Hormone sensitive lipase mRNA in both monocyte and macrophage forms of the human THP-1 cell line

The identity of the neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolase (CEH) in human monocyte/macrophages is uncertain. Prior studies indicate that hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) is a major CEH in mouse macrophages, and that HSL mRNA is present in human THP-1 monocytes. In the present study, HSL mRNA expression was examined in THP-1 cells as a function of differentiation status and cholesterol enrichment. By RT-PCR with primer pairs that span exon boundaries, HSL mRNA was demonstrated in THP-1 monocytes and phorbol-ester differentiated THP-1 macrophages. cDNA identities were confirmed by sequencing. By Northern blotting, with HSL cDNA as probe, THP-1 monocytes were found to contain HSL mRNA of approximately 3 and 3.9 kb. In THP-1 macrophages, the 3 kb mRNA was greatly diminished, while the level of the 3.9 kb mRNA was maintained. mRNA of approximately 3 and 3.9 kb are those expected of the 86-kDa (adipocyte) and 117-kDa (testicular) HSL isoforms, respectively. The presence of the testicular isoform mRNA was confirmed in THP-1 cells by amplification and sequencing of an isoform-specific cDNA. Additionally, Northern-blot comparisons showed that the 3 and 3.9 kb mRNA in THP-1 comigrated with the HSL mRNA in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and rat testis, respectively. The level of the 3.9 kb mRNA did not vary greatly with cholesterol enrichment. Thus, the HSL gene is transcribed in THP-1 cells both before and after differentiation into macrophages; after differentiation, the predominant mRNA is that for the 117-kDa isoform. This isoform is a CEH, and may mediate some CE turnover in THP-1 cells.     

Hormone-sensitive lipase deficiency affects the expression of SR-BI,LDLr, and ABCA1 receptors/transporters involved in cellular cholesterol uptake and efflux and disturbs fertility in mouse testis

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) hydrolyse acylglycerols, cholesteryl and retinyl esters. HSL is a key lipase in mice testis, as HSL deficiency results in male sterility. The present work study the effects of the deficiency and lack of HSL on the localization and expression of SR-BI, LDLr, and ABCA1 receptors/transporters involved in uptake and efflux of cholesterol in mice testis, to determine the impact of HSL gene dosage on testis morphology, lipid homeostasis and fertility. The results of this work show that the lack of HSL in mice alters testis morphology and spermatogenesis, decreasing sperm counts, sperm motility and increasing the amount of Leydig cells and lipid droplets. They also show that there are differences in the localization of HSL, SR-BI, LDLr and ABCA1 in HSL^+/+, HSL^+/− and HSL^−/− mice. The deficiency or lack of HSL has effects on protein and mRNA expression of genes involved in lipid metabolisms in mouse testis. HSL^−/− testis have augmented expression of SR-BI, LDLr, ABCA1 and LXRβ, a critical sterol sensor that regulate multiple genes involved in lipid metabolism; whereas LDLr expression decreased in HSL^+/− mice. Plin2, Abca1 and Ldlr mRNA levels increased; and LXRα (Nr1h3) and LXRβ (Nr1h2) decreased in testis from HSL^−/− compared with HSL^+/+; with no differences in Scarb1. Together these data suggest that HSL deficiency or lack in mice testis induces lipid homeostasis alterations that affect the cellular localization and expression of key receptors/transporter involved in cellular cholesterol uptake and efflux (SR-BI, LDRr, ABCA1); alters normal cellular function and impact fertility.     

Characterization of a novel testicular form of human hormone-sensitive lipase

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is an esterase and lipase, which are essential for spermatogenesis. Two HSL mRNAs are expressed in human testis. A long form is encoded by a testis-specific exon and nine exons common to testis and adipocyte HSL. Here we show that the short-form 3.3-kb mRNA possesses a unique 5' end that is transcribed from a novel testis-specific exon. The corresponding protein is similar to the 775-amino-acid-long adipocyte HSL. Immunohistochemistry experiments on human testis sections revealed that the long form is strictly expressed in haploid germ cells whereas the short form is expressed in interstitial and tubular somatic cells as well as premeiotic germ cells.     

The Adipose Tissue Phenotype of Hormone‐Sensitive Lipase Deficiency in Mice

Objective: To directly ascertain the physiological roles in adipocytes of hormone‐sensitive lipase (HSL; E.C. 3.1.1.3), a multifunctional hydrolase that can mediate triacylglycerol cleavage in adipocytes. Research Methods and Procedures: We performed constitutive gene targeting of the mouse HSL gene (Lipe), subsequently studied the adipose tissue phenotype clinically and histologically, and measured lipolysis in isolated adipocytes. Results: Homozygous HSL^?/? mice have no detectable HSL peptide or cholesteryl esterase activity in adipose tissue, and heterozygous mice have intermediate levels with respect to wild‐type and deficient littermates. HSL‐deficient mice have normal body weight but reduced abdominal fat mass compared with normal littermates. Histologically, both white and brown adipose tissues in HSL^?/? mice show marked heterogeneity in cell size, with markedly enlarged adipocytes juxtaposed to cells of normal morphology. In isolated HSL^?/? adipocytes, lipolysis is not significantly increased by β₃‐adrenergic stimulation, but under basal conditions in the absence of added catecholamines, the lipolytic rate of isolated HSL^?/? adipocytes is at least as high as that of cells from normal controls. Cold tolerance during a 48‐hour period at 4 °C was similar in HSL^?/? mice and controls. Overnight fasting was well‐tolerated clinically by HSL^?/? mice, but after fasting, liver triglyceride content was significantly lower in HSL^?/? mice compared with wild‐type controls. Conclusions: In isolated fat cells, the lipolytic rate after β‐adrenergic stimulation is mainly dependent on HSL. However, the observation of a normal rate of lipolysis in unstimulated HSL^?/? adipocytes suggests that HSL‐independent lipolytic pathway(s) exist in fat. Physiologically, HSL deficiency in mice has a modest effect under normal fed conditions and is compatible with normal maintenance of core body temperature during cold stress. However, the lipolytic response to overnight fasting is subnormal.     

Structure and expression of two isoforms of the murine calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase regulatory subunit (calcineurin B).

Murine cDNAs representing distinct genes for the regulatory subunits of calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase (CaM-PrP) were cloned from a testis library, using probes prepared by PCR amplification of brain and testis mRNA. The cDNA sequence of the brain-specific isoform (beta 1) encodes a 170 amino acid protein (M(r) approximately 19.3 kDa), whereas that for the testis isoform (beta 2) contains 179 residues (M(r) approximately 20.7 kDa); these two sequences show approximately 80% amino acid identity. An oligonucleotide probe for the brain isoform hybridized to a single mRNA of 3.6 kilobases (kb) in many tissues, whereas using the beta 2 probe, two mRNAs of 1.8 and 0.8 kb were detected only in testis. The mRNA for the testis-specific isoform increases markedly during development, its pattern being virtually identical to that of mRNA for a testicular form of the catalytic subunit (alpha 3). These data are consistent with the biological co-regulation of catalytic and regulatory subunits of a testis-specific isoenzyme during germ cell maturation.     

Molecular cloning of cDNA encoding two subunits of calcineurin from scallop testis: demonstration of stage-specific expression during maturation of the testis

Complementary DNAs encoding two subunits of scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) testis calcineurin were cloned, and the nucleotide sequences of their coding regions were determined. The deduced amino acid sequences of the catalytic subunit, calcineurin A (486 amino acid residues, M(r) 55,005.91), and the regulatory subunit, calcineurin B (170 residues, M(r) 19,237.67), showed high similarity to those of mammalian calcineurins, especially to the brain-type ones rather than to the testis-specific isoforms. Northern blot analysis showed that only a single species for each subunit was expressed in testis and the expression of each subunit increased dramatically from January to March during the maturation stages of the one-year cycle. The period when the maximum amount of mRNAs for calcineurin was expressed corresponds to the one immediately after meiosis, that is, the maturation stage in which 20-80% of the average testis is occupied by spermatozoa. The result is consistent with the one as to the expression of the testis-specific isoform of calcineurin A in mouse, which occurs immediately after meiosis. This is the first report on the stage-specific expression of calcineurin in invertebrate testis and its sequence similarity to the mammalian brain-type isoforms may indicate that the mammalian testis-specific isoforms appeared in evolution after the divergence of mammals from the mollusks and then diverged rapidly for specific functions in testis.     

The N-terminal His-tag affects the triglyceride lipase activity of hormone-sensitive lipase in testis

The sterility of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) knockout mice clearly shows the link between lipid metabolism and spermatogenesis. However, which substrate or product of this multifunctional lipase affects spermatogenesis is unclear. We found that an HSL protein with a His-tag at the N-terminus preserved the normal hydrolase activity of cholesteryl ester (CE) but the triglyceride lipase (TG) activity significantly decreased in vitro. Therefore, mice with this functionally incomplete HSL (His-HSL) were produced on a background of HSL deficiency (HSL^−/−h). As a result, HSL^−/−h testis has an 8.65-fold higher CE activity than wild-type testis but a twofold higher TG activity than wild-type testis. To compare His-HSL and wild-type HSL in vitro and in vivo, we confirmed that the His-tag significantly suppressed HSL TG activity. From our results, we believe that TG activity was affected by the His-tag insertion, but CE activity was not influenced. Furthermore, the His-tag protected HSL from binding to the inhibitor BAY. From our study, TG activity and BAY binding sites were affected by N-terminal His-tag insertion.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of murine and human N-acetylglucosamine kinase.

N-Acetylglucosamine is produced by the endogenous degradation of glycoconjugates and by the degradation of dietary glycoconjugates by glycosidases. It enters the pathways of aminosugar metabolism by the action of N-acetylglucosamine kinase. In this study we report the isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone encoding the murine enzyme. An open reading frame of 1029 base pairs encodes 343 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 37.3 kDa. The deduced amino-acid sequence contains matches of the sequences of eight peptides derived from tryptic cleavage of rat N-acetylglucosamine kinase. The recombinant murine enzyme was functionally expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 cells, where it displays N-acetylglucosamine kinase activity as well as N-acetylmannosamine kinase activity. The complete cDNA sequence of human N-acetylglucosamine kinase was derived from the nucleotide sequences of several expressed sequence tags. An open reading frame of 1032 base pairs encodes 344 amino acids and a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 37.4 kDa. Similarities between human and murine N-acetylglucosamine kinase were 86.6% on the nucleotide level and 91.6% on the amino-acid level. Amino-acid sequences of murine and human N-acetylglucosamine kinase show sequence similarities to other sugar kinases, and all five sequence motifs necessary for the binding of ATP by sugar kinases are present. Tissue distribution of murine N-acetylglucosamine kinase revealed an ubiquitous occurrence of the enzyme and a very high expression in testis. The size of the murine mRNA was 1.35 kb in all tissues investigated, with the exception of testis, where it was 1.45 kb mRNA of the murine enzyme was continuously expressed during mouse development. mRNA of the human enzyme was expressed in all investigated human tissues, as well as in cancer cell lines. In both the tissues and the cancer cell lines, the human mRNA was 1.35 kb in size.     

Partial structural analysis of a highly basic low molecular weight protein from rat testis

Automated Edman degradation of a testis-specific basic protein isolated from the rat gave the following NH₂-terminal sequence of amino acids:

Cleavage of the native protein with cyanogen bromide produced two fragments which were purified by gel filtration. Amino acid analysis of the smaller fragment revealed it to be the NH₂-terminal undecapeptide resulting from cleavage at Met₁₁. The partial sequence analysis of the intact protein coupled with compositional analyses of these cyanogen bromide peptides indicate that the basic testis protein contains 24 basic amino acids and a single methionine in a sequence of 54 amino acids.