Up-regulation of orphan nuclear estrogen-related receptor alpha expression during long-term caloric restriction in mice

The estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) is an orphan receptor belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily that regulates a number of target genes encoding enzymes that participate in various metabolic pathways involved in maintaining energy balance in animals. In this study, whether long-term caloric restriction (alternate days of fasting for 3 months) in mice modulates the expression of ERRα in various tissues was investigated. Western blot analyses showed positive immunoreactive ERRα protein (53 kDa) band in various mice tissue extracts, though at varying levels. Heart, kidney, and skeletal muscles expressed significant levels of ERRα, with a comparatively lower level detected in the intestine, brain, and liver. Cardiac ERRα expression was the highest, with the least detected in the liver. Caloric restricted mice exhibited a significant increase in ERRα level in the heart (5.45-fold), kidney (3.70-fold), skeletal muscle (3.0-fold), small intestine (2.72-fold), and liver (2.44-fold) extracts as compared to ad libitum fed. However, caloric restriction could not evoke any detectable receptor level change in the brain. Notably, the highest ERRα up-regulation was detected in the heart. This up-regulation in ERRα level especially in highly oxidative tissues such as heart, kidney, small intestine, and skeletal muscle of caloric restricted mice may be helpful in modulating ERRα responsive genes that participates in maintaining energy balance. This may potentially strengthen the metabolic and biochemical adaptation in such tissues, which is necessary for animal survival under long-term caloric restriction.     

肌钙蛋白I2辅助活化多种核受体的反式作用

为深入研究乳腺癌中孤儿受体ERRα1参与基因表达调控的详细机理,特别是核受体辅激活蛋白在其中的作用,以ERRα1的LBD为诱饵,用酵母双杂交系统筛选人乳腺组织cDNA文库得到了与其有明显相互作用的快速骨骼肌型肌钙蛋白I(TNNI2).应用酵母双杂交技术研究表明,TNNI2与多种核受体存在相互作用,且这种作用依赖于功能性的核受体AF2结构域.在哺乳细胞瞬时共转染实验中,TNNI2显示了对多种核受体反式激活功能的辅助活化作用.研究证明,TNNI2与许多辅激活蛋白类似,以配体依赖(对类固醇激素受体而言)或非依赖(对孤儿受体而言)的方式与核受体功能性AF2结构域相互作用,并增强多种核受体介导的反式作用.