Aryl sulphonyl amides as potent agonists of the growth hormone secretagogue (ghrelin) receptor

As part of an on-going lead optimisation effort, a cross screening exercise identified an aryl sulphonyl amide hit that was optimised to afford a highly potent series of ghrelin receptor agonists.     

Inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin release by pseudo-alpha-DL-glucose as a glucokinase inhibitor

Pseudo-alpha- and pseudo-beta-DL-glucose, the isomers of 5-hydroxymethyl-1,2,3,4-cyclohexanetetrol with alpha-gluco and beta-gluco configurations, were used as synthetic analogs of glucose anomers to study the mechanism of glucose-stimulated insulin release by pancreatic islets. Neither isomer was phosphorylated by liver glucokinase nor stimulated insulin release from islets. Incubation of islets with pseudo-alpha-DL-glucose resulted in a considerable accumulation of the glucose analog, probably the D form, in islets. The alpha-isomer, but not the beta-isomer, inhibited both glucose-stimulated insulin release (44% inhibition at 20 mM) and islet glucokinase activity (36% inhibition at 20 mM) in a concentration-dependent manner and to a comparable degree. These results strongly suggest that the inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin release by pseudo-alpha-DL-glucose is due to the inhibition of islet glucokinase by the glucose analog, providing additional evidence for the essential role of islet glucokinase in glucose-stimulated insulin release.     

An antimicrobial peptide tachyplesin acts as a secondary secretagogue and amplifies lipopolysaccharide-induced hemocyte exocytosis

In the horseshoe crab, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces exocytosis by granular hemocytes, resulting in the secretion of various defense molecules, such as lectins and antimicrobial peptides, via a G protein-mediating signaling pathway. This response is a key component of the horseshoe crab innate immune response against infectious microorganisms. Here, we report an endogenous amplification mechanism for LPS-induced hemocytes exocytosis. The concentration of LPS required for maximal secretion decreased in proportion to the density of hemocytes, suggesting the presence of a positive feedback mechanism for secretion via a mediator secreted from hemocytes. The exocytosed fluid of hemocytes was found able to induce hemocyte exocytosis in the absence of LPS. Furthermore, tachyplesin, a major antimicrobial peptide of hemocytes, was able to trigger exocytosis in an LPS-independent manner, which was inhibited by a phospholipase C inhibitor, U-73122, and a G protein inhibitor, pertussis toxin. Surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that tachyplesin directly interacts with bovine G protein. These findings suggest that the tachyplesin-induced hemocyte exocytosis also occurs via a G protein-mediating signaling pathway. We concluded that tachyplesin functions not only as an antimicrobial substance, but also as a secondary secretagogue of LPS-induced hemocyte exocytosis, leading to the amplification of the innate immune reaction at sites of injury.     

Lysozyme acts as a chemorepellent and secretagogue in Paramecium by activating a novel receptor-operated Ca++ conductance

Using combined intracellular recordings and behavioral bioassays, it was found that lysozyme has two different effects in Paramecium, depending upon the concentrations used. At low concentrations (0.5 nm to 1.0 m) it acts as an effective chemorepellent that causes reliable electrophysiological changes. Lysozyme-induced somatic depolarizations, isolated by blocking K⁺ channels with Cs-TEA, showed concentration dependencies that were well correlated with chemorepulsion. Ion dependency experiments showed that these were Ca⁺⁺ based depolarizations. Addition of either Na⁺ or Mg⁺⁺ improves chemorepulsion by providing additional depolarizations. Both the depolarizations and chemorepulsion were blocked by 10 m neomycin, suggesting that the depolarization is necessary for this chemosensory transduction event. At higher concentrations (100 m), lysozyme is a secretagogue. A transient inward current, recorded in Ca⁺⁺ alone solutions with Cs-TEA present, was seen in response to high lysozyme concentrations. The amplitude of this inward current was well correlated with exocytosis. Addition of neomycin (1.0 mm) eliminated both the inward current and exocytosis, suggesting a causal relationship. Neither amiloride or W-7, compounds previously suggested to affect the electrophysiological responses to secretagogues, had any significant effects. The mucopolysaccharide hydrolysis activity of lysozyme was not required for any of these responses. We propose that Paramecium have a high affinity receptor on the body plasma membrane that responds to either lysozyme or a related compound to cause an increase in a novel body Ca⁺⁺ conductance. This receptor-operated Ca⁺⁺ conductance causes membrane depolarization and chemorepulsion at low concentrations and triggers a sufficient Ca⁺⁺ influx at high concentrations to cause exocytosis.We thank Drs. C. Kung and R. Preston for sharing mutants and Drs. H. Machemer, A. Turkewitz and K. Clark for their comments on the first draft of this work. This was supported by NSF grants BNS8916228 and MCB9410756 to TMH and a grant from the American Diabetes Association to BHS.     

The truncated ghrelin receptor polypeptide (GHS-R1b) acts as a dominant-negative mutant of the ghrelin receptor

The dimerization properties of the ghrelin receptor (GRLN-R) and its non-signalling, naturally occurring, truncated splice variant (GHS-R1b) have been investigated in human embryonic kidney 293 cells heterologously expressing these proteins. Using the techniques of bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and co-immunoprecipitation, we detected the formation of GRLN-R homodimers and GRLN-R/GHS-R1b heterodimers, but ghrelin-induced conformational changes were only detected in the GRLN-R homodimers. When the expression of GHS-R1b exceeded that of GRLN-R, there was a decrease in the cell surface expression of GRLN-R with a consequent decrease in constitutive activation of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). Furthermore, there was no change in ghrelin affinity, and the efficacy of cell signalling as measured by stimulation of PI-PLC and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 was unchanged. Cellular localization studies suggest that GRLN-R is normally distributed between the plasma membrane and cytosolic fractions, but in the presence of GHS-R1b, GRLN-R is localized to the nucleus. Therefore, we propose that the decrease in GRLN-R constitutive signalling was due to translocation of GRLN-R to the nucleus due to the formation of GRLN-R/GHS-R1b heterodimers. Therefore, GHS-R1b appears to act as a dominant-negative mutant of the full-length GRLN-R.     

Metabolic cycling in control of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) is central to normal control of metabolic fuel homeostasis, and its impairment is a key element of beta-cell failure in type 2 diabetes. Glucose exerts its effects on insulin secretion via its metabolism in beta-cells to generate stimulus/secretion coupling factors, including a rise in the ATP/ADP ratio, which serves to suppress ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channels and activate voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels, leading to stimulation of insulin granule exocytosis. Whereas this K(ATP) channel-dependent mechanism of GSIS has been broadly accepted for more than 30 years, it has become increasingly apparent that it does not fully describe the effects of glucose on insulin secretion. More recent studies have demonstrated an important role for cyclic pathways of pyruvate metabolism in control of insulin secretion. Three cycles occur in islet beta-cells: the pyruvate/malate, pyruvate/citrate, and pyruvate/isocitrate cycles. This review discusses recent work on the role of each of these pathways in control of insulin secretion and builds a case for the particular relevance of byproducts of the pyruvate/isocitrate cycle, NADPH and alpha-ketoglutarate, in control of GSIS.     

Ethanol acts as a potent agent sensitizing colon cancer cells to the TRAIL-induced apoptosis

Identification of mechanisms of modulation of the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis is important for its potential use in anticancer therapy. Ethanol can induce cell death in vitro and in vivo by different signalling pathways. Its effect in combination with death ligands is unknown. We investigated how ethanol modulates the effects of TRAIL in colon cancer cells. After combined TRAIL and ethanol treatment, a potentiation of caspase-8, -9, -3 activation, a proapoptotic Bid protein cleavage, a decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential, a complete poly(ADP)ribose polymerase cleavage, and disappearance of antiapoptotic Mcl-1 protein were demonstrated. Ethanol acts as a potent agent sensitizing colon cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis.     

Protein-tyrosine phosphatase-1B acts as a negative regulator of insulin signal transduction

Insulin signaling involves a dynamic cascade of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Most of our understanding of this process comes from studies focusing on tyrosine kinases, which are signal activators. Our knowledge of the role of protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases), signal attenuators, in regulating insulin signal transduction remains rather limited. Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B), the prototypical PTPase, is ubiquitously and abundantly expressed. Work from several laboratories, including our own, has implicated PTP-1B as a negative regulator of insulin action and as a potentially important mediator in the pathogenesis of insulin-resistance and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).     

Hexosamines regulate sensitivity of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in beta-cells

Hexosamines serve a nutrient-sensing function through enzymatic O-glycosylation of proteins. We previously characterized transgenic (Tg) mice with overexpression of the rate-limiting enzyme in hexosamine production, glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase, in beta-cells. Animals were hyperinsulinemic, resulting in peripheral insulin resistance. Glucose tolerance deteriorated with age, and males developed diabetes. We therefore examined islet function in these mice by perifusion in vitro. Young (2-mo-old) Tg animals had enhanced sensitivity to glucose of insulin secretion. Insulin secretion was maximal at 20 mM and half maximal at 9.9 +/- 0.5 mM glucose in Tg islets compared with maximal at 30 mM and half maximal at 13.5 +/- 0.7 mM glucose in wild type (WT; P < 0.005). Young Tg animals secreted more insulin in response to 20 mM glucose (Tg, 1,254 +/- 311; WT, 425 +/- 231 pg x islet(-1) x 35 min(-1); P < 0.01). Islets from older (8-mo-old) Tg mice became desensitized to glucose, with half-maximal secretion at 16.1 +/- 0.8 mM glucose, compared with 11.8 +/- 0.7 mM in WT (P < 0.05). Older Tg mice secreted less insulin in response to 20 mM glucose (Tg, 2,256 +/- 342; WT, 3,493 +/- 367 pg x islet(-1) x 35 min(-1); P < 0.05). Secretion in response to carbachol was similar in WT and Tg at both ages. Glucose oxidation was blunted in older Tg islets. At 5 mM glucose, islet CO2 production was comparable between Tg and WT. However, WT mice increased islet CO2 production 2.7 +/- 0.4-fold in 20 mM glucose, compared with only 1.4 +/- 0.1-fold in Tg (P < 0.02). Results demonstrate that hexosamines are involved in nutrient sensing for insulin secretion, acting at least in part by modulating glucose oxidation pathways. Prolonged excess hexosamine flux results in glucose desensitization and mimics glucose toxicity.     

Design and characterization of a fluorescent ghrelin analog for imaging the growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a

Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide hormone produced in the stomach. It binds to the growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a), a class A G-protein-coupled receptor. In the present study, we describe the design, synthesis and characterization of a truncated, 18-amino acid analog of ghrelin conjugated to a fluorescent molecule, fluorocein isothiocyanate (FITC), through the addition of a lysine at its C terminus ([Dpr(octanoyl)(3), Lys(fluorescein)(19)]ghrelin(1-19)). Receptor binding affinity of this novel fluorescein-ghrelin(1-18) was similar to that of wild-type ghrelin and a synthetic GHS-R1a ligand, hexarelin. Live cell imaging in CHO/GHS-R1a cells demonstrated cell surface receptor labeling and internalization, and agonist activity of fluorescein-ghrelin(1-18) was confirmed by increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2. We also show that GHS-R1a protein is expressed primarily in the heart when compared to all other organs, suggesting high receptor density in the left ventricle. Finally, we demonstrate that fluorescein-ghrelin(1-18) binds specifically to heart tissue in situ, and its binding is displaced by both wt ghrelin and hexarelin. We have therefore developed a novel imaging probe, fluorescein-ghrelin(1-18), that can be used to image GHS-R1a in situ, for the purposes of investigating mechanisms of receptor trafficking or pharmacological agents that target GHS-R1a.     

Rynaxypyr: a new insecticidal anthranilic diamide that acts as a potent and selective ryanodine receptor activator

Rynaxypyr is a highly potent and selective activator of insect ryanodine receptors with exceptional activity on a broad range of Lepidoptera. A strong correlation between insecticidal activity and ryanodine receptor activation is observed along with selective activity against insect over mammalian receptors. The synthesis and biological results are presented.     

Diversification and coevolution of the ghrelin/growth hormone secretagogue receptor system in vertebrates

The gut hormone ghrelin is involved in numerous metabolic functions, such as the stimulation of growth hormone secretion, gastric motility, and food intake. Ghrelin is modified by ghrelin O‐acyltransferase (GOAT) or membrane‐bound O‐acyltransferase domain‐containing 4 (MBOAT4) enabling action through the growth hormone secretagogue receptors (GHS‐R). During the course of evolution, initially strong ligand/receptor specificities can be disrupted by genomic changes, potentially modifying physiological roles of the ligand/receptor system. Here, we investigated the coevolution of ghrelin, GOAT, and GHS‐R in vertebrates. We combined similarity search, conserved synteny analyses, phylogenetic reconstructions, and protein structure comparisons to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the ghrelin system. Ghrelin remained a single‐gene locus in all vertebrate species, and accordingly, a single GHS‐R isoform was identified in all tetrapods. Similar patterns of the nonsynonymous (dN) and synonymous (dS) ratio (dN/dS) in the vertebrate lineage strongly suggest coevolution of the ghrelin and GHS‐R genes, supporting specific functional interactions and common physiological pathways. The selection profiles do not allow confirmation as to whether ghrelin binds specifically to GOAT, but the ghrelin dN/dS patterns are more similar to those of GOAT compared to MBOAT1 and MBOAT2 isoforms. Four GHS‐R isoforms were identified in teleost genomes. This diversification of GHS‐R resulted from successive rounds of duplications, some of which remained specific to the teleost lineage. Coevolution signals are lost in teleosts, presumably due to the diversification of GHS‐R but not the ghrelin gene. The identification of the GHS‐R diversity in teleosts provides a molecular basis for comparative studies on ghrelin's physiological roles and regulation, while the comparative sequence and structure analyses will assist translational medicine to determine structure–function relationships of the ghrelin/GHS‐R system.     

Synthetic leukotriene B4 is a potent chemotaxin but a weak secretagogue for human PMN

We have examined the effects of very pure (greater than 99.8%) chemically synthesized leukotriene B4 of verified structure on the chemotactic and secretory behavior of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). The synthetic material is highly chemotactic and shows the same concentration dependence of this activity as does natural LTB4. Synthetic LTB4 is also a weak degranulating agent in cytochalasin B treated PMN. Maximally it released 11%, 17% and 26% as much N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, myeloperoxidase and lysozyme as did N-formyl-methionine-leucine-phenylalanine (fMLP). Thus LTB4 differs significantly from other chemotaxins, such as C5a and fMLP, in that it is a poor secretagogue for enzymes of the specific and azurophilic granules of human PMN.     

Role of nitric oxide synthase isoforms in glucose-stimulated insulin release

The role of islet constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) in insulin-releasing mechanisms is controversial. By measuring enzyme activities and protein expression of NOS isoforms [i.e., cNOS and inducible NOS (iNOS)] in islets of Langerhans cells in relation to insulin secretion, we show that glucose dose-dependently stimulates islet activities of both cNOS and iNOS, that cNOS-derived nitric oxide (NO) strongly inhibits glucose-stimulated insulin release, and that short-term hyperglycemia in mice induces islet iNOS activity. Moreover, addition of NO gas or an NO donor inhibited glucose-stimulated insulin release, and different NOS inhibitors effected a potentiation. These effects were evident also in K+-depolarized islets in the presence of the ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener diazoxide. Furthermore, our results emphasize the necessity of measuring islet NOS activity when using NOS inhibitors, because certain concentrations of certain NOS inhibitors might unexpectedly stimulate islet NO production. This is shown by the observation that 0.5 mmol/l of the NOS inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) stimulated cNOS activity in parallel with an inhibition of the first phase of glucose-stimulated insulin release in perifused rats islets, whereas 5.0 mmol/l of L-NMMA markedly suppressed cNOS activity concomitant with a great potentiation of the insulin secretory response. The data strongly suggest, but do not definitely prove, that glucose indeed has the ability to stimulate both cNOS and iNOS in the islets and that NO might serve as a negative feedback inhibitor of glucose-stimulated insulin release. The results also suggest that hyperglycemia-evoked islet NOS activity might be one of multiple factors involved in the impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin release in type II diabetes mellitus.     

Neomycin is a potent secretagogue of mast cells that directly activates a GTP-binding protein involved in exocytosis

When loaded alongside GTP-gamma-S into ATP-permeabilized cells, neomycin, at concentrations below 1 mM, inhibits GTP-gamma-S-induced histamine secretion and phosphatidic acid formation (Cockcroft, S., and B. D. Gomperts, 1985. Nature (Lond.). 314: 534-536; Aridor, M., L. M. Traub, and R. Sagi-Eisenberg. 1990. J. Cell Biol. 111:909-917). However, at higher concentrations internally applied neomycin induces histamine secretion in a process that is: (a) dose dependent; (b) dependent on the internal application of GTP; (c) independent of phosphoinositide breakdown; and (d) inhibited by pertussis toxin (PtX) treatment. These results indicate that neomycin can stimulate histamine secretion in a mechanism that bypasses phospholipase C (PLC) activation and yet involves a PtX-sensitive GTP-binding protein (G protein). Unlike its dual effects, when internally applied, neomycin induces histamine secretion from intact mast cells in a dose-dependent manner. Half-maximal and maximal effects are obtained at 0.5 and 1 mM neomycin, respectively. This process is rapid (approximately 30 s), is independent of external Ca2+, and is associated with phosphatidic acid formation, implying that neomycin can activate histamine secretion by a mechanism similar to that utilized by other basic secretagogues of mast cells. Neomycin stimulates fourfold the GTPase activity of cholate- solubilized rat brain membranes in a PtX-inhibitable manner. In addition neomycin, as well as the basic secretagogues of mast cells, compound 48/80, and mastoparan, significantly reduce (by approximately 80%) the ADP ribosylation of PtX substrates present in rat brain membranes. Taken together these data suggest that neomycin can stimulate secretion from mast cells by directly activating G proteins that play a role in stimulus-secretion coupling. When internally applied, neomycin presumably stimulates secretion by activating a G protein that is located downstream to PLC. This G protein serves as a substrate for PtX.     

Decrease in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion following exposure to magnetic fields

We evaluated the effects of extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELFMF) on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from HIT-T15 cells and investigated the mechanisms of these effects. We demonstrated that exposure to ELFMF at 5mT decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by preventing the increases in cellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate/adenosine 5'-diphosphate, membrane depolarization, and cytosolic free calcium ion concentration. The glucose-induced upregulation of insulin mRNA expression was also attenuated by exposure to ELFMF, although cell viability was not affected. These findings demonstrate the potential of exposure to ELFMF for clinical use as a novel inhibitory method of insulin secretion.