Project description:Social experience and pheromone signaling in ORNs affect pheromone responses and male courtship behaviors in Drosophila, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this circuit-level neuromodulation remain less clear. Previous studies identified social experience and pheromone signaling-dependent modulation of chromatin around behavioral switch gene fruitless, which encodes a transcription factor necessary and sufficient for male behaviors. To identify the molecular mechanisms driving social experience-dependent neuromodulation, we performed RNA-seq from antennal samples of mutant fruit flies in pheromone receptors and fruitless, as well as grouped or isolated wild-type males. We found that loss of pheromone detection differentially alters the levels of fruitless exons suggesting changes in splicing patterns. In addition, many Fruitless target neuromodulatory genes, such as neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, and ion transporters, are differentially regulated by social context and pheromone signaling. Our results suggest that modulation of circuit activity and behaviors in response to social experience and pheromone signaling arise due to changes in transcriptional programs for neuromodulators downstream of behavioral switch gene function.
Project description:We carry out a differential RNAseq analysis of a row of sensilla on the anterior wing margin and find expression of many genes associated with pheromone and chemical perception.
Project description:Social interactions in insects are strongly driven by conspecific chemical signals that are detected via chemoreceptors of olfactory and gustatory neurons. Odorant binding proteins (Obps) transport volatile odorants to chemosensory receptors, but their pleiotropic effects on behaviors and other traits are not well characterized. Here, we knocked down expression of 14 Drosophila melanogaster Obp genes using RNAi and found that seven had reduced male aggressive behavior, particularly Obp56h. RNAi knockdown of Obp56h gene expression also reduced courtship latency; significantly impacted cuticular hydrocarbon production, with a major reduction in 5-Tricosene (5-T); and affected expression of many other genes, including Or19b, Gr97a and several genes associated with lipase activity. We propose that Obp56h plays a dual role in pheromone production and perception and that 5-T, an inhibitory sex pheromone produced by males that increases latency for early stages of courtship, is implicated as a possible ligand for Obp56h.
Project description:The class 3 phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) is required for the lysosomal degradation by autophagy and vesicular trafficking, assuring adaptation to energy shortages. Mitochondrial lipid catabolism is another important energy source. Autophagy and mitochondrial metabolism are transcriptionally controlled by nutrient sensing nuclear receptors. However, it is not known whether the class 3 PI3K contributes to this regulation. Here we show that hepatocyte-specific inactivation of Vps15, the essential regulatory subunit of the class 3 PI3K, results in mitochondrial depletion and a failure to oxidize fatty acids. Mechanistically, the transcriptional activity of Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor alpha (PPARα), a nuclear receptor that orchestrates fatty acid catabolism, is blunted in Vps15-deficient livers. We find PPARα transcriptional repressors Histone Deacetylase 3 (Hdac3) and Nuclear receptor co-repressor 1 (NCoR1) accumulated in Vps15-deficient livers due to defective autophagic flux. Pharmacologic activation of PPARα with a synthetic ligand, re-expression of its co-activator Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) or inhibition of Hdac3 restored mitochondrial biogenesis and lipid oxidation in Vps15-deficient hepatocytes. These findings reveal a role for the class 3 PI3K and autophagy in transcriptional coordination of mitochondrial metabolism.
Project description:Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF4α, NR2A1) is a nuclear receptor which has a critical role in hepatocyte differentiation and the maintenance of homeostasis in the adult liver. However, a detailed understanding of native HNF4α in the steady state remains to be elucidated. Here we report the native HNF4α isoforms, phosphorylation status and complexes in the steady state, as shown by shotgun proteomics in HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells. Shotgun proteomic analysis revealed the complexity of native HNF4α, including multiple phosphorylation sites and inter-isoform heterodimerization. The associating complexes identified by label-free semi-quantitative proteomic analysis include the following: the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, histone acetyltransferase complexes, mRNA splicing complex, other nuclear receptor coactivator complexes, the chromatin remodeling complex, and the nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylation complex. Among the associating proteins, GRB10 interacting GYF protein 2 (GIGYF2, PERQ2) is a new candidate cofactor in metabolic regulation. Moreover, an unexpected heterodimerization of HNF4α and Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4γ was found. A biochemical and genome-wide analysis of transcriptional regulation showed that this heterodimerization activates gene transcription. The genes thus transcribed include the cell death-inducing DEF45-like effector b (CIDEB) gene, which is an important regulator of lipid metabolism in the liver. This suggests that the analysis of the distinctive stoichiometric balance of native HNF4α and its cofactor complexes described here is important for an accurate understanding of transcriptional regulation. Examination of HNF4alpha binding sites with domain-specific antibodies and HNF4gamma binding sites in HepG2 cell.
Project description:Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF4α, NR2A1) is a nuclear receptor which has a critical role in hepatocyte differentiation and the maintenance of homeostasis in the adult liver. However, a detailed understanding of native HNF4α in the steady state remains to be elucidated. Here we report the native HNF4α isoforms, phosphorylation status and complexes in the steady state, as shown by shotgun proteomics in HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells. Shotgun proteomic analysis revealed the complexity of native HNF4α, including multiple phosphorylation sites and inter-isoform heterodimerization. The associating complexes identified by label-free semi-quantitative proteomic analysis include the following: the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, histone acetyltransferase complexes, mRNA splicing complex, other nuclear receptor coactivator complexes, the chromatin remodeling complex, and the nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylation complex. Among the associating proteins, GRB10 interacting GYF protein 2 (GIGYF2, PERQ2) is a new candidate cofactor in metabolic regulation. Moreover, an unexpected heterodimerization of HNF4α and Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4γ was found. A biochemical and genome-wide analysis of transcriptional regulation showed that this heterodimerization activates gene transcription. The genes thus transcribed include the cell death-inducing DEF45-like effector b (CIDEB) gene, which is an important regulator of lipid metabolism in the liver. This suggests that the analysis of the distinctive stoichiometric balance of native HNF4α and its cofactor complexes described here is important for an accurate understanding of transcriptional regulation. This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below. Refer to individual Series.
Project description:Insulin integrates hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism, directing nutrients to storage as glycogen and triglyceride. In type 2 diabetes, levels of the former are low and the latter are exaggerated, posing a pathophysiologic and therapeutic conundrum. A branching model1 of insulin signaling, with FoxO1 presiding over glucose production2-5 and Srebp–1c regulating lipogenesis,6-8 provides a potential explanation. Here we illustrate an alternative mechanism that integrates glucose production and lipogenesis under the unifying control of FoxO. Liver–specific ablation of three FoxOs (L–FoxO1,3,4) prevents the induction of glucose–6–phosphatase and the repression of glucokinase during fasting, thus increasing lipogenesis at the expense of glucose production. We document a similar pattern in the early phases of diet-induced insulin resistance, and propose that FoxOs are required to enable the liver to direct nutritionally derived carbons to glucose vs. lipid metabolism. Our data underscore the heterogeneity of hepatic insulin resistance during progression from the metabolic syndrome to overt diabetes, and the conceptual challenge of designing therapies that curtail glucose production without promoting hepatic lipid accumulation. We used microarrays to detail the change of gene expression in liver after knocking out FoxO1,3 and 4. Liver tissue samples were collected from hepatocyte- specific triple FoxO(1,3, and 4) KO and their littermates control (WT) mice after fasting (22 h) or refeeding (4 h). Gene expression was analyzed by microarray. Mice were on a mixed background of C57BL/6J and 129.
Project description:Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF4α, NR2A1) is a nuclear receptor which has a critical role in hepatocyte differentiation and the maintenance of homeostasis in the adult liver. However, a detailed understanding of native HNF4α in the steady state remains to be elucidated. Here we report the native HNF4α isoforms, phosphorylation status and complexes in the steady state, as shown by shotgun proteomics in HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells. Shotgun proteomic analysis revealed the complexity of native HNF4α, including multiple phosphorylation sites and inter-isoform heterodimerization. The associating complexes identified by label-free semi-quantitative proteomic analysis include the following: the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, histone acetyltransferase complexes, mRNA splicing complex, other nuclear receptor coactivator complexes, the chromatin remodeling complex, and the nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylation complex. Among the associating proteins, GRB10 interacting GYF protein 2 (GIGYF2, PERQ2) is a new candidate cofactor in metabolic regulation. Moreover, an unexpected heterodimerization of HNF4α and Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4γ was found. A biochemical and genome-wide analysis of transcriptional regulation showed that this heterodimerization activates gene transcription. The genes thus transcribed include the cell death-inducing DEF45-like effector b (CIDEB) gene, which is an important regulator of lipid metabolism in the liver. This suggests that the analysis of the distinctive stoichiometric balance of native HNF4α and its cofactor complexes described here is important for an accurate understanding of transcriptional regulation. siRNA-mediated HNF4alpha and HNF4gamma double knockdown in HepG2 cells were analysed by using the Affymetrix GeneChip system in tripricate.
Project description:The main objective of the sudy was to characterize the functions of Drosophila Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 (dHNF4) in midgut enterocytes. For this, we expressed a UAS-dHNF4 RNAi transgene under the control of mex-GAL4, which is active specifically in midgut enterocytes. We then collected adult male midguts, extracted total RNA and performed mRNA-seq. Our data demonstrate that dHNF4 acts as a master regulator of intestinal lipid metabolism in Drosophila.