Players In Lipid Metabolism Research Articles

Angiopoietin-like protein 4 serum levels and gene polymorphisms are associated with large artery atherosclerotic stroke

BackgroundAngiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) is a central player in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis and may thus be involved in ischaemic stroke. However, no study in humans has investigated the association of ANGPTL4 gene polymorphisms or serum levels with ischaemic stroke. MethodsWe investigated the influence of the tagged single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) rs4076317 (c.207C>G) and rs1044250 (c.797C>T; T266M) of the ANGPTL4 gene on ischaemic stroke risk in a large group of 712 large artery atherosclerotic (LAA) stroke patients and 828 controls. In addition, we examined the association of the serum ANGPTL4 levels with lipid metabolism, LAA stroke severity and ischaemic volume in a sample of 302 LAA stroke patients and 307 controls. ResultsThe findings reveal that rs4076317 exerts a co-dominant effect on lower serum TG levels compared with common homozygotes. Fewer stroke cases were homozygous for variants of rs4076317 compared with the controls (7.0% vs. 10.9%). The serum ANGPTL4 levels in patients were significantly higher than those in the controls in a univariate manner (P=0.001) and after adjustment for other risk factors (1.463 [1.215–1.835]; P<0.001). Consistently, the ANGPTL4 levels were statistically correlated with higher NIHSS scores (r=0.172, P=0.003) and larger lesion volumes (r=0.124, P=0.031). ConclusionWe concluded that the tagged SNPs and high serum levels of ANGPTL4 are associated with LAA stroke and the lipid characteristics.

Mitochondria-associated membranes as hubs for neurodegeneration.

There is a growing appreciation that membrane-bound organelles in eukaryotic cells communicate directly with one another through direct membrane contact sites. Mitochondria-associated membranes are specialized subdomains of the endoplasmic reticulum that function as membrane contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. These sites have emerged as major players in lipid metabolism and calcium signaling. More recently also autophagy and mitochondrial dynamics have been found to be regulated at ER-mitochondria contact sites. Neurons critically depend on mitochondria-associated membranes as a means to exchange metabolites and signaling molecules between these organelles. This is underscored by the fact that genes affecting mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis are clearly overrepresented in several hereditary neurodegenerative disorders. Conversely, the processes affected by the contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria are widely implicated in neurodegeneration. This review will focus on the most recent data addressing the structural composition and function of the mitochondria-associated membranes. In addition, the 3D morphology of the contact sites as observed using volume electron microscopy is discussed. Finally, it will highlight the role of several key proteins associated with these contact sites that are involved not only in dementias, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, but also in axonopathies such as hereditary spastic paraplegia and Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00401-015-1528-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Role of apolipoprotein E polymorphism as a prognostic marker in traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disease: a critical review.

OBJECT The difference in course and outcome of several neurodegenerative conditions and traumatic injuries of the nervous system points toward a possible role of genetic and environmental factors as prognostic markers. Apolipoprotein E (Apo-E), a key player in lipid metabolism, is recognized as one of the most powerful genetic risk factors for dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. In this article, the current understanding of APOE polymorphism in various neurological disorders is discussed. METHODS The English literature was searched for various studies describing the role of APOE polymorphism as a prognostic marker in neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic brain injury. The wide ethnic distribution of APOE polymorphism was discussed, and the recent meta-analyses of role of APOE polymorphism in multiple diseases were analyzed and summarized in tabular form. RESULTS Results from the review of literature revealed that the distribution of APOE is varied in different ethnic populations. APOE polymorphism plays a significant role in pathogenesis of neurodegeneration, particularly in Alzheimer's disease. APOE ε4 is considered a marker for poor prognosis in various diseases, but APOE ε2 rather than APOE ε4 has been associated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related bleeding and sporadic Parkinson's disease. The role of APOE polymorphism in various neurological diseases has not been conclusively elucidated. CONCLUSIONS Apo-E is a biomarker for various neurological and systemic diseases. Therefore, while analyzing the role of APOE polymorphism in neurological diseases, the interpretation should be done after adjusting all the confounding factors. A continuous quest to look for associations with various neurological diseases and wide knowledge of available literature are required to improve the understanding of the role of APOE polymorphism in these conditions and identify potential therapeutic targets.

Abstract 5183: Loss of WWOX induces ANGPTL4 and ROS production in breast cells.

Abstract Expression of the WW-domain containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene is lost in many human malignancies including breast cancer. It has been suggested that WWOX is potentially acting as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer. In order to understand the effects of loss of WWOX expression we used an shRNA-mediated approach to silence expression of this gene in normal human breast cells (MCF10F). Microarray analysis identified 671 commonly deregulated probes between two WWOX-silenced lines generated from shRNAs targeting two independent regions of the WWOX transcript. We found that genes involved in cell cycle/proliferation and DNA damage were significantly enriched in the list of up-regulated genes while genes involved in oxidation-reduction and wound healing were enriched in the list of down-regulated genes. ANGPTL4 was found to be one of the most significantly up-regulated genes in WWOX-silenced cells. ANGPTL4 is known to be an important player in lipid metabolism and energy balance. Importantly recent findings have demonstrated ANGPTL4 to also play key roles in breast cancer progression and metastasis. We validated the upregulation of ANGPTL4 observed in the microarray at the mRNA level by qPCR and the protein level by ELISA. We also show that this upregulation can be reversed by reestablishing WWOX expression in previously silenced cells suggesting an inverse correlation between WWOX and ANGPTL4. Supporting these findings, meta-analysis of data from three independent breast cancer gene expression studies (n= 819 cases) demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between WWOX and ANGPTL4 expression. WWOXlow/ANGPTL4high tumors were enriched in triple-negative breast cancer and basal-like tumors. ANGPTL4 signaling is known to upregulate production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in metastatic breast cancer cells. Interestingly, we found that silencing WWOX in human breast cells or MEFs results in a significant increase in NADPH oxidase-dependent ROS production. Since ROS is a well-known inducer of DNA damage we hypothesized that WWOX silenced cells could have higher levels of DNA damage. In tune with this hypothesis, further analysis of our gene expression data set revealed significant upregulation of multiple genes involved in DNA repair including BRCA1, RAD51 and FANCA in WWOX-silenced MCF10 cells. In additional studies, we determined that WWOX KO MEFs display significantly higher levels of DNA double-strand breaks when compared with WT counterparts as determined by colabeling with 53BP1 and phospho-H2AX antibodies. In summary, we show that loss of the putative tumor suppressor WWOX results in increased levels of the breast metastasis associated gene ANGPTL4 in breast cells and is associated with increased levels of ROS. Citation Format: Brent W. Ferguson, Xinsheng Gao, Maciej Zelazowski, Sabine Lange, Martin C. Abba, Richard D. Wood, C. Marcelo Aldaz. Loss of WWOX induces ANGPTL4 and ROS production in breast cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5183. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5183

RIFL aims to be a new player in lipid metabolism

RIFL (refeeding induced in fat and liver) is highly expressed in brown and white fat as well as in liver. In white adipose tissue and liver, RIFL expression is induced by refeeding and is also elevated in ob/ob mice. The function of RIFL is unknown, and there is some evidence to suggest it may be secreted. RIFL expression is induced during adipogenesis in rodent and human model systems, and cellular knockdown and mouse knockout studies demonstrate that RIFL expression correlates with lipid levels. Overall, these studies indicate that RIFL is a new important player in lipid metabolism.

Recent insights into the structure and function of comparative gene identification-58

Comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) is an important player in lipid metabolism. It acts as activator of triglyceride hydrolases and as acyl-CoA-dependent lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase. This review aims at establishing a structure-function relationship of this still rather enigmatic protein based on recent studies characterizing different functions of CGI-58. Novel studies confirm the important regulatory role of CGI-58 as activator of the triglyceride hydrolase adipose triglyceride lipase. New evidence, corroborated by the characterization of a CGI-58 knockout mouse model, also suggests the existence of yet unknown lipases that are activated by CGI-58. Additionally, CGI-58 was identified to exert acyl-CoA-dependent lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase activity, which implies possible roles in triglyceride or phospholipid synthesis or signaling processes. Unlike mammalian CGI-58 proteins, orthologs from plants and yeast additionally act as weak triglyceride and phospholipid hydrolases. A first three-dimensional model was calculated and allows preliminary structural considerations for the functions of CGI-58. Despite important progress concerning the different biochemical functions of CGI-58, the physiological importance of these activities requires better characterization. Furthermore, three-dimensional structural data for CGI-58 are required to unveil the molecular mechanism of how CGI-58 acts as activator of lipases and exerts its enzymatic functions.

Protection of Neurons from Apoptosis by Apolipoprotein E-containing Lipoproteins Does Not Require Lipoprotein Uptake and Involves Activation of Phospholipase Cγ1 and Inhibition of Calcineurin

Apolipoprotein E-containing lipoproteins (LpE) are generated in the central nervous system by glial cells, primarily astrocytes, and are recognized as key players in lipid metabolism and transport in the brain. We previously reported that LpE protect retinal ganglion neurons from apoptosis induced by withdrawal of trophic additives (Hayashi, H., Campenot, R. B., Vance, D. E., and Vance, J. E. (2007) J. Neurosci. 27, 1933-1941). LpE bind to low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 and initiate a signaling pathway that involves activation of protein kinase Cdelta and inhibition of the pro-apoptotic glycogen synthase kinase-3beta. We now show that uptake of LpE is not required for the neuroprotection. Experiments with inhibitors of phospholipase Cgamma1 and RNAi knockdown studies demonstrate that activation of phospholipase Cgamma1 is required for the anti-apoptotic signaling pathway induced by LpE. In addition, the protein phosphatase-2B, calcineurin, is involved in a neuronal death pathway induced by removal of trophic additives, and LpE inhibit calcineurin activation. LpE also attenuate neuronal death caused by oxidative stress. Moreover, physiologically relevant apoE3-containing lipoproteins generated by apoE3 knock-in mouse astrocytes more effectively protect neurons from apoptosis than do apoE4-containing lipoproteins. Because inheritance of the apoE4 allele is the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer disease, the reduced neuroprotection afforded by apoE4-containing LpE might contribute to the neurodegeneration characteristic of this disease.

Apolipoprotein D in lipid metabolism and its functional implication in atherosclerosis and aging

Dyslipidemia is characterized by increased triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, and decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Such an atherogenic lipid profile often predisposes an at risk individual to coronary artery disease with incompletely understood mechanisms. Apolipoprotein D (apoD) is an atypical apolipoprotein. Unlike canonical apolipoproteins that are produced mainly in liver and intestine, apoD is expressed widely in mammalian tissues. ApoD does not share significant degrees of homology in amino acid sequence with other apolipoproteins. Instead, apoD is structurally similar to lipocalins, a diverse family of lipid-binding proteins that are responsible for transporting lipids and other small hydrophobic molecules for metabolism. Plasma ApoD is present mainly in HDL and to a lesser extent in low density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL). Genetic variants of apoD are associated with abnormal lipid metabolism and increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Increased apoD deposition is detectable in atherosclerotic lesions of humans with established cardiovascular disease as well as mice with premature atherosclerosis. Moreover, apoD is associated with anti-oxidation and anti-stress activities, contributing to lifespan expansion in fruit flies. Elderly subjects and patients with Alzheimer exhibit markedly elevated apoD production in the brain. Thus, apoD is emerged as a significant player in lipid metabolism and aging. Here we focus our review on recent advances toward our understanding of apoD in lipid metabolism and address whether apoD dysregulation contributes to the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis. We will also discuss the functional implication of apoD in aging.

The biotin-capture lipid affinity assay: a rapid method for determining lipid binding parameters for apolipoproteins

The lipid affinity of plasma apolipoproteins is an important modulator of lipoprotein metabolism. Mutagenesis techniques have been widely used to modulate apolipoprotein lipid affinity for studying biological function, but the approach requires rapid and reliable lipid affinity assays to compare the mutants. Here, we describe a novel method that measures apolipoprotein binding to a standardized preparation of small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) containing trace biotinylated and fluorescent phospholipids. After a 30 min incubation at various apolipoprotein concentrations, vesicle-bound protein is rapidly separated from free protein on columns of immobilized streptavidin in a 96-well microplate format. Vesicle-bound protein and lipid are eluted and measured in a fluorescence microplate reader for calculation of a dissociation constant and the maximum number of potential binding sites on the SUVs. Using human apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), apoA-IV, and mutants of each, we show that the assay generates binding constants that are comparable to other methods and is reproducible across time and apolipoprotein preparations. The assay is easy to perform and can measure triplicate binding parameters for up to 10 separate apolipoproteins in 3.5 h, consuming only 120 microg of apolipoprotein in total. The benefits and potential drawbacks of the assay are discussed.

Effect of Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein-1a on the Mitochondrial Protein Pattern in Human Liver Cells Detected by 2D-DIGE

Sterol regulatory element binding protein-1a (SREBP-1a) is a transcription factor that is a major player in lipid metabolism and insulin action. We have generated human liver cells (HepG2) overexpressing active SREBP-1a constitutively called SREBP-1a (+). These cells show massive intracellular lipid accumulation. To elucidate the effect of SREBP-1a on lipid metabolism at the level of the cellular protein network, we have analyzed the protein pattern of mitochondria using the novel technique two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). Mitochondria were enriched by subcellular fractionation using differential and isopyknic centrifugation. Proteins of isolated organelles were labeled with Cy dyes and separated on 2D gels. These gels revealed more than 100 protein spots, which were significantly different in their abundance between wild-type and SREBP-1a (+) cells. MALDI mass spectrometry showed that 68% of identified proteins belong to mitochondria. In SREBP-1a (+) cells, several enzymes involved in lipid metabolism were significantly altered, suggesting that cellular lipid metabolism is triggered by accumulation of fatty acids rather than by its degradation. To test the possible functional relevance of this finding, intracellular fatty acid (FA) patterns were analyzed by gas chromatography. The results showed a significant increase in total fatty acid content with a shift in composition to long-chain unsaturated FAs. Therefore, the detected protein differences might be an explanation for the observed intracellular lipid accumulation and might link SREBP-1a to features like steatosis hepatis.