A novel approach to assess insulin sensitivity reveals no increased insulin sensitivity in mice with a dominant-negative mutant hepatocyte nuclear factor-1alpha

In phenotype experiments in mice, determination of dynamic insulin sensitivity often uses the insulin tolerance test. However, the interpretation of this test is complicated by the counterregulation occurring at low glucose. To overcome this problem, we determined the dynamic insulin sensitivity after inhibition of endogenous insulin secretion by diazoxide (25 mg/kg) in association with intravenous administration of glucose plus insulin (the DSGIT technique). Estimation of insulin sensitivity index (SI) by this technique showed good correlation to SI from a regular intravenous glucose tolerance test (r = 0.87; P < 0.001; n = 15). With DSGIT, we evaluated dynamic insulin sensitivity in mice with a rat insulin promoter (beta-cell-targeted) dominant-negative mutation of hepatic nuclear factor (HNF)-1alpha [RIP-DN HNF-1alpha (Tg) mice]. When insulin was administered exogenously at the same dose in Tg and wild-type (WT) mice, plasma insulin levels were higher in WT, indicating an increased insulin clearance in Tg mice. When the diazoxide test was used, different doses of insulin were therefore administered (0.1 and 0.15 U/kg in WT and 0.2 and 0.25 U/kg in Tg) to achieve similar insulin levels in the groups. Minimal model analysis showed that SI was the same in the two groups (0.78 +/- 0.21 x 10(-4) min.pmol(-1).l(-1) in WT vs. 0.60 +/- 0.11 in Tg; P = 0.45) as was the glucose elimination rate (P = 0.27). We conclude that 1) the DSGIT technique determines the in vivo dynamic insulin action in mice, 2) insulin clearance is increased in Tg mice, and 3) chronic islet dysfunction in RIP-DN HNF-1alpha mice is not compensated with increased insulin sensitivity.     

Mutations in the hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha gene in Japanese with non-insulin-dependent diabetes: a nucleotide substitution in the polypyrimidine tract of intron 1b.

Mutations of the hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF-4alpha) gene have been demonstrated in maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) 1 families. To investigate the possibility that the HNF-4alpha gene contributes to the onset of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in Japanese patients, we screened all exons and flanking introns of this gene for mutations in 100 patients with NIDDM diagnosed after 25 years of age. We identified two missense mutations: M49V in exon 1c and T1301 in exon 4; and two nucleotide substitutions in introns: cytosine to thymidine at -5 nt in intron 1b and adenine to thymidine at -21 nt in intron 5. We screened an additional 220 diabetic subjects for the polymorphism in intron 1b. The c/t substitution in intron 1b was associated with NIDDM. This substitution in the polypyrimidine tract, an important cis-acting element directing intron removal, is likely to influence pre-mRNA splicing of this gene. T1301 in exon 4 was observed in only two diabetic subjects. This mutation could influence the conformation of this peptide, resulting in changes in ligand binding domain function. M49V in exon 1c was found in both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects; isoforms HNF-4alpha 4, 5, and 6 with this mutation may impair glucose metabolism in tissue. In contrast to the primary cause of nonsense and missense mutations of the HNF-4alpha gene in MODY1, the nucleotide substitution in intron 1b may partially contribute to development of NIDDM in combination with other genetic and environmental factors.     

Polymorphisms of the HNF1A gene encoding hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 alpha are associated with C-reactive protein

Data from the Pharmacogenomics and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease (PARC) study and the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) provide independent and confirmatory evidence for association between common polymorphisms of the HNF1A gene encoding hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 alpha and plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration. Analyses with the use of imputation-based methods to combine genotype data from both studies and to test untyped SNPs from the HapMap database identified several SNPs within a 5 kb region of HNF1A intron 1 with the strongest evidence of association with CRP phenotype.     

Modulation of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha function by the peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator-1alpha in the acute-phase response

Recent studies with the high-tillering mutants in rice (Oryza sativa), the max (more axillary growth) mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana and the rms (ramosus) mutants in pea (Pisum sativum) have indicated the presence of a novel plant hormone that inhibits branching in an auxin-dependent manner. The synthesis of this inhibitor is initiated by the two CCDs [carotenoid-cleaving (di)oxygenases] OsCCD7/OsCCD8b, MAX3/MAX4 and RMS5/RMS1 in rice, Arabidopsis and pea respectively. MAX3 and MAX4 are thought to catalyse the successive cleavage of a carotenoid substrate yielding an apocarotenoid that, possibly after further modification, inhibits the outgrowth of axillary buds. To elucidate the substrate specificity of OsCCD8b, MAX4 and RMS1, we investigated their activities in vitro using naturally accumulated carotenoids and synthetic apocarotenoid substrates, and in vivo using carotenoid-accumulating Escherichia coli strains. The results obtained suggest that these enzymes are highly specific, converting the C27 compounds beta-apo-10'-carotenal and its alcohol into beta-apo-13-carotenone in vitro. Our data suggest that the second cleavage step in the biosynthesis of the plant branching inhibitor is conserved in monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous species.     

Role of regulatory F-domain in hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha ligand specificity

The F-domain of rat HNF-4alpha1 has a crucial impact on the ligand binding affinity, ligand specificity and secondary structure of HNF-4alpha. (i) Fluorescent binding assays indicate that wild-type, full-length HNF-4alpha (amino acids 1-455) has high affinity (Kd=0.06-12 nm) for long chain fatty acyl-CoAs (LCFA-CoA) and low affinity (Kd=58-296 nm) for unesterified long chain fatty acids (LCFAs). LCFA-CoA binding was due to close molecular interaction as shown by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from full-length HNF-4alpha tryptophan (FRET donor) to bound cis-parinaroyl-CoA (FRET acceptor), which yielded an intermolecular distance of 33 A, although no FRET to cis-parinaric acid was detected. (ii) Deleting the N-terminal A-D-domains, comprising the AF1 and DNA binding functions, only slightly affected affinities for LCFA-CoAs (Kd=0.9-4 nm) and LCFAs (Kd=93-581 nm). (iii) Further deletion of the F-domain robustly reduced affinities for LCFA-CoA and reversed ligand specificity (i.e. high affinity for LCFAs (Kd=1.5-32 nm) and low affinity for LCFA-CoAs (Kd=54-302 nm)). No FRET from HNF-4alpha-E (amino acids 132-370) tryptophan (FRET donor) to bound cis-parinaroyl-CoA (FRET acceptor) was detected, whereas an intermolecular distance of 28 A was calculated from FRET between HNF-4alpha-E and cis-parinaric acid. (iv) Circular dichroism showed that LCFA-CoA, but not LCFA, altered the secondary structure of HNF-4alpha only when the F-domain was present. (v) cis-Parinaric acid bound to HNF-4alpha with intact F-domain was readily displaceable by S-hexadecyl-CoA, a nonhydrolyzable thioether analogue of LCFA-CoAs. Truncation of the F-domain significantly decreased cis-parinaric acid displacement. Hence, the C-terminal F-domain of HNF-4alpha regulated ligand affinity, ligand specificity, and ligand-induced conformational change of HNF-4alpha. Thus, characteristics of F-domain-truncated mutants may not reflect the properties of full-length HNF-4alpha.     

Association study of the NRAMP1 gene promoter polymorphism and early-onset type 1 diabetes

Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1) has an important role in regulating macrophage functions that affect innate resistance as well as immune responses. We analyzed the microsatellite polymorphism in the promoter region of the human NRAMP1 gene in 206 type 1 diabetes patients and 200 normal children to determine whether this polymorphism might be associated with type 1 diabetes in the Japanese population. The frequency of allele 2 (180 bp) of the promoter microsatellite polymorphism of the NRAMP1gene was slightly lower in the early-onset population (2-10 years of age) of type 1 diabetes patients than in controls, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. The association study of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) gene, located near the NRAMP1 gene, and type 1 diabetes showed that the CTLA-4 gene significantly contributed to the development of type 1 diabetes, whereas NRAMP1 had an additional effect on the onset of type 1 diabetes in the young population.