Project description:Medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase (MCAD) catalyzes crucial steps in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, a process that is of key relevance for maintenance of energy homeostasis, especially during high metabolic demand. To gain insight into the metabolic consequences of MCAD deficiency under these conditions, we compared hepatic carbohydrate metabolism in vivo in wild-type and MCAD-/- mice during fasting and during a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute phase response (APR). MCAD-/- mice did not become more hypoglycemic on fasting or during the APR than wild-type mice did. Nevertheless, microarray analyses revealed increased hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1a (Pgc-1a) and decreased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (Ppar a) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (Pdk4) expression in MCAD-/- mice in both conditions,suggesting altered control of hepatic glucose metabolism. Quantitative flux measurements revealed that the de novo synthesis of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) was not affected on fasting in MCAD-/- mice. During the APR, however, this flux was significantly decreased (-20%) in MCAD-/- mice compared with wild-type mice. Remarkably, newly formed G6P was preferentially directed toward glycogen in MCAD-/- mice under both conditions. Together with diminished de novo synthesis of G6P, this led to a decreased hepatic glucose output during the APR in MCAD-/- mice; de novo synthesis of G6P and hepatic glucose output were maintained in wild-type mice under both conditions. APR-associated hypoglycemia, which was observed in wild-type mice as well as MCAD-/- mice, was mainly due to enhanced peripheral glucose uptake. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that MCAD deficiency in mice leads to specific changes in hepatic carbohydrate management on exposure to metabolic stress. This deficiency, however, does not lead to reduced de novo synthesis of G6P during fasting alone, which may be due to the existence of compensatory mechanisms or limited rate control of MCAD in murine mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Total RNA obtained from Liver ( 20 samples) , where comparing 4 groups, consisting out of 5 biological replicates, all groups where fasted for 12 hrs, and half of them where injected with LPS ( 100ug/20gr BW) or vehicle
Project description:Medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase (MCAD) catalyzes crucial steps in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, a process that is of key relevance for maintenance of energy homeostasis, especially during high metabolic demand. To gain insight into the metabolic consequences of MCAD deficiency under these conditions, we compared hepatic carbohydrate metabolism in vivo in wild-type and MCAD-/- mice during fasting and during a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute phase response (APR). MCAD-/- mice did not become more hypoglycemic on fasting or during the APR than wild-type mice did. Nevertheless, microarray analyses revealed increased hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1a (Pgc-1a) and decreased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (Ppar a) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (Pdk4) expression in MCAD-/- mice in both conditions,suggesting altered control of hepatic glucose metabolism. Quantitative flux measurements revealed that the de novo synthesis of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) was not affected on fasting in MCAD-/- mice. During the APR, however, this flux was significantly decreased (-20%) in MCAD-/- mice compared with wild-type mice. Remarkably, newly formed G6P was preferentially directed toward glycogen in MCAD-/- mice under both conditions. Together with diminished de novo synthesis of G6P, this led to a decreased hepatic glucose output during the APR in MCAD-/- mice; de novo synthesis of G6P and hepatic glucose output were maintained in wild-type mice under both conditions. APR-associated hypoglycemia, which was observed in wild-type mice as well as MCAD-/- mice, was mainly due to enhanced peripheral glucose uptake. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that MCAD deficiency in mice leads to specific changes in hepatic carbohydrate management on exposure to metabolic stress. This deficiency, however, does not lead to reduced de novo synthesis of G6P during fasting alone, which may be due to the existence of compensatory mechanisms or limited rate control of MCAD in murine mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation.
Project description:Nudix hydrolase 7 (NUDT7) is a peroxisomal (acyl-)CoA-degrading enzyme that is highly expressed in the liver. We previously showed that liver-specific NUDT7 overexpression affects peroxisomal lipid metabolism, but does not prevent the increase in total liver CoA levels that occurs with fasting. Herein, we show that deletion of Nudt7 alters the composition of the hepatic acyl-CoA pool in mice fed a low fat diet, but only in males fed a western diet does the lack of NUDT7 increase total liver CoA levels. This effect is driven by the accumulation of medium-chain dicarboxylic acyl-CoAs, which are products of the oxidation of dicarboxylic fatty acids in the peroxisomes. We also show that, under conditions of increased cholesterol intake and elevated bile acid synthesis, Nudt7 deletion increases the production of tauro-muricholic acids, decreasing the hydrophobicity index of the intestinal bile acid pool and increasing fecal cholesterol excretion. Collectively, our findings reveal a key role for NUDT7 in the regulation of the final products of bile acid synthesis and dicarboxylic fatty acid oxidation
Project description:Transcriptome analysis suggests a compensatory role of the cofactors coenzyme A and NAD+ in medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase knockout mice
Project description:RNAseq analysis was conducted to complement the targeted and untargeted metabolomics analysis of livers overexpressing the CoA-degrading enzyme Nudt7 or GFP (control). Lipid metabolism requires coenzyme A (CoA), which is found in multiple subcellular compartments including the peroxisomes. In the liver, CoA levels are dynamically adjusted between the fed and fasted states. The elevation in CoA levels that occurs during fasting is driven by increased synthesis but also correlates with decreased expression of Nudt7, the major CoA-degrading enzyme in the liver. Nudt7 resides in the peroxisomes and we overexpressed this enzyme in mouse livers to determine its effect on the size and composition of the hepatic CoA pool in the fed and fasted states. Nudt7 overexpression did not change total CoA levels but decreased the concentration of short-chain acyl-CoAs and choloyl-CoA in fasted livers, when endogenous Nudt7 activity was lowest. The effect on these acyl-CoAs correlated with a significant decrease in the hepatic bile acid content and in the rate of peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation, as estimated by targeted and untargeted metabolomics, combined with the measurement of fatty acid oxidation in intact hepatocytes. Identification of the CoA species and metabolic pathways affected the overexpression on Nudt7 in vivo supports the conclusion that the nutritionally-driven modulation of Nudt7 activity could contribute to the regulation of the peroxisomal CoA pool and peroxisomal lipid metabolism.
Project description:Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), an endogenous neuroprotective bile acid and a metabolic regulator, stimulates NSC proliferation and enhances adult NSC pool in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we dissected the mechanism triggered by this proliferation-inducing molecule, namely in mediating metabolic reprogramming. Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry based detection of differential proteomics revealed that TUDCA reduces the mitochondrial levels of the long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD), an enzyme crucial for β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids (FA).
Project description:During fasting, mitochondrial fatty-acid β-oxidation (mFAO) is essential for the generation of glucose by the liver. Children with a loss-of-function deficiency in the mFAO enzyme medium-chain acyl-Coenzyme A dehydrogenase (MCAD) are at serious risk of life-threatening low blood glucose levels during fasting in combination with intercurrent disease. However, a subset of these children remains asymptomatic throughout life. In MCAD-deficient (MCAD-KO) mice, glucose levels are similar to those of wild-type (WT) mice, even during fasting. We investigated if metabolic adaptations in the liver may underlie the robustness of this KO mouse. WT and KO mice were given a high- or low-fat diet and subsequently fasted. We analyzed histology, mitochondrial function, targeted mitochondrial proteomics, and transcriptome in liver tissue. Loss of MCAD led to a decreased capacity to oxidize octanoyl-CoA. This was not compensated for by altered protein levels of the short- and long-chain isoenzymes SCAD and LCAD. In the transcriptome, we identified subtle adaptations in the expression of genes encoding enzymes catalyzing CoA- and NAD(P)(H)-involving reactions and of genes involved in detoxification mechanisms. We discuss how these processes may contribute to robustness in MCAD-KO mice and potentially also in asymptomatic human subjects with a complete loss of MCAD activity.
Project description:Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are increasingly viewed as a target of great relevance in the tumor microenvironment, because of their important role in cancer progression and metastasis. However, the endogenous regulatory mechanisms underlying TAM differentiation remain largely unknown. Here, we report that caspase-1 promotes TAM differentiation by cleaving peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) at Asp64, thus generating a 41 kDa fragment. This truncated PPARγ translocates to mitochondria, where it directly interacts with medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD). This binding event attenuates MCAD activity and inhibits fatty acid oxidation, thereby leading to the accumulation of lipid droplets and promoting TAM differentiation. Furthermore, the administration of caspase-1 inhibitors or the infusion of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) genetically engineered to overexpress murine MCAD markedly suppresses tumor growth. Therefore, targeting the caspase-1/PPARγ/MCAD pathway might be a promising therapeutic approach to prevent tumor progression.
Project description:We identified that HK2 facilitate the maintenance and self-renewal of liver cancer stem cells (CSCs). Moreover, HK2 exerts its function by enhancing the accumulation of acetyl-CoA and epigenetically activating the transcription of acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4 (ACSL4), leading to an increase in fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) activity.
Project description:Floodings already have a nearly 60% share in the worldwide damage to crops provoked by natural disasters. Climate change will cause plants to be even more frequently exposed to oxygen limiting conditions (hypoxia) in the near future due to heavy precipitation and concomitant waterlogging or flooding events in large areas of the world. Although the homeostatic regulation of adaptive responses to low oxygen stress in plants is well described, it remained unknown by which initial trigger the molecular response to low-oxygen stress is activated. Here, we show that a hypoxia-induced decline of the ATP level of the cell reduces LONG-CHAIN ACYL-COA SYNTHETASE (LACS) activity, which leads to a shift in the composition of the acyl-CoA pool. High oleoyl-CoA levels release the transcription factor RELATED TO APETALA 2.12 (RAP2.12) from its interaction partner ACYL-COA BINDING PROTEIN (ACBP) at the plasma membrane to induce low oxygen-specific gene expression. We show that different acyl-CoAs provoke unique molecular responses revealing a novel role as cellular signalling component also in plants. In terms of hypoxia signalling, dynamic acyl-CoA levels integrate the cellular energy status into the oxygen signalling cascade with ACBP and RAP2.12 being the central hub. The conserved nature of the ACBP:RAP2.12 module in crops and the novel mechanistic understanding of how low-oxygen stress responses are initiated by oleoyl-CoA in plants provide useful leads for enhancing future food security.