Leukotriene C4 synthase is a novel PPARγ target gene,and leukotriene C4 and D4 activate adipogenesis through cysteinyl LT1 receptors in adipocytes

Leukotriene (LT) C₄ synthase (LTC4S) catalyzes the conversion from LTA₄ to LTC_4, which is a proinflammatory lipid mediator in asthma and other inflammatory diseases. LTC₄ is metabolized to LTD₄ and LTE₄, all of which are known as cysteinyl (Cys) LTs and exert physiological functions through CysLT receptors. LTC4S is expressed in adipocytes. However, the function of CysLTs and the regulatory mechanism in adipocytes remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the expression of LTC4S and production of CysLTs in murine adipocyte 3T3-L1 cells and their underlying regulatory mechanisms. Expression of LTC4S and production of LTC₄ and CysLTs increased during adipogenesis, whereas siRNA-mediated suppression of LTC4S expression repressed adipogenesis by reducing adipogenic gene expression. The CysLT1 receptor, one of the two LTC₄ receptors, was expressed in adipocytes. LTC₄ and LTD₄ increased the intracellular triglyceride levels and adipogenic gene expression, and their enhancement was suppressed by co-treatment with pranlukast, a CysLT1 receptor antagonist. Moreover, the expression profiles of LTC4S gene/protein during adipogenesis resembled those of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ. LTC4S expression was further upregulated by treatment with troglitazone, a PPARγ agonist. Promoter-luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that PPARγ directly bound to the PPAR response element of the LTC4S gene promoter in adipocytes. These results indicate that the LTC4S gene expression was enhanced by PPARγ, and LTC₄ and LTD₄ activated adipogenesis through CysLT1 receptors in 3T3-L1 cells. Thus, LTC4S and CysLT1 receptors are novel potential targets for the treatment of obesity.     

Identification of the disease-causing gene in sclerosteosis--discovery of a novel bone anabolic target?

Genetic studies recently unraveled the genetic cause of sclerosteosis, a rare skeletal dysplasia characterized by a generalized increase in bone mass. Different loss-of-function mutations were identified in SOST, a gene with no homology to any known gene. This SOST gene is also involved in the pathogenesis of van Buchem disease, a disorder closely resembling sclerosteosis, since a 52-kb deletion located downstream of SOST is found in patients diagnosed with this condition. Molecular studies showed a very restricted expression pattern of SOST and its gene product, sclerostin, with areas in the bone tissue, more precisely in cells of the osteoblast lineage, being the major sites of expression. Sclerostin is a secreted protein with a cysteine knot motif. In vitro studies demonstrated that sclerostin acts as a modulator of BMP signaling by binding to different members of the BMP growth factor family and acting on downstream BMP signal transduction events. The important function of sclerostin in bone metabolism has also been proven in vivo by the osteopenic phenotype of transgenic mice overexpressing SOST in bone. The identification of sclerostin as an important protein in bone metabolism opens new perspectives for the development of anabolic therapeutics to prevent and treat osteoporosis.