Project description:Pharmacological activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) is a convenient and promising tactic for promoting beige adipocyte biogenesis to combat obesity-related metabolic disorders. However, thiazolidinediones (TZDs), the full agonist of PPAR-γ exhibits severe side effects in animal model and clinical uses. Therefore, it is emerging to develop efficient and safe PPAR-γ modulators for metabolic disease treatment. Here, by utilizing comprehensive methods, we report a previously unidentified ligand binding pocket (LBP) in PPAR-γ and link it to beige adipocyte differentiation. Further virtual screening from 4097 natural compounds based on this novel LBP, we discover NJT-2, a terpenoid compound, can bind to PPAR-γ induce co-activator recruitment and effectively activate PPAR-γ mediated transcription of beige adipocyte program. Importantly, in mouse model, NJT-2 administration efficiently promotes beige adipocyte biogenesis and improve obesity-associated metabolic dysfunction with significant lower adverse effects than those observed in TZD. Our results not only provide an advanced molecular insight into the structural ligand binding details in PPARg, but also develop its linked selective and safe agonist for obesity treatment.
Project description:The repressive states of nuclear receptors (i.e., apo or bound to antagonists or inverse agonists) are poorly defined, despite the fact that nuclear receptors are a major drug target. Most ligand bound structures of nuclear receptors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), are similar to the apo structure. Here we use NMR, accelerated molecular dynamics and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to define the PPARγ structural ensemble. We find that the helix 3 charge clamp positioning varies widely in apo and is stabilized by efficacious ligand binding. We also reveal a previously undescribed mechanism for inverse agonism involving an omega loop to helix switch which induces disruption of a tripartite salt-bridge network. We demonstrate that ligand binding can induce multiple structurally distinct repressive states. One state recruits peptides from two different corepressors, while another recruits just one, providing structural evidence of ligand bias in a nuclear receptor.
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:We investigated gene expression changes in the cardiac tissue of a transgenic mouse model overexpressing Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha isoform 4 (PGC-1α4) specifically in cardiomyocytes at the neonatal stage and at the age of four weeks.
Project description:The characterization of specific metabolite–protein interactions is important in chemical biology and drug discovery. For example, nuclear receptors (NRs) are a family of ligand-activated transcription factors that regulate diverse physiological processes in animals and are key targets for therapeutic development. However, the identification and characterization of physiological ligands for many NRs remains challenging due to limitations in domain-specific analysis of ligand binding in cells. To address these limitations, we developed a domain-specific covalent chemical reporter for peroxisome proliferator–activated receptors (PPARs) and demonstrated its utility to screen and characterize the potency of candidate NR ligands in live cells. These studies demonstrate that targeted and domain-specific chemical reporters provide excellent tools to evaluate endogenous and exogenous (diet, microbiota, therapeutics) ligands of PPARs in mammalian cells as well as additional protein targets for further investigation.
Project description:The methodology for the repair of critical-sized or non-union bone lesions has unpredictable efficacy due in part to our incomplete knowledge of bone repair and the biocompatibility of bone substitutes. Although human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) differentiate into osteoblasts, which promote bone growth, their ability to repair bone has been unpredictable. We hypothesized that given the multi-stage process of osteogenesis, hMSC-mediated repair might be maximal at a specific time-point of healing. Utilizing a mouse model of calvarial healing, we demonstrate that the osteo-repair capacity of hMSCs can be substantially augmented by treatment with an inhibitor of peroxisome-proliferator-activated-receptor-γ, but efficacy is confined to the rapid osteogenic phase. Upon entry into the bone-remodeling phase, hMSC retention signals are lost, resulting in truncation of healing. To solve this limitation, we prepared a scaffold consisting of hMSC-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) containing the necessary biomolecules for extended site-specific hMSC retention. When inhibitor-treated hMSCs were co-administered with ECM, they remained at the injury well into the remodeling phase of healing, which resulted in reproducible and complete repair of critical-sized defects in 3 weeks. These data suggest that hMSC-derived ECM and inhibitor-treated hMSCs could be employed at optimal times to substantially and reproducibly improve bone repair. To gain insight into the superior healing potential of GW-hMSCs and also what might be accounting for their extended engraftment, microarray analyses on the RNA extracted from the calvarial tissue recovered after days 5 and 14 were performed. Equal amounts of total RNA from 4 animals per group and time point were pooled and animals receiving control (DMSO) or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma inhibitor GW9662-treated hMSCs were compared with the assumption that murine cross-hybridization would be constant throughout the samples and thus be subtracted from the analysis.
Project description:Interventions: primary colorectal cancer group VS healthy control group:no intervention
Primary outcome(s): Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta-87T>C
Study Design: Factorial
Project description:Fenofibrate is a synthetic ligand for the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha, but there are reports that fenofibrate affects endothelial cells in PPARa-independent manner. In order to identify PPARa-dependently and PPARa-independently regulated transcripts we generated microarray data from human endothelial cells treated with fenofibrate with and without siRNA-mediated knock-down of PPARa.
Project description:Fenofibrate is a synthetic ligand for the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha, but there are reports that fenofibrate affects endothelial cells in PPARa-independent manner. In order to identify PPARa-dependently and PPARa-independently regulated transcripts we generated microarray data from human endothelial cells treated with fenofibrate with and without siRNA-mediated knock-down of PPARa.