractionation of chymotryptic peptides and MLCs. The myosin from mouse atrial and ventricular myocardium were very similar. The properties of cat soleus muscle myosin and ventricular myocardium were also very similar (ATPase activity and electrophoretic pattern of chymotryptic peptides of myosin). The electrophoretic pattern of MLCs, however, was distinct when comparing mouse and feline muscles. These observations are consistent with the idea that atrial and ventricular alpha MHCs are closely related and that beta MHCs from ventricular myocardium and slow skeletal muscle fibres are also closely related.