Gαq,Gγ1 and Plc21C Control Drosophila Body Fat Storage

mobilization of body fat is essential for energy homeostasis in animals. In insects, the adipokinetic hormone （Akh） systemically controls body fat mobilization. Biochemical evidence supports that Akh signals via a G protein-coupled receptor （GPCR） called Akh receptor （AkhR） using cyclic-AMP （cAMP） and Ca2＋ second messengers to induce storage lipid release from fat body cells. Recently, we provided genetic evidence that the intracellular calcium （iCa2＋） level in fat storage cells controls adiposity in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. However, little is known about the genes, which mediate Akh signalling downstream of the AkhR to regulate changes in iCa2＋. Here, we used thermogenetics to provide in vivo evidence that the GPCR signal transducers G protein α q subunit （Gαq）, G protein γ1 （Gγ1） and Phospholipase C at 21C （Plc21C） control cellular and organismal fat storage in Drosophila. Transgenic modulation of Gαq, Gγ1 and Plc21C affected the iCa2＋ of fat body cells and the expression profile of the lipid metabolism effector genes midway and brummer, which results in severely obese or lean flies. Moreover, functional impairment of Gαq, Gγ1 and Plc21C antagonised Akh-induced fat depletion. This study characterizes Gαq, Gγ1 and Plc21C as anti-obesity genes and supports the model that Akh employs the Gαq/Gγ1/Plc21C module of iCa2＋ control to regulate lipid mobilization in adult Drosophila.     

Hedgehog信号通路与脂肪形成

Hedgehog(Hh)信号通路是从果蝇到人类都非常保守的信号通路,在脊椎动物和非脊椎动物胚胎期多种组织器官的发育中发挥着重要作用。Hh信号通路的异常会导致疾病(先天性缺陷和癌症)的发生。近年的研究发现,Hh信号通路在脂肪生长发育中发挥重要作用,激活Hh信号通路能特异性地抑制白色脂肪组织细胞的分化,而对棕色脂肪组织细胞分化没有作用。该文综述了Hh信号通路在脂肪细胞分化中的作用及其分子机制,并对今后的研究和应用作了展望。     

PU.1转录因子调控前体脂肪细胞生脂的分子机制研究进展

PU.1转录因子是保守的DNA结合蛋白Ets家族成员,因其DNA结合区识别共有序列GAGGAA,故该区又称为Ets结合区或PU.1box。PU.1主要在造血系统如髓细胞和B淋巴细胞中表达,调节关键髓系基因的转录从而调控造血系统的分化。PU.1周身敲除后,由于胎儿肝脏中缺乏B淋巴细胞和髓系细胞,导致小鼠胚胎早期死亡,表明PU.1是调控生命过程的关键转录因子。目前,在脂肪细胞中PU.1对脂肪生成作用及机制的研究报道较少。PU.1与脂肪细胞脂肪生成,与miRNAs、antisense RNA以及C/EBPα/β-PPARγ通路的调控关系将是今后研究的重点。     

pGhrelin对离体猪脂肪细胞Caspase-3活性及基因表达的影响

研究新近发现的猪Ghrelin (porcine ghrelin,pGhrelin)对猪前体脂肪细胞Caspase-3活性及其基因表达的影响．采用细胞培养技术,以仔猪背部皮下前体脂肪细胞为靶细胞,经0、1、10和100 nmol/L pGhrelin处理细胞48 h后,于倒置生物显微镜下进行脂肪细胞形态学观察．利用MTT法测定pGhrelin对细胞增殖的影响．采用分光光度法检测Caspase-3活性．以实时荧光定量RT-PCR方法测定Caspase-3的基因表达．结果显示,10 nmol/L pGhrelin可以显著降低脂肪细胞Caspase-3的活性与mRNA的表达水平(P < 0.05),100 nmol/L pGhrelin对猪脂肪前体细胞增殖有极显著促进作用(P < 0.01)．上述结果表明,pGhrelin可以下调Caspase-3的活性与基因表达,促进脂肪细胞增殖,抑制脂肪细胞凋亡,其机制可能与Caspase-3依赖性凋亡调节信号通路有关．     

成纤维细胞生长因子(FGF)受体-2参与FGF-21介导的糖代谢活性

最近发现,FGF-21具有很强的调节血糖和血脂的作用,已经成为糖尿病研究领域的新热点,但是其功能受体和作用机制还不清楚．前期结果表明,FGF-21促进3T3L1脂肪细胞代谢葡萄糖,对前脂肪细胞无作用,说明脂肪细胞表达FGF-21功能受体．以3T3L1 脂肪细胞为靶标,旨在寻找FGF-21的功能受体．结果表明,FGF-21可与3T3L1脂肪细胞膜蛋白形成FGF-21/受体复合物,免疫检测结果发现,FGF-21/受体复合物中含有FGF受体-2(FGFR-2)．为明确FGF-21/FGFR-2的特异性关系,系统研究了FGFR-2对FGF-21刺激后的酪氨酸磷酸化反应．结果表明,虽然前脂肪细胞和脂肪细胞均表达FGFR-2,但是FGF-21只诱导脂肪细胞中表达的FGFR-2磷酸化,对前脂肪细胞表达的FGFR-2无作用,与葡萄糖吸收试验相符．FGF-21不仅可使原位表达的FGFR-2磷酸化,还可使异位表达的FGFR-2磷酸化．克隆后测序分析结果表明,FGFR-2Ⅲc是3T3L1脂肪细胞表达的主要FGFR-2类型．这些结果提示,FGFR-2Ⅲc是FGF-21的功能受体,参与FGF-21在脂肪细胞介导的糖代谢活性．此外,系统分析了FGFR-2在3T3L1分化过程中的差异表达,为FGF-21在前脂肪细胞和脂肪细胞中的功能差异提供了依据．     

几种植物有效成分对大鼠脂肪细胞糖代谢的影响

采用葡萄糖消耗实验探讨沙棘籽渣黄酮等几种植物有效成分对大鼠脂肪细胞糖代谢的影响.结果显示,10~(-4)～1 U/mL的胰岛素能显著促进脂肪细胞消耗葡萄糖,且随着浓度及时间的增加,作用越明显.100～1000 μg/mL的沙棘籽渣黄酮和1000 μg/mL的刺梨黄酮在24 h和48 h,分别使细胞的葡萄糖消耗量极显著地增加(P＜0.01).并且沙棘籽渣黄酮能提高胰岛素的降糖作用.说明沙棘籽渣黄酮具有很好的促脂肪细胞消耗葡萄糖作用.     

糖尿病和动脉粥样硬化的潜在靶标——FABP4（aP2）

脂肪细胞型脂肪酸结合蛋白（A-FABP／FABP4／aP2／ALBP）作为脂肪酸结合蛋白家族中的一员,在脂肪细胞和巨噬细胞中高表达。在鼠及人的肥胖个体中FABP4表达均增加。FABP4基因缺陷可改善胰岛素抵抗,并抑制动脉粥样硬化的发生发展。FABP4抑制剂减小了动物体内动脉硬化斑块的大小且提高了胰岛素敏感性。FABP4已经成为治疗糖尿病和动脉粥样硬化的重要潜在靶标。     

Quantitative analysis of secretome from adipocytes regulated by insulin

Adipocyte is not only a central player involved in storage and release of energy, but also in regulation of energy metabolism in other organs via secretion of peptides and proteins. During the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, adipocytes are subjected to the increased levels of insulin, which may have a major impact on the secretion of adipokines. We have undertaken cleavable isotope-coded affinity tag （cICAT） and label-free quantitation approaches to identify and quantify secretory factors that are differentially secreted by 3T3-L1 adipocytes with or without insulin treatment. Combination of cICAT and label-free results, there are 317 proteins predicted or annotated as secretory proteins. Among these secretory proteins, 179 proteins and 53 proteins were significantly upregulated and down-regulated, respectively. A total of 77 reported adipokines were quantified in our study, such as adiponectin, cathepsin D, cystatin C, resistin, and transferrin. Western blot analysis of these adipokines confirmed the quantitative results from mass spectrometry, and revealed individualized secreting patterns of these proteins by increasing insulin dose. In addition, 240 proteins were newly identified and quantified as secreted proteins from 3T3-L1 adipocytes in our study, most of which were up-regulated upon insulin treatment. Further comprehensive bioinformatics analysis revealed that the secretory proteins in extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathway and glycan structure degradation pathway were significantly upregulated by insulin stimulation.