FBP1 loss disrupts liver metabolism and promotes tumorigenesis through a hepatic stellate cell senescence secretome.

The crosstalk between deregulated hepatocyte metabolism and cells within the tumour microenvironment, as well as the consequent effects on liver tumorigenesis, are not completely understood. We show here that hepatocyte-specific loss of the gluconeogenic enzyme fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1) disrupts liver metabolic homeostasis and promotes tumour progression. FBP1 is universally silenced in both human and murine liver tumours. Hepatocyte-specific Fbp1 deletion results in steatosis, concomitant with activation and senescence of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), exhibiting a senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Depleting senescent HSCs by 'senolytic' treatment with dasatinib/quercetin or ABT-263 inhibits tumour progression. We further demonstrate that FBP1-deficient hepatocytes promote HSC activation by releasing HMGB1; blocking its release with the small molecule inflachromene limits FBP1-dependent HSC activation, the subsequent development of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype and tumour progression. Collectively, these findings provide genetic evidence for FBP1 as a metabolic tumour suppressor in liver cancer and establish a critical crosstalk between hepatocyte metabolism and HSC senescence that promotes tumour growth.

The FOXC1/FBP1 signaling axis promotes colorectal cancer proliferation by enhancing the Warburg effect.

Aberrant expression of Forkhead box (FOX) transcription factors plays vital roles in carcinogenesis. However, the function of the FOX family member FOXC1 in maintenance of colorectal cancer (CRC) malignancy is unknown. Herein, FOXC1 expression in CRC specimens in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort was analyzed and validated using immunohistochemistry with a tissue microarray. The effect of FOXC1 expression on proliferation of and glycolysis in CRC cells was assessed by altering its expression in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic investigation was carried out using cell and molecular biological approaches. Our results showed that FOXC1 expression was higher in CRC specimens than in adjacent benign tissue specimens. Univariate survival analyses of the patients from whom the study specimens were obtained, and validated cohorts indicated that ectopic FOXC1 expression was significantly correlated with shortened survival. Silencing FOXC1 expression in CRC cells inhibited their proliferation and colony formation and decreased their glucose consumption and lactate production. In contrast, FOXC1 overexpression had the opposite effect. Furthermore, increased expression of FOXC1 downregulated that of a key glycolytic enzyme, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1). Mechanistically, FOXC1 bound directly to the promoter regions of the FBP1 gene and negatively regulated its transcriptional activity. Collectively, aberrant FBP1 expression contributed to CRC tumorigenicity, and decreased FBP1 expression coupled with increased FOXC1 expression provided better prognostic information than did FOXC1 expression alone. Therefore, the FOXC1/FBP1 axis induces CRC cell proliferation, reprograms metabolism in CRCs, and constitutes potential prognostic predictors and therapeutic targets for CRC.

Disruption of both chloroplastic and cytosolic FBPase genes results in a dwarf phenotype and important starch and metabolite changes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

In this study, evidence is provided for the role of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatases (FBPases) in plant development and carbohydrate synthesis and distribution by analysing two Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA knockout mutant lines, cyfbp and cfbp1, and one double mutant cyfbp cfbp1 which affect each FBPase isoform, cytosolic and chloroplastic, respectively. cyFBP is involved in sucrose synthesis, whilst cFBP1 is a key enzyme in the Calvin-Benson cycle. In addition to the smaller rosette size and lower rate of photosynthesis, the lack of cFBP1 in the mutants cfbp1 and cyfbp cfbp1 leads to a lower content of soluble sugars, less starch accumulation, and a greater superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The mutants also had some developmental alterations, including stomatal opening defects and increased numbers of root vascular layers. Complementation also confirmed that the mutant phenotypes were caused by disruption of the cFBP1 gene. cyfbp mutant plants without cyFBP showed a higher starch content in the chloroplasts, but this did not greatly affect the phenotype. Notably, the sucrose content in cyfbp was close to that found in the wild type. The cyfbp cfbp1 double mutant displayed features of both parental lines but had the cfbp1 phenotype. All the mutants accumulated fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and triose-phosphate during the light period. These results prove that while the lack of cFBP1 induces important changes in a wide range of metabolites such as amino acids, sugars, and organic acids, the lack of cyFBP activity in Arabidopsis essentially provokes a carbon metabolism imbalance which does not compromise the viability of the double mutant cyfbp cfbp1.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase regulates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion of mouse pancreatic beta-cells.

Pancreatic ß-cells can precisely sense glucose stimulation and accordingly adjust their insulin secretion. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) is a gluconeogenic enzyme, but its physiological significance in ß-cells is not established. Here we determined its physiological role in regulating glucose sensing and insulin secretion of ß-cells. Considerable FBPase mRNA was detected in normal mouse islets and ß-cell lines, although their protein levels appeared to be quite low. Down-regulation of FBP1 in MIN6 cells by small interfering RNA could enhance the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), whereas FBP1-overexpressing MIN6 cells exhibited decreased GSIS. Inhibition of FBPase activity in islet ß-cells by its specific inhibitor MB05032 led to significant increase of their glucose utilization and cellular ATP to ADP ratios and consequently enhanced GSIS in vitro. Pretreatment of mice with the MB05032 prodrug MB06322 could potentiate GSIS in vivo and improve their glucose tolerance. Therefore, FBPase plays an important role in regulating glucose sensing and insulin secretion of ß-cells and serves a promising target for diabetes treatment.

In Salmonella enterica, 2-methylcitrate blocks gluconeogenesis.

Strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 lacking a functional 2-methylcitric acid cycle (2-MCC) display increased sensitivity to propionate. Previous work from our group indicated that this sensitivity to propionate is in part due to the production of 2-methylcitrate (2-MC) by the Krebs cycle enzyme citrate synthase (GltA). Here we report in vivo and in vitro data which show that a target of the 2-MC isomer produced by GltA (2-MC(GltA)) is fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase), a key enzyme in gluconeogenesis. Lack of growth due to inhibition of FBPase by 2-MC(GltA) was overcome by increasing the level of FBPase or by micromolar amounts of glucose in the medium. We isolated an fbp allele encoding a single amino acid substitution in FBPase (S123F), which allowed a strain lacking a functional 2-MCC to grow in the presence of propionate. We show that the 2-MC(GltA) and the 2-MC isomer synthesized by the 2-MC synthase (PrpC; 2-MC(PrpC)) are not equally toxic to the cell, with 2-MC(GltA) being significantly more toxic than 2-MC(PrpC). This difference in 2-MC toxicity is likely due to the fact that as a si-citrate synthase, GltA may produce multiple isomers of 2-MC, which we propose are not substrates for the 2-MC dehydratase (PrpD) enzyme, accumulate inside the cell, and have deleterious effects on FBPase activity. Our findings may help explain human inborn errors in propionate metabolism.

Comparative proteomes of Corynebacterium glutamicum grown on aromatic compounds revealed novel proteins involved in aromatic degradation and a clear link between aromatic catabolism and gluconeogenesis via fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase.

The current study examined the aromatic degradation and central metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum by proteomic and molecular methods. Comparative analysis of proteomes from cells grown on gentisate and on glucose revealed that 30% of the proteins of which their abundance changed were involved in aromatic degradation and central carbon metabolism. Similar results were obtained from cells grown on benzoate, 4-cresol, phenol, and resorcinol. Results from these experiments revealed that (i) enzymes involved in degradation of benzoate, 4-cresol, gentisate, phenol, and resorcinol were specifically synthesized and (ii) that the abundance of enzymes involved in central carbon metabolism of glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose phosphate pathway, and TCA cycles were significantly changed on various aromatic compounds. Significantly, three novel proteins, NCgl0524, NCgl0525, and NCgl0527, were identified on 4-cresol. The genes encoding NCgl0525 and NCgl0527 were confirmed to be necessary for assimilation of 4-cresol with C. glutamicum. The abundance of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (Fbp) was universally increased on all the tested aromatic compounds. This Fbp gene was disrupted and the mutant WT(Deltafbp) lost the ability to grow on aromatic compounds. Genetic complementation by the Fbp gene restored this ability. We concluded that gluconeogenesis is a necessary process for C. glutamicum growing on various aromatic compounds.

Structures of activated fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase from Escherichia coli. Coordinate regulation of bacterial metabolism and the conservation of the R-state.

The enteric bacterium Escherichia coli requires fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) for growth on gluconeogenic carbon sources. Constitutive expression of FBPase and fructose-6-phosphate-1-kinase coupled with the absence of futile cycling implies an undetermined mechanism of coordinate regulation involving both enzymes. Tricarboxylic acids and phosphorylated three-carbon carboxylic acids, all intermediates of glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, are shown here to activate E. coli FBPase. The two most potent activators, phosphoenolpyruvate and citrate, bind to the sulfate anion site, revealed previously in the first crystal structure of the E. coli enzyme. Tetramers ligated with either phosphoenolpyruvate or citrate, in contrast to the sulfate-bound structure, are in the canonical R-state of porcine FBPase but nevertheless retain sterically blocked AMP pockets. At physiologically relevant concentrations, phosphoenolpyruvate and citrate stabilize an active tetramer over a less active enzyme form of mass comparable with that of a dimer. The above implies the conservation of the R-state through evolution. FBPases of heterotrophic organisms of distantly related phylogenetic groups retain residues of the allosteric activator site and in those instances where data are available exhibit activation by phosphoenolpyruvate. Findings here unify disparate observations regarding bacterial FBPases, implicating a mechanism of feed-forward activation in bacterial central metabolism.

Expression of human fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in the liver of transgenic mice results in increased glycerol gluconeogenesis.

In type 2 diabetes, increased endogenous glucose production (EGP) as a result of elevated gluconeogenesis contributes to hyperglycemia. An increase in glycerol gluconeogenesis has led to the suggestion that, in obese human subjects with type 2 diabetes, there may be an increase in the activity of the gluconeogenic enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase). The aim of this study was to generate transgenic mice that overexpress human liver FBPase in the liver and assess the consequences to whole-body and hepatic glucose metabolism. FBPase transgenic mice had significantly higher levels of transgene expression in the liver and, as a result, had increased FBPase protein and enzyme activity levels in the liver. This resulted in an increase in the rate of glycerol conversion to glucose but not in EGP. The increased expression of FBPase in the liver did not result in any significant differences compared with littermate control mice in insulin or glucose tolerance. Therefore, it appears that, on its own, an increase in FBPase does not lead to impaired regulation of EGP and hence does not affect whole-body glucose metabolism. This suggests that, for EGP to be increased, other factors associated with obesity are also required.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase mediates cellular responses to DNA damage and aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Response to DNA damage, lack of nutrients and other stress conditions is an essential property of living systems. The coordinate response includes DNA damage repair, activation of alternate biochemical pathways, adjustment of cellular proliferation and cell cycle progression as well as drastic measures like cellular suicide which prevents proliferation of severely damaged cells. Investigating the transcriptional response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to low doses of the alkylating agent methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) we observed induction of genes involved in glucose metabolism. RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of the key enzyme in gluconeogenesis fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP1) was clearly up-regulated by MMS in glucose-rich medium. Interestingly, deletion of FBP1 led to reduced sensitivity to MMS, but not to other DNA-damaging agents, such as 4-NQO or phleomycin. Reintroduction of FBP1 in the knockout restored the wild-type phenotype while overexpression increased MMS sensitivity of wild-type, shortened life span and increased induction of RNR2 after treatment with MMS. Deletion of FBP1 reduced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to MMS treatment and in untreated aged cells, and increased the amount of cells able to propagate and to form colonies, but had no influence on the genotoxic effect of MMS. Our results indicate that FBP1 influences the connection between DNA damage, aging and oxidative stress through either direct signalling or an intricate adaptation in energy metabolism.

A high-throughput screening for phosphatases using specific substrates.

A high-throughput screening was developed for the detection of phosphatase activity in bacterial colonies. Unlike other methods, the current procedure can be applied to any phosphatase because it uses physiological substrates and detects the compelled product of all phosphatase reactions, that is, orthophosphate. In this method, substrates diffuse from a filter paper across a nitrocellulose membrane to bacterial colonies situated on the opposite face, and then reaction products flow back to the paper. Finally, a colorimetric reagent discloses the presence of orthophosphate in the filter paper. We validated the performance of this assay with several substrates and experimental conditions and with different phosphatases, including a library of randomly mutagenized rapeseed chloroplast fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. This procedure could be extended to other enzymatic activities provided that an appropriate detection of reaction products is available.

'Futile cycle' enzymes in the flight muscles of North American bumblebees.

In the flight muscles of European bumblebees, high activities of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FbPase) relative to phosphofructokinase (PFK) have suggested a thermogenic 'futile cycle' important for regional endothermy. We find generally low activities of FbPase (0.7-19.7 units g(-1) thorax) in North American Bombus species, with the exception of Bombus rufocinctus, where activity (43.1 units g(-1) thorax) is comparable with that of European congeners. These data, taken with estimates of maximal rates of heat production by cycling, do not support a significant thermogenic role for the PFK/FbPase cycle. In agreement with earlier studies, both PFK and FbPase activities were found to scale allometrically with body size (allometric exponents -0.18 and -1.33, respectively). The cycle may serve to supplement thermogenesis or amplify glycolytic flux in rest-to-flight transitions, especially in smaller bees.

[Functioning of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase--main enzyme of gluconeogenesis in microorganisms]. / Osoblyvosti funktsionuvannia u mikroorhanizmiv fruktozo-1,6-bisfosfatazy--holovnoho fermentu hliukoneohenezu.

The modern literature data about common characteristics, genetic and molecular-biological properties of main enzyme of gluconeogenesis (fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase) were analyzed. Regulation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity (stimulation and inhibition) by fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, fructose-2,6-bisphosphate, phosphoenolpyruvate, AMP and by metal ions are discussed. It was concluded that apart from the fact that fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase was intensively investigated, this enzyme from Mollicutes failed to be studied sufficiently.

Purification and characterization of glpX-encoded fructose 1, 6-bisphosphatase, a new enzyme of the glycerol 3-phosphate regulon of Escherichia coli.

In Escherichia coli, gene products of the glp regulon mediate utilization of glycerol and sn-glycerol 3-phosphate. The glpFKX operon encodes glycerol diffusion facilitator, glycerol kinase, and as shown here, a fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase that is distinct from the previously described fbp-encoded enzyme. The purified enzyme was dimeric, dependent on Mn(2+) for activity, and exhibited an apparent K(m) of 35 microM for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. The enzyme was inhibited by ADP and phosphate and activated by phosphoenolpyruvate.

Kinetic properties of pig (Sus scrofa domestica) and bovine (Bos taurus) D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate 1-phosphohydrolase (F1,6BPase): liver-like isozymes in mammalian lung tissue.

F1,6BPases from porcine and bovine lung were isolated and their kinetic properties were determined. Ks, Kis and beta were determined assuming partial-noncompetitive inhibition (simple intersecting hyperbolic noncompetitive inhibition) of the enzyme by the substrate. Values for Ks were 4.1 and 4.4 microM for porcine and bovine F1,6BPase, respectively and values for 1 were close to 0.55 in both cases. Kis were 9 and 15 microM for porcine and bovine F1,6BPase, respectively. I0.5 for AMP were determined as 7 microM for pig enzyme and 14 microM for F1,6BPase from bovine lung. The enzymes were inhibited by F2,6BP with Ki's of 0.19 and 0.21 microM for porcine and bovine enzymes, respectively. In the presence of AMP concentration equal to I0.5, the Ki values for pig and bovine enzymes were 0.07 and 0.09 microM, respectively. The levels of F2,6BP, AMP and antioxidant enzymes activities in pig and bovine lung tissues were also determined. The cDNA coding sequence of pig lung F1,6BPase1 showed a high homology with pig liver enzyme, differing only in four positions (G/C-63, T/A-808, G/C-884 and T/A-1005) resulting in a single amino acid substitution (Gly-295 for Ala-295). It is hypothesized that the lung F1,6BPase participates in gluconeogenesis, surfactant synthesis and antioxidant reactions.

Gas-exchange analysis of chloroplastic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase antisense potatoes at different air humidities and at elevated CO(2).

Gas-exchange measurements were performed to analyze the leaf conductances and assimilation rates of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Desireé) plants expressing an antisense construct against chloroplastic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase, EC 3.1.3.11) in response to increasing photon flux densities, different relative air humidities and elevated CO(2) concentrations. Assimilation rates (A) and transpiration rates (E) were observed during a stepwise increase of photon flux density. These experiments were carried out under atmospheric conditions and in air containing 500 micromol mol(-1) CO(2). In both gas atmospheres, two levels of relative air humidity (60-70% and 70-80%) were applied in different sets of measurements. Intercellular CO(2) concentration, leaf conductance, air-to-leaf vapour pressure deficit, and instantaneous water-use efficiency (A/E) were determined. As expected, assimilation rates of the FBPase antisense plants were significantly reduced as compared to the wild type. Saturation of assimilation rates in transgenic plants occurred at a photon flux density of 200 micromol m(-2) s(-1), whereas saturation in wild type plants was observed at 600 micromol m(-2) s(-1). Elevated ambient CO(2) levels did not effect assimilation rates of transgenic plants. At 70-80% relative humidity and atmospheric CO(2) concentration the FBPase antisense plants had significantly higher leaf conductances than wild-type plants while no difference emerged at 60-70%. These differences in leaf conductance vanished at elevated levels of ambient CO(2). Stomatal response to different relative air humidities was not affected by mesophyll photosynthetic activity. It is suggested that the regulation of stomatal opening upon changes in photon flux density is merely mediated by a signal transmitted from mesophyll cells, whereas the intercellular CO(2) concentration plays a minor role in this kind of stomatal response. The results are discussed with respect to stomatal control by environmental parameters and mesophyll photosynthesis.

Function, structure and evolution of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase.

The hydrolysis of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate to fructose-6-phosphate is a key reaction of carbohydrate metabolism. The enzyme that catalyzes this reaction, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, appears to be present in all forms of living organisms. Regulation of the enzyme activity, however, occurs by a variety of distinct mechanisms. These include AMP inhibition (most sources), cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation (yeast), and light-dependent activation (chloroplast). In this short review, we have analyzed the function of several fructose-1,6-bisphosphatases and we have made a comparison of partial amino acid sequences obtained from the enzymes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, and spinach chloroplasts with the known entire amino acid sequence of a mammalian gluconeogenic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. These results demonstrate a very high degree of sequence conservation, suggesting a common evolutionary origin for all fructose-1,6-bisphosphatases.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase from young and adult rats.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (E.C. 3.1.3.11) was purified from the livers of young (69-86 days) and adult (370-386 days) Fisher rats. The enzyme preparations were examined for increasing amounts of missynthesized proteins by means of heat-inactivation as well as for differences in regulatory properties. No significant difference with respect to the fraction of rapidly heat-inactivated enzyme or Km- and Ki-values was found. These results do not support the hypothesis that error accumulation resulting in an error catastrophe is a general phenomenon underlying senescence and death.