ABSTRACT: Dysfunctional mitochondria and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) promote chronic diseases, which have spurred interest in the molecular mechanisms underlying these conditions. Previously, we have demonstrated that disruption of post-translational modification of proteins with β-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O- glcnAcylation) via overexpression of the O-glcnAc–regulating enzymes O- glcnAc transferase (OGT) or O- glcnAcase (OGA) impairs mitochondrial function. Here, we report that sustained alterations in O- glcnAcylation either by pharmacological or genetic manipulation also alters metabolic function. Sustained O-glcnAc elevation in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells increased OGA expression and reduced cellular respiration and ROS generation. Cells with elevated O-glcnAc levels had elongated mitochondria and increased mitochondrial membrane potential, and RNA-Seq in SH-SY5Y cells indicated transcriptome reprogramming and down regulation of the NRF2-mediated antioxidant response. Sustained O-glcnAcylation in mice brain and liver validated the metabolic phenotypes observed in the cells, and OGT knockdown in the liver elevated ROS levels, impaired respiration, and increased the NRF2 antioxidant response. Moreover, elevated O-glcnAc levels promoted weight loss and lowered respiration in mice and skewed the mice toward carbohydrate-dependent metabolism as determined by indirect calorimetry. In summary, sustained elevation in O-glcnAcylation coupled with increased OGA expression reprograms energy metabolism, a finding that has potential implications for the etiology, development, and management of metabolic diseases.
Project description:Drosophila development is a complex and dynamic process regulated, in part, by members of the Polycomb (Pc), Trithorax (Trx) and Compass chromatin modifier complexes. O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGT/SXC) is essential for Pc repression suggesting that the O-GlcNAcylation of proteins plays a key role in regulating development. OGT transfers N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) onto hydroxyl groups of serine or threonine residues of key transcriptional regulators using the nutrient-derived UDP-GlcNAc as a substrate, which is dynamically removed by O-GlcNAcase (OGA). We performed ChIP-chip and microarray analysis after OGT or OGA RNAi knockdown in Drosophila S2 cells and found that O-GlcNAc was elevated genome wide particularly at genes related to mitosis and cell cycle in OGA RNAi cells, but not at sites co-occupied by Pc member Pleiohomeotic (Pho), such as the Hox and NK homeobox gene clusters. Microarray analysis suggested that altered O-GlcNAc cycling perturbed the expression of genes associated with morphogenesis and cell cycle regulation. To examine the in vivo consequences of disturbed O-GlcNAc cycling in the whole animal, we produced a null allele of oga (ogadel.1) in Drosophila. Epigenetic activators including Trx group members Trithorax (Trx), Absent small or homeotic discs 1 (Ash1) and Compass member Set1 histone methyltransferases are O-GlcNAc modified in ogadel.1 mutants. ogadel.1 mutants displayed altered expression of a distinct set of cell cycle related genes in ovaries. Our results suggest that the loss of OGA could affect epigenetic machinery by accumulating O-GlcNAc on numerous chromatin factors including Trx, Ash1 and Set1 in Drosophila. We performed affymetrix tilingarray analysis after OGT or OGA RNAi knockdown in Drosophila S2 cells to find if that O-GlcNAc was elevated genome wide particularly at genes related to mitosis and cell cycle in OGA RNAi cells, but not at sites co-occupied by Pc member Pleiohomeotic (Pho), ------------------------------- This represents the gene expression component only
Project description:The addition of O-GlcNAc (a single β-D-N-acetylglucosamine sugar at serine and threonine residues) by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and removal by O-GlcNAcase (OGA) maintains homeostatic levels of O-GlcNAc. We investigated the role of OGlcNAc homeostasis in hematopoiesis utilizing G1E-ER4 cells carrying a GATA-1 transcription factor fused to the estrogen receptor (GATA-1ER) that undergo erythropoiesis following the addition of β-estradiol (E2) and myeloid leukemia cells that differentiate into neutrophils in the presence of all-trans retinoic acid. During G1E-ER4 differentiation, a decrease in overall O-GlcNAc levels and an increase in GATA-1 interactions with OGT and OGA were observed. Transcriptome analysis on G1E-ER4 cells differentiated in the presence of Thiamet-G (TMG), an OGA inhibitor, identified expression changes in 433 GATA-1 target genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated that the occupancy of GATA-1, OGT, and OGA at Laptm5 gene GATA site was decreased with TMG. Myeloid leukemia cells showed a decline in O-GlcNAc levels during differentiation and TMG reduced the expression of genes involved in differentiation. Sustained treatment with TMG in G1E-ER4 cells prior to differentiation caused a reduction of hemoglobin positive cells during differentiation. Our results show that alterations in O-GlcNAc homeostasis disrupt transcriptional programs causing differentiation errors suggesting a vital role of O-GlcNAcylation in control of cell fate.
Project description:We studied the role of the post-translational modification called O-GlcNAcylation during liver regeneration. Here we generated O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT-KO) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA-KO) hepatocyte-specific knock-out mice. 70% partial hepatectomy (PHX) was performed to induce liver regeneration. We showed that OGA-KO mice had normal liver regeneration whereas OGT-KO mice had a defect in the termination of liver regeneration.
Project description:Drosophila development is a complex and dynamic process regulated, in part, by members of the Polycomb (Pc), Trithorax (Trx) and Compass chromatin modifier complexes. O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGT/SXC) is essential for Pc repression suggesting that the O-GlcNAcylation of proteins plays a key role in regulating development. OGT transfers N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) onto hydroxyl groups of serine or threonine residues of key transcriptional regulators using the nutrient-derived UDP-GlcNAc as a substrate, which is dynamically removed by O-GlcNAcase (OGA). We performed ChIP-chip and microarray analysis after OGT or OGA RNAi knockdown in Drosophila S2 cells and found that O-GlcNAc was elevated genome wide particularly at genes related to mitosis and cell cycle in OGA RNAi cells, but not at sites co-occupied by Pc member Pleiohomeotic (Pho), such as the Hox and NK homeobox gene clusters. Microarray analysis suggested that altered O-GlcNAc cycling perturbed the expression of genes associated with morphogenesis and cell cycle regulation. To examine the in vivo consequences of disturbed O-GlcNAc cycling in the whole animal, we produced a null allele of oga (ogadel.1) in Drosophila. Epigenetic activators including Trx group members Trithorax (Trx), Absent small or homeotic discs 1 (Ash1) and Compass member Set1 histone methyltransferases are O-GlcNAc modified in ogadel.1 mutants. ogadel.1 mutants displayed altered expression of a distinct set of cell cycle related genes in ovaries. Our results suggest that the loss of OGA could affect epigenetic machinery by accumulating O-GlcNAc on numerous chromatin factors including Trx, Ash1 and Set1 in Drosophila.
Project description:O-linked-β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) dynamically modifies and regulates thousands of nuclear, cytoplasmic, and mitochondrial proteins. Cellular stress, including oxidative stress, results in increased O-GlcNAcylation on numerous proteins and this is thought to promote cell survival. The mechanisms by which the O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and the O-GlcNAcase (OGA), the enzymes that add and remove O-GlcNAc respectively, are regulated leading to oxidative stress-induced changes in O-GlcNAcylation are not fully characterized. Here, we demonstrate that oxidative stress leads to elevated O-GlcNAc levels in U2OS cells, but has little impact on the activity of OGT. In contrast, the expression and activity of OGA are enhanced. We hypothesized that protein interactors of OGA may control the local activity or substrate targeting of this enzyme, resulting in stress-induced elevations of O-GlcNAc. We utilized the BioID proximity biotinylation technique in combination with Stable Isotope Labeling of Amino Acids in Cell culture (SILAC) to define the basal and oxidative stress-dependent interactomes of OGA. Our study revealed 90 OGA-interacting partners, many of which exhibit increased binding upon oxidative stress. The associations of OGA with fatty acid synthase (FAS), filamin-A, heat shock cognate 70 kDa protein, and OGT were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. The pool of OGA bound to FAS demonstrates a substantial (~85%) reduction in catalytic activity, suggesting that FAS is an inhibitor of OGA. Consistent with this observation, FAS overexpression augments stress-induced O-GlcNAcylation. Together, these data suggest that O-GlcNAcylation may be one downstream effector of FAS that fine-tunes the cell’s response to stress and injury.
Project description:Nutrient-driven O-GlcNAcylation of key components of the transcription machinery may epigenetically modulate gene expression in metazoans. Knockouts of the O-GlcNAc cycling enzymes in C. elegans are viable and fertile, allowing a global analysis of the impact of GlcNAcylation. Here we compare gene expression in wild type and O-GlcNAc mutants (ogt-1 and oga-1) in synchronized, fed L1 animals. Whole genome transcriptional profiling of the O-GlcNAc cycling mutants confirmed dramatic deregulation of genes in these key pathways. As predicted, the O-GlcNAc cycling mutants show phenotypically altered lifespan and susceptibility to UV stress.
Project description:Heart failure is a leading cause of death worldwide, and failing heart muscle is marked by increased O-GlcNAcylation (OGN). It is unknown if excessive OGN contributes to cardiomyopathy and heart failure. OGN modifies serines and threonines, total OGN levels follow cellular nutrient and metabolic flux in addition to net activity of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). We developed new transgenic mouse models with myocardial delimited over-expression of OGA and OGT, and found that OGT transgenic mice developed severe cardiomyopathy and premature death. In contrast, OGA transgenic hearts had normal function, but were resistant to pathological stress. Interbreeding OGA transgenic mice rescued cardiomyopathy and premature death in OGT transgenic mice. RNA Seq and functional studies highlighted disrupted metabolism in hearts from OGT transgenic mice that was rescued by OGA transgenic interbreeding. Here we show excessive OGN causes cardiomyopathy, identify gene programs responsive to pathological OGN, and suggest attenuation of OGN may be an effective therapy for heart failure.
Project description:We report the effect of splicing upon O-GlcNAc perturbation with OGT inhibitor or OGA inhibitor. We found that splicing is acutely affected through our phosphoproteomics data when cells are treated with OGT inhibitor. By obtaining the various splicing events that are affected by OGT or OGA inhibition, we found that O-GlcNAc is a major regulator of detained introns splicing. At early time point, we observed highly specific splicing of OGT/OGA detained introns to buffer O-GlcNAc changes. At longer time point, ~80% of the total detained introns are affected by O-GlcNAc perturbation, while the rest of canonical splicing events are only minimally affected (~ 5%).
Project description:Protein O-GlcNAcylation is a monosaccharide posttranslational modification maintained by two evolutionarily conserved enzymes, O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). Mutations in human OGT have recently been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, and yet whether and how the disturbed O-GlcNAcylation homeostasis impact the development of nervous system is not fully understood. Here, we generate transgenic Drosophila lines that conditionally express Clostridium perfringens OGA (CpOGA) to perturbate the homeostasis of protein O-GlcNAcylation. We reveal that lowering O-GlcNAcylation level, even just during early embryogenesis, can affect olfactory learning ability in adulthood. Mechanistically, decline of protein O-GlcNAcylation accompanies with emergence of facultative heterochromatin. The forced downregulation of global O-GlcNAcylation by exogenous CpOGA activity promotes nuclear foci formation of Polycomb-group protein Polyhomeotic (Ph) and accumulation of K27 trimethylation of histone H3 (H3K27me3), leading to enhanced facultative heterochromatin formation, which in turn interferes zygotic expression of several neurodevelopmental genes, particularly short of gastrulation (sog), a component of an evolutionarily conserved signaling system required for specification of neuroectoderm. Our findings highlight the importance of early embryonic O-GlcNAcylation homeostasis for the formation of a fully functional nervous system, casting new light on the etiology of OGT-associated intellectual disability.
Project description:O-GlcNAcylation is a reversible post-translational modification controlled by the activity of two enzymes, O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). In the liver, O-GlcNAcylation has emerged as an important regulatory mechanism underlying normal liver physiology and metabolic disease.To address whether OGT acts as a critical hepatic nutritional node, mice with a constitutive hepatocyte-specific deletion of OGT (OGTLKO) were generated.Analyses of 4-week-old OGTLKO mice revealed significant oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress, and DNA damage, together with inflammation and fibrosis, in the liver. Susceptibility to oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress- induced apoptosis was also elevated in OGTLKO hepatocytes. Although OGT expression was partially recovered in the liver of 8- week-old OGTLKO mice, hepatic injury and fibrosis were not rescued but rather worsened with time. Interestingly, weaning of OGTLKO mice on a ketogenic diet (low carbohydrate, high fat) fully prevented the hepatic alterations induced by OGT deletion, indicating that reduced carbohydrate intake protects an OGT-deficient liver. These findings pinpoint OGT as a key mediator of hepatocyte homeostasis and survival upon carbohydrate intake and validate OGTLKO mice as a valuable model for assessing therapeutical approaches of advanced liver fibrosis.