Project description:Mutations in the gene encoding lipin 1 cause hepatic steatosis in fld mice, a genetic model of lipodystrophy. Lipin 1 appears to be highly involved in the control of fatty acid metabolism. Lipin 1 is most often located in the nucleus, but other studies suggest that lipin also has effects in the cytoplasm. However, the molecular function of lipin 1 is unclear. To evaluate the effects of activation of the lipin 1 system in liver, lipin 1beta was overexpressed in mouse liver using an adenoviral vector. We found that lipin 1 overexpression increased the expression of many genes involved in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation while repressing expression of genes involved in lipogenesis. We believe that lipin is a transcriptional coactivator of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) complex. However, the many molecular aspects of its function remain unclear. Abstract of published manuscript follows:; Lipin 1 is an inducible amplifier of the hepatic PGC-1alpha/PPARalpha regulatory pathway.Finck BN, Gropler MC, Chen Z, Leone TC, Croce MA, Harris TE, Lawrence JC Jr, Kelly DP. Center for Cardiovascular Research and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110; Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110. Perturbations in hepatic lipid homeostasis are linked to the development of obesity-related steatohepatitis. Mutations in the gene encoding lipin 1 cause hepatic steatosis in fld mice, a genetic model of lipodystrophy. However, the molecular function of lipin 1 is unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that the expression of lipin 1 is induced by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha), a transcriptional coactivator controlling several key hepatic metabolic pathways. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function strategies demonstrated that lipin selectively activates a subset of PGC-1alpha target pathways, including fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, while suppressing the lipogenic program and lowering circulating lipid levels. Lipin activates mitochondrial fatty acid oxidative metabolism by inducing expression of the nuclear receptor PPARalpha, a known PGC-1alpha target, and via direct physical interactions with PPARalpha and PGC-1alpha. These results identify lipin 1 as a selective physiological amplifier of the PGC-1alpha/PPARalpha-mediated control of hepatic lipid metabolism. Experiment Overall Design: Adult male C57BL6 mice were injected with adenovirus driving expression of mouse lipin 1beta or green fluorescent protein (GFP). Mice were recovered and sacrificed 6 days after injection. Total RNA was isolated and analyzed using Affymetrix microarray.
Project description:Mutations in the gene encoding lipin 1 cause hepatic steatosis in fld mice, a genetic model of lipodystrophy. Lipin 1 appears to be highly involved in the control of fatty acid metabolism. Lipin 1 is most often located in the nucleus, but other studies suggest that lipin also has effects in the cytoplasm. However, the molecular function of lipin 1 is unclear. To evaluate the effects of activation of the lipin 1 system in liver, lipin 1beta was overexpressed in mouse liver using an adenoviral vector. We found that lipin 1 overexpression increased the expression of many genes involved in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation while repressing expression of genes involved in lipogenesis. We believe that lipin is a transcriptional coactivator of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) complex. However, the many molecular aspects of its function remain unclear. Abstract of published manuscript follows: Lipin 1 is an inducible amplifier of the hepatic PGC-1alpha/PPARalpha regulatory pathway.Finck BN, Gropler MC, Chen Z, Leone TC, Croce MA, Harris TE, Lawrence JC Jr, Kelly DP. Center for Cardiovascular Research and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110; Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110. Perturbations in hepatic lipid homeostasis are linked to the development of obesity-related steatohepatitis. Mutations in the gene encoding lipin 1 cause hepatic steatosis in fld mice, a genetic model of lipodystrophy. However, the molecular function of lipin 1 is unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that the expression of lipin 1 is induced by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha), a transcriptional coactivator controlling several key hepatic metabolic pathways. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function strategies demonstrated that lipin selectively activates a subset of PGC-1alpha target pathways, including fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, while suppressing the lipogenic program and lowering circulating lipid levels. Lipin activates mitochondrial fatty acid oxidative metabolism by inducing expression of the nuclear receptor PPARalpha, a known PGC-1alpha target, and via direct physical interactions with PPARalpha and PGC-1alpha. These results identify lipin 1 as a selective physiological amplifier of the PGC-1alpha/PPARalpha-mediated control of hepatic lipid metabolism. Keywords: response to lipin 1 activation
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:SILAC based protein correlation profiling using size exclusion of protein complexes derived from Mus musculus tissues (Heart, Liver, Lung, Kidney, Skeletal Muscle, Thymus)
Project description:SILAC based protein correlation profiling using size exclusion of protein complexes derived from seven Mus musculus tissues (Heart, Brain, Liver, Lung, Kidney, Skeletal Muscle, Thymus)
Project description:Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P. leucopus in aging studies. Notably, P. leucopus exhibits distinct body composition characteristics, emphasizing reduced muscle force exertion and a unique metabolism, particularly in fat mass. Cardiovascular assessments showed changes in arterial stiffness, challenging conventional assumptions and highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of aging-related phenotypes. Our study also highlights inherent challenges associated with maintaining and phenotyping P. leucopus cohorts. Behavioral considerations, including anxiety-induced responses during handling and phenotyping assessment, pose obstacles in acquiring meaningful data. Moreover, the unique anatomy of P. leucopus necessitates careful adaptation of protocols designed for Mus musculus. While showcasing potential benefits, further extensive analyses across broader age ranges and larger cohorts are necessary to establish the reliability of P. leucopus as a robust and translatable model for aging studies.
Project description:The lipin phosphatidate phosphatase (PAP) enzymes (lipin 1, lipin 2, and lipin 3) catalyze a step in triglyceride and phospholipid biosynthesis, and genetic lipin deficiencies cause human disease that is triggered by metabolic stress, such as fasting. We assessed the protein interactome of lipins 1, 2, and 3 in hepatocytes, and identified unique protein associations between lipin 1 and U2 mRNA spliceosome components. Lpin1–/– mouse liver exhibited aberrant mRNA splicing in the fasted state, including mRNAs involved in mRNA processing and liver maturation. Aberrant splicing could be induced in cultured hepatocytes by lipin 1 knockdown or elevated phosphatidic acid levels, suggesting a role for lipin 1 PAP activity in splicing fidelity. Refeeding Lpin1–/– animals after fasting largely restored mRNA splicing fidelity. Reduced levels of ESRP2 splicing factor exclusively in the fasted state of Lpin1–/– liver was associated with widespread aberrant exon inclusion. These findings connect lipid homeostasis with mRNA splicing, and identify aberrant mRNA splicing in lipin 1 deficiency as a potential contributor to disease symptoms triggered by fasting.
Project description:Sex differences in liver gene expression are dictated by sex-differences in circulating growth hormone (GH) profiles. Presently, the pituitary hormone dependence of mouse liver gene expression was investigated on a global scale to discover sex-specific early GH response genes that might contribute to sex-specific regulation of downstream GH targets and to ascertain whether intrinsic sex-differences characterize hepatic responses to plasma GH stimulation. RNA expression analysis using 41,000-feature microarrays revealed two distinct classes of sex-specific mouse liver genes: genes subject to positive regulation (class-I) and genes subject to negative regulation by pituitary hormones (class-II). Genes activated or repressed in hypophysectomized (Hypox) mouse liver within 30-90min of GH pulse treatment at a physiological dose were identified as direct targets of GH action (early response genes). Intrinsic sex-differences in the GH responsiveness of a subset of these early response genes were observed. Notably, 45 male-specific genes, including five encoding transcriptional regulators that may mediate downstream sex-specific transcriptional responses, were rapidly induced by GH (within 30min) in Hypox male but not Hypox female mouse liver. The early GH response genes were enriched in 29 male-specific targets of the transcription factor Mef2, whose activation in hepatic stellate cells is associated with liver fibrosis leading to hepatocellular carcinoma, a male-predominant disease. Thus, the rapid activation by GH pulses of certain sex-specific genes is modulated by intrinsic sex-specific factors, which may be associated with prior hormone exposure (epigenetic mechanisms) or genetic factors that are pituitary-independent, and could contribute to sex-differences in predisposition to liver cancer or other hepatic pathophysiologies.
Project description:BackgroundCopy number variation is an important dimension of genetic diversity and has implications in development and disease. As an important model organism, the mouse is a prime candidate for copy number variant (CNV) characterization, but this has yet to be completed for a large sample size. Here we report CNV analysis of publicly available, high-density microarray data files for 351 mouse tail samples, including 290 mice that had not been characterized for CNVs previously.ResultsWe found 9634 putative autosomal CNVs across the samples affecting 6.87% of the mouse reference genome. We find significant differences in the degree of CNV uniqueness (single sample occurrence) and the nature of CNV-gene overlap between wild-caught mice and classical laboratory strains. CNV-gene overlap was associated with lipid metabolism, pheromone response and olfaction compared to immunity, carbohydrate metabolism and amino-acid metabolism for wild-caught mice and classical laboratory strains, respectively. Using two subspecies of wild-caught Mus musculus, we identified putative CNVs unique to those subspecies and show this diversity is better captured by wild-derived laboratory strains than by the classical laboratory strains. A total of 9 genic copy number variable regions (CNVRs) were selected for experimental confirmation by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR).ConclusionThe analysis we present is a comprehensive, genome-wide analysis of CNVs in Mus musculus, which increases the number of known variants in the species and will accelerate the identification of novel variants in future studies.