Project description:Cells harbor two systems for the synthesis of fatty acids, one in the cytoplasm (FASN or fatty acid synthase) and one in the mitochondria (mtFAS). In contrast to FASN, mtFAS is poorly characterized, with the major product(s), metabolic roles, and cellular function(s) essentially unknown. Here we show that hypomorphic mtFAS mutants display a profound loss of electron transport chain (ETC) complexes and exhibit compensatory reductive carboxylation. This effect on ETC complexes is independent of the synthesis of lipoic acid, the best characterized function of mtFAS, as mutants lacking lipoic acid synthesis have an intact ETC. Finally, mtFAS impairment blocks the differentiation of skeletal myoblasts in vitro. These data suggest that ETC activity in mammals is profoundly controlled by mtFAS function, thereby connecting anabolic fatty acid synthesis with the oxidation of carbon fuels.
Project description:Cells harbor two systems for fatty acid synthesis, one in the cytoplasm (catalyzed by fatty acid synthase, FASN) and one in the mitochondria (mtFAS). In contrast to FASN, mtFAS is poorly characterized, especially in higher eukaryotes, with the major product(s), metabolic roles, and cellular function(s) being essentially unknown. Here we show that hypomorphic mtFAS mutant mouse skeletal myoblast cell lines display a severe loss of electron transport chain (ETC) complexes and exhibit compensatory metabolic activities including reductive carboxylation. This effect on ETC complexes appears to be independent of protein lipoylation, the best characterized function of mtFAS, as mutants lacking lipoylation have an intact ETC. Finally, mtFAS impairment blocks the differentiation of skeletal myoblasts in vitro. Together, these data suggest that ETC activity in mammals is profoundly controlled by mtFAS function, thereby connecting anabolic fatty acid synthesis with the oxidation of carbon fuels.
Project description:The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor M-NM-4 (PPARM-NM-4) activation on global gene expression and mitochondrial fuel utilization were investigated in human myotubes. Only 21 genes were up-regulated and 3 genes were down-regulated after activation by the PPARM-NM-4 agonist GW501516. Pathway analysis showed up-regulated mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, TCA cycle and cholesterol biosynthesis. GW501516 increased oleic acid oxidation and mitochondrial oxidative capacity by 2-fold. Glucose uptake and oxidation were reduced, but total substrate oxidation was not affected, indicating a fuel switch from glucose to fatty acid. Cholesterol biosynthesis was increased, but lipid biosynthesis and mitochondrial content were not affected. This study confirmed that the principal effect of PPARM-NM-4 activation was to increase mitochondrial fatty acid oxidative capacity. Our results further suggest that PPARM-NM-4 activation reduced glucose utilization through a switch in mitochondrial substrate preference by up-regulating pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isozyme 4 and genes involved in lipid metabolism and fatty acid oxidation. Keywords: Expression profiling by array Human myotubes from four donors were exposed to a PPARM-NM-4 agonist or control for 96 h after which gene expression was profiled.
Project description:The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) activation on global gene expression and mitochondrial fuel utilization were investigated in human myotubes. Only 21 genes were up-regulated and 3 genes were down-regulated after activation by the PPARδ agonist GW501516. Pathway analysis showed up-regulated mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, TCA cycle and cholesterol biosynthesis. GW501516 increased oleic acid oxidation and mitochondrial oxidative capacity by 2-fold. Glucose uptake and oxidation were reduced, but total substrate oxidation was not affected, indicating a fuel switch from glucose to fatty acid. Cholesterol biosynthesis was increased, but lipid biosynthesis and mitochondrial content were not affected. This study confirmed that the principal effect of PPARδ activation was to increase mitochondrial fatty acid oxidative capacity. Our results further suggest that PPARδ activation reduced glucose utilization through a switch in mitochondrial substrate preference by up-regulating pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isozyme 4 and genes involved in lipid metabolism and fatty acid oxidation. Keywords: Expression profiling by array
Project description:Adipocytes are the primary sites for fatty acid storage, but the synthesis rate of fatty acids is very low. The physiological significance of this phenomenon remains unclear. Here, we show that surplus fatty acid synthesis in adipocytes induces necroptosis and lipodystrophy. Transcriptional activation of FASN elevates fatty acid synthesis, but decreases NADPH level and increases ROS production, which ultimately leads to adipocyte necroptosis. We identify MED20, a subunit of the Mediator complex, as a negative regulator of FASN transcription. Adipocyte-specific male Med20 knockout mice progressively develop lipodystrophy, which is reversed by scavenging ROS. Further, in a murine model of HIV-associated lipodystrophy and a human patient with acquired lipodystrophy, ROS neutralization significantly improves metabolic disorders, indicating a causal role of ROS in disease onset. Our study well explains the low fatty acid synthesis rate in adipocytes, and sheds light on the management of acquired lipodystrophy.
Project description:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly prevalent immunometabolic disease that can progress to hepatic cirrhosis and cancer. NAFLD pathogenesis is extremely complex and is associated with diverse features including oxidative stress, impaired mitochondrial function andlipid metabolism, and cellular inflammation. Thus, in-depth research on its underlying mechanisms and investigation into a potential drug target that has overarching effects on these features will provide benefits towards discovering effective treatments for NAFLD. Here, we examined the role of endogenous paraoxonase-2 (PON2), a membrane protein with reported antioxidant activity, in in vitro fatty liver model. We found that the hepatic loss of PON2 activity aggravated steatosis and oxidative stress under lipotoxic condition, and our transcriptome analysis revealed that PON2 deficiency disrupts the activation of numerous functional pathways closely related to NAFLD pathogenesis, including mitochondrial respiratory capacity, lipid metabolism, liver fibrosis, and hepatic inflammation. PON2 promoted the activation of overall autophagy pathway, especially mitophagy cargo sequestration, which may be considered as an underlying mechanism that contributed to the role of PON2 in alleviating oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, lipid accumulation, and inflammation. These results provide mechanistic foundation on the prospect of targeting PON2 for the development of novel therapeutics for NAFLD in the future.
Project description:The mitochondrial inner membrane contains a unique phospholipid known as cardiolipin (CL), which stabilises the protein complexes embedded in the membrane and supports its overall structure. Recent evidence indicates that the mitochondrial ribosome may associate with the inner membrane to facilitate co-translational insertion of the hydrophobic oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) proteins into the inner membrane. We generated three mutant knockout cell lines for the cardiolipin biosynthesis gene Crls1 to investigate the effects of cardiolipin loss on mitochondrial protein synthesis. Reduced CL levels caused altered mitochondrial morphology and transcriptome-wide changes that were accompanied by reduced uncoordinated mitochondrial translation rates and impaired respiratory supercomplex formation. Aberrant protein synthesis was caused by impaired formation and distribution of mitochondrial ribosomes. Reduction or loss of cardiolipin resulted in resulted in different mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum stress responses. We show that cardiolipin is required to stabilise the interaction of the mitochondrial ribosome with the membrane via its association with OXA1 during active translation. This interaction facilitates insertion of newly synthesised mitochondrial proteins into the inner membrane and stabilises the respiratory supercomplexes.
Project description:Short chain enoyl-CoA hydratase 1 (ECHS1) is involved in the second step of mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO), catalysing the hydration of short chain enoyl-CoA esters to short chain 3-hyroxyl-CoA esters. Genetic deficiency in ECHS1 (ECHS1D) is associated with a specific subset of Leigh Syndrome, a disease typically caused by defects in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Here, we examined the molecular pathogenesis of ECHS1D using a CRISPR/Cas9 edited human cell ‘knockout’ model and fibroblasts from ECHS1D patients. Transcriptome analysis of ECHS1 ‘knockout’ cells showed reductions in key mitochondrial pathways, including the TCA cycle, receptor mediated mitophagy and nucleotide biosynthesis. Subsequent proteomic analyses confirmed these reductions and revealed additional defects in mitochondrial oxidoreductase activity and fatty acid β-oxidation. Functional analysis of ECHS1 ‘knockout’ cells showed reduced mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates when metabolising glucose or OXPHOS complex I-linked substrates, as well as decreased complex I and complex IV enzyme activities. ECHS1 ‘knockout’ cells also exhibited decreased OXPHOS protein complex steady-state levels (complex I, complex III2, complex IV, complex V and supercomplexes CIII2/CIV and CI/CIII2/CIV). Patient fibroblasts exhibit varied reduction of mature OXPHOS complex steady-state levels, with defects detected in CIII2, CIV, CV and the CI/CIII2/CIV supercomplex. Overall, these findings highlight the contribution of defective OXPHOS function, in particular complex I deficiency, to the molecular pathogenesis of ECHS1D.
Project description:During early post-natal stage, cardiomyocytes undergo dramatic structural, metabolic, electrophysiological and cell cycle alterations towards maturation. Among them, the metabolic shift from carbohydrates to fatty acids metabolism is achieved along with mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamic switch and mitophagy. However, the regulatory mechanisms responsible for coordinated mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy in mitochondrial maturation remain unclear. Here, we found that ablation of PDK1 in post-natal cardiomyocytes impairs mitochondrial maturation and metabolism, characterizing by arrest of mitochondria in neonatal stage, low levels of a subset of fatty acids and acylcarnitines. In addition, loss of PDK1 results in dysregulated mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy. An imbalance of the AMPK-mTOR pathway and reduced phosphorylation of PDK1 substrates, including PKA and PKC family members, are observed. These results demonstrated that PDK1 ensures mitochondrial maturation and metabolic shift through kinase-dependent substrate phosphorylation and maintenance of the AMPK-mTOR axis to coordinate mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy.