Project description:The fine-tuning of liver metabolism is essential to maintain the whole-body homeostasis and to prevent the onset of diseases. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivators (PGC-1s) are transcriptional key players of liver metabolism, able to regulate mitochondrial function, gluconeogenesis and lipid metabolism. Their activity is accurately modulated by post-translational modifications. Here, we showed that specific PGC-1s expression can lead to the upregulation of different microRNAs widely implicated in liver physiology and diseases development and progression, thus offering a new layer of complexity in the control of hepatic metabolism.
Project description:The fine-tuning of liver metabolism is essential to maintain the whole-body homeostasis and to prevent the onset of diseases. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivators (PGC-1s) are transcriptional key players of liver metabolism, able to regulate mitochondrial function, gluconeogenesis and lipid metabolism. Their activity is accurately modulated by post-translational modifications. Here, we showed that specific PGC-1s expression can lead to the upregulation of different microRNAs widely implicated in liver physiology and diseases development and progression, thus offering a new layer of complexity in the control of hepatic metabolism.
Project description:The effect of PGC-1α overexpression using adenovirus (PGC-1α-Ad) on hepatic gene expression was studied in mice primary hepatocytes.
Project description:PGC-1α overexpression in microglia protects against ischemia-induced brain damage in mice. To investigate the underlying mechanism of PGC-1α in vitro, we have employed whole mRNA microarray expression profiling as a discovery platform to identify genes with the potential to change the BV2 cells function. Indeed, PGC-1α overexpression alters the gene expression profiles of BV2 cells, this revealed that PGC-1α could inhibit the production of IL-1β and pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Project description:Transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α and its splice variant NT-PGC-1α play crucial roles in regulating cold-induced thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α are highly induced by cold in BAT and subsequently bind to and coactivate many different transcription factors to regulate expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, respiration and thermogenesis. To identify the complete repertoire of PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α target genes in BAT, we analyzed genome-wide DNA-binding and gene expression profiles. We find that PGC-1α-/NT-PGC-1α binding broadly associates with cold-mediated transcriptional activation. In addition to their known target genes in mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, respiration and thermogenesis, PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α target to a broad spectrum of genes involved in diverse biological pathways including ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolism, ribonucleoprotein complex biosynthesis, phospholipid biosynthesis, angiogenesis, glycogen metabolism, phosphorylation, and autophagy. Our findings expand the number of genes and biological pathways that may be regulated by PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α and provide further insight into the transcriptional regulatory network in which PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α coordinate a comprehensive transcriptional response in BAT in response to cold.
Project description:Transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α and its splice variant NT-PGC-1α play crucial roles in regulating cold-induced thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α are highly induced by cold in BAT and subsequently bind to and coactivate many different transcription factors to regulate expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, respiration and thermogenesis. To identify the complete repertoire of PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α target genes in BAT, we analyzed genome-wide DNA-binding and gene expression profiles. We find that PGC-1α-/NT-PGC-1α binding broadly associates with cold-mediated transcriptional activation. In addition to their known target genes in mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, respiration and thermogenesis, PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α target to a broad spectrum of genes involved in diverse biological pathways including ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolism, ribonucleoprotein complex biosynthesis, phospholipid biosynthesis, angiogenesis, glycogen metabolism, phosphorylation, and autophagy. Our findings expand the number of genes and biological pathways that may be regulated by PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α and provide further insight into the transcriptional regulatory network in which PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α coordinate a comprehensive transcriptional response in BAT in response to cold.
Project description:The β-adrenergic receptor signaling pathway is a major component of adaptive thermogenesis in brown and white adipose tissue during cold acclimation. The β-AR activation highly induces transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α and its splice variant N-terminal (NT)-PGC-1α, promoting the transcription program of mitochondrial biogenesis and thermogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated the role of NT-PGC-1α in brown adipocyte energy metabolism by genome-wide profiling of NT-PGC-1α-responsive genes. Canonical pathway analysis revealed that a number of genes upregulated by NT-PGC-1α are highly enriched in mitochondrial pathways including fatty acid transport and β-oxidation, TCA cycle and electron transport system, thus reinforcing the crucial role of NT-PGC-1α in the enhancement of mitochondrial function. Moreover, gene expression profiling of NT-PGC-1α revealed activation of distinct metabolic pathways such as glucose, lipid and nucleotide metabolism and of signaling pathways such as RAR and PPAR-γ/RXRα activation in brown adipocytes. Together, our data strengthen our previous findings that NT-PGC-1α is a key regulator of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and thermogenesis in brown adipocytes and further suggest that NT-PGC-1α influences a broader spectrum of thermogenic processes to meet cellular needs for adaptive thermogenesis. Two samples from two groups: NT-PGC-1α overexpression and empty vector. There are technical replicates (A and B) for each group. Two RNA samples were pooled for each group.
Project description:The peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) integrates environmental cues by controlling complex transcriptional networks in various metabolically active tissues. However, it is unclear how a transcriptional coregulator coordinates dynamic biological programs in response to multifaceted stimuli such as endurance training or fasting. Here, we discovered a central function of the poorly understood C-terminal domain (CTD) of PGC-1α to bind RNAs and assemble multi-protein complexes. Surprisingly, in addition to controlling the coupling of transcription and processing of target genes, RNA binding is indispensable for the recruitment of PGC-1α to chromatin into liquid-like nuclear condensates, which compartmentalize and regulate active transcription. These results demonstrate a hitherto unsuspected molecular mechanism by which complexity in the regulation of large transcriptional networks by PGC-1α is achieved. These findings are not only essential for the basic understanding of transcriptional coregulator-driven control of biological programs, but will also help to devise new strategies to modulate these processes in pathological contexts in which PGC-1α function is dysregulated, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases or skeletal muscle wasting.
Project description:Glioblastoma, the most frequent primary malignant brain tumor in adults, is characterized by profound yet dynamic hypoxia and nutrient depletion. To sustain survival and proliferation, tumor cells are compelled to acquire metabolic plasticity with the induction of adaptive metabolic programs. We have previously shown that the peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ coactivator (PGC)-1α is a key regulator of cellular respiration, proliferation and invasion in glioblastoma. Here, we interrogated the pathways necessary to enable processing of nutrients other than glucose. We employed genetic approaches (PGC-1α stable/inducible overexpression, CRISPR/Cas9 knockout), pharmacological interventions with a novel inhibitor of adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK) in glioblastoma cell culture systems and a proteomic approach to investigate mechanisms of metabolic plasticity towards non-glucose nutrients including galactose, fatty acids and ketone bodies. Moreover, spatially resolved multi-omic analysis integrating transcriptomics and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) was used to correlate the gene expression pattern of PGC-1α with local metabolic and genetic architecture in human glioblastoma tissue sections. A nutrient switch from glucose to galactose, ketone bodies or fatty acids triggered an initial activation of AMPK, which in turn activated PGC-1α-dependent adaptive programs towards mitochondrial metabolism. This sensor-effector mechanism was essential for metabolic plasticity with both functional AMPK and PGC-1α necessary for survival and growth of cells under non-glucose nutrient sources. In human glioblastoma tissue specimens, PGC-1α-expression correlated with non-hypoxic tumor niches defining a specific metabolic compartment. Our findings reveal a cell-intrinsic nutrient sensing and switching mechanism. The exposure to alternative fuels triggers a starvation signal that subsequently is passed on via AMPK and PGC-1α to induce adaptive programs which result in upregulation of the enzymatic machinery necessary for broader spectrum nutrient metabolism. The integration of spatially resolved transcriptomic data from human glioblastoma samples confirms the relevance of PGC-1α especially in non-hypoxic tumor regions. Thus, the AMPK-PGC-1α axis is a candidate for therapeutic inhibition in glioblastoma.