Exercise Protects against Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance through Downregulation of Protein Kinase Cβ in Mice

Physical exercise is an important and effective therapy for diabetes. However, its underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Protein kinase Cβ (PKCβ) has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and insulin resistance, but the role of PKCβ in exercise-induced improvements in insulin resistance is completely unknown. In this study, we evaluated the involvement of PKCβ in exercise-attenuated insulin resistance in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. PKCβ^-/- and wild-type mice were fed a HFD with or without exercise training. PKC protein expression, body and tissue weight change, glucose and insulin tolerance, metabolic rate, mitochondria size and number, adipose inflammation, and AKT activation were determined to evaluate insulin sensitivity and metabolic changes after intervention. PKCβ expression decreased in both skeletal muscle and liver tissue after exercise. Exercise and PKCβ deficiency can alleviate HFD-induced insulin resistance, as evidenced by improved insulin tolerance. In addition, fat accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by HFD were also ameliorated by both exercise and PKCβ deficiency. On the other hand, exercise had little effect on PKCβ^-/- mice. Further, our data indicated improved activation of AKT, the downstream signal molecule of insulin, in skeletal muscle and liver of exercised mice, whereas PKCβ deficiency blunted the difference between sedentary and exercised mice. These results suggest that downregulation of PKCβ contributes to exercise-induced improvement of insulin resistance in HFD-fed mice.     

Protein Kinase C-δ Associates with Vimentin Intermediate Filaments in Differentiated HL60 Cells

The subcellular localization of protein kinase C (PKC)-δ was determined in HL60 cells differentiated toward monocytes/macrophages by treatment with TPA. PKC-δ was detected in the nucleus and cytoplasm of differentiated HL60 cells and, more specifically, associated with structures resembling intermediate filaments. Indirect immunostaining revealed that PKC-δ colocalized with vimentin in the cytosol and perinuclear region of these cells. Immunoprecipitation studies showed that PKC-δ was in an active (autophosphorylated) state in differentiated HL60 cells and that vimentin immunoprecipitated from these cells was also phosphorylated. Treatment of HL60 cells with the PKC-specific inhibitor chelerythrine decreased the phosphorylation of vimentin. These data suggest that vimentin is a substrate for PKC-δ and that this PKC isoenzyme may play a specific role in the regulation of shape change and cell adhesion during HL60 differentiation.     

Evidence That Atypical Protein Kinase C-λ and Atypical Protein Kinase C-ζ Participate in Ras-mediated Reorganization of the F-actin Cytoskeleton

Expression of transforming Ha-Ras L61 in NIH3T3 cells causes profound morphological alterations which include a disassembly of actin stress fibers. The Ras-induced dissolution of actin stress fibers is blocked by the specific PKC inhibitor GF109203X at concentrations which inhibit the activity of the atypical aPKC isotypes λ and ζ, whereas lower concentrations of the inhibitor which block conventional and novel PKC isotypes are ineffective. Coexpression of transforming Ha-Ras L61 with kinase-defective, dominant-negative (DN) mutants of aPKC-λ and aPKC-ζ, as well as antisense constructs encoding RNA-directed against isotype-specific 5′ sequences of the corresponding mRNA, abrogates the Ha-Ras–induced reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Expression of a kinase-defective, DN mutant of cPKC-α was unable to counteract Ras with regard to the dissolution of actin stress fibers. Transfection of cells with constructs encoding constitutively active (CA) mutants of atypical aPKC-λ and aPKC-ζ lead to a disassembly of stress fibers independent of oncogenic Ha-Ras. Coexpression of (DN) Rac-1 N17 and addition of the phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors wortmannin and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002 are in agreement with a tentative model suggesting that, in the signaling pathway from Ha-Ras to the cytoskeleton aPKC-λ acts upstream of PI3K and Rac-1, whereas aPKC-ζ functions downstream of PI3K and Rac-1.This model is supported by studies demonstrating that cotransfection with plasmids encoding L61Ras and either aPKC-λ or aPKC-ζ results in a stimulation of the kinase activity of both enzymes. Furthermore, the Ras-mediated activation of PKC-ζ was abrogated by coexpression of DN Rac-1 N17.     

Inhibiting Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Protein Kinase Cδ (PKCδ) Protects the Salivary Gland from Radiation Damage

Radiation therapy for head and neck cancer can result in extensive damage to normal adjacent tissues such as the salivary gland and oral mucosa. We have shown previously that tyrosine phosphorylation at Tyr-64 and Tyr-155 activates PKCδ in response to apoptotic stimuli by facilitating its nuclear import. Here we have identified the tyrosine kinases that mediate activation of PKCδ in apoptotic cells and have explored the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors for suppression of irradiation-induced apoptosis. We identify the damage-inducible kinase, c-Abl, as the PKCδ Tyr-155 kinase and c-Src as the Tyr-64 kinase. Depletion of c-Abl or c-Src with shRNA decreased irradiation- and etoposide-induced apoptosis, suggesting that inhibitors of these kinases may be useful therapeutically. Pretreatment with dasatinib, a broad spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor, blocked phosphorylation of PKCδ at both Tyr-64 and Tyr-155. Expression of “gate-keeper” mutants of c-Abl or c-Src that are active in the presence of dasatinib restored phosphorylation of PKCδ at Tyr-155 and Tyr-64, respectively. Imatinib, a c-Abl-selective inhibitor, also specifically blocked PKCδ Tyr-155 phosphorylation. Dasatinib and imatinib both blocked binding of PKCδ to importin-α and nuclear import, demonstrating that tyrosine kinase inhibitors can inhibit nuclear accumulation of PKCδ. Likewise, pretreatment with dasatinib also suppressed etoposide and radiation induced apoptosis in vitro. In vivo, pre-treatment of mice with dasatinib blocked radiation-induced apoptosis in the salivary gland by >60%. These data suggest that tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be useful prophylactically for protection of nontumor tissues in patients undergoing radiotherapy of the head and neck.     

Idebenone Protects against Retinal Damage and Loss of Vision in a Mouse Model of Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is an inherited disease caused by mutations in complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The disease is characterized by loss of central vision due to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dysfunction and optic nerve atrophy. Despite progress towards a better understanding of the disease, no therapeutic treatment is currently approved for this devastating disease. Idebenone, a short-chain benzoquinone, has shown promising evidence of efficacy in protecting vision loss and in accelerating recovery of visual acuity in patients with LHON. It was therefore of interest to study suitable LHON models in vitro and in vivo to identify anatomical correlates for this protective activity. At nanomolar concentrations, idebenone protected the rodent RGC cell line RGC-5 against complex I dysfunction in vitro. Consistent with the reported dosing and observed effects in LHON patients, we describe that in mice, idebenone penetrated into the eye at concentrations equivalent to those which protected RGC-5 cells from complex I dysfunction in vitro. Consequently, we next investigated the protective effect of idebenone in a mouse model of LHON, whereby mitochondrial complex I dysfunction was caused by exposure to rotenone. In this model, idebenone protected against the loss of retinal ganglion cells, reduction in retinal thickness and gliosis. Furthermore, consistent with this protection of retinal integrity, idebenone restored the functional loss of vision in this disease model. These results support the pharmacological activity of idebenone and indicate that idebenone holds potential as an effective treatment for vision loss in LHON patients.     

The C2 Domain and Altered ATP-Binding Loop Phosphorylation at Ser359 Mediate the Redox-Dependent Increase in Protein Kinase C-δ Activity

The diverse roles of protein kinase C-δ (PKCδ) in cellular growth, survival, and injury have been attributed to stimulus-specific differences in PKCδ signaling responses. PKCδ exerts membrane-delimited actions in cells activated by agonists that stimulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis. PKCδ is released from membranes as a Tyr³¹³-phosphorylated enzyme that displays a high level of lipid-independent activity and altered substrate specificity during oxidative stress. This study identifies an interaction between PKCδ''s Tyr³¹³-phosphorylated hinge region and its phosphotyrosine-binding C2 domain that controls PKCδ''s enzymology indirectly by decreasing phosphorylation in the kinase domain ATP-positioning loop at Ser³⁵⁹. We show that wild-type (WT) PKCδ displays a strong preference for substrates with serine as the phosphoacceptor residue at the active site when it harbors phosphomimetic or bulky substitutions at Ser^359. In contrast, PKCδ-S359A displays lipid-independent activity toward substrates with either a serine or threonine as the phosphoacceptor residue. Additional studies in cardiomyocytes show that oxidative stress decreases Ser³⁵⁹ phosphorylation on native PKCδ and that PKCδ-S359A overexpression increases basal levels of phosphorylation on substrates with both phosphoacceptor site serine and threonine residues. Collectively, these studies identify a C2 domain-pTyr³¹³ docking interaction that controls ATP-positioning loop phosphorylation as a novel, dynamically regulated, and physiologically relevant structural determinant of PKCδ catalytic activity.     

Doxorubicin-Mediated Bone Loss in Breast Cancer Bone Metastases Is Driven by an Interplay between Oxidative Stress and Induction of TGFβ

Breast cancer patients, who are already at increased risk of developing bone metastases and osteolytic bone damage, are often treated with doxorubicin. Unfortunately, doxorubicin has been reported to induce damage to bone. Moreover, we have previously reported that doxorubicin treatment increases circulating levels of TGFβ in murine pre-clinical models. TGFβ has been implicated in promoting osteolytic bone damage, a consequence of increased osteoclast-mediated resorption and suppression of osteoblast differentiation. Therefore, we hypothesized that in a preclinical breast cancer bone metastasis model, administration of doxorubicin would accelerate bone loss in a TGFβ-mediated manner. Administration of doxorubicin to 4T1 tumor-bearing mice produced an eightfold increase in osteolytic lesion areas compared untreated tumor-bearing mice (P = 0.002) and an almost 50% decrease in trabecular bone volume expressed in BV/TV (P = 0.0005), both of which were rescued by anti-TGFβ antibody (1D11). Doxorubicin, which is a known inducer of oxidative stress, decreased osteoblast survival and differentiation, which was rescued by N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). Furthermore, doxorubicin treatment decreased Cu-ZnSOD (SOD1) expression and enzyme activity in vitro, and treatment with anti-TGFβ antibody was able to rescue both. In conclusion, a combination therapy using doxorubicin and anti-TGFβ antibody might be beneficial for preventing therapy-related bone loss in cancer patients.     

Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor κB Ligand (RANKL) Protein Expression by B Lymphocytes Contributes to Ovariectomy-induced Bone Loss

Production of the cytokine receptor activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL) by lymphocytes has been proposed as a mechanism by which sex steroid deficiency causes bone loss. However, there have been no studies that functionally link RANKL expression in lymphocytes with bone loss in this condition. Herein, we examined whether RANKL expression in either B or T lymphocytes contributes to ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice. Mice harboring a conditional RANKL allele were crossed with CD19-Cre or Lck-Cre mice to delete RANKL in B or T lymphocytes, respectively. Deletion of RANKL from either cell type had no impact on bone mass in estrogen-replete mice up to 7 months of age. However, mice lacking RANKL in B lymphocytes were partially protected from the bone loss caused by ovariectomy. This protection occurred in cancellous, but not cortical, bone and was associated with a failure to increase osteoclast numbers in the conditional knock-out mice. Deletion of RANKL from T lymphocytes had no impact on ovariectomy-induced bone loss. These results demonstrate that lymphocyte RANKL is not involved in basal bone remodeling, but B cell RANKL does contribute to the increase in osteoclasts and cancellous bone loss that occurs after loss of estrogen.     

Participation of Free Radicals in Photoreduction of Protochlorophyllide to Chlorophyllide in an Artificial Pigment–Protein Complex

The primary stages of protochlorophyllide phototransformation in an artificially formed complex containing heterologously expressed photoenzyme protochlorophyllide-oxidoreductase (POR), protochlorophyllide, and NADPH were investigated by optical and ESR spectroscopy. An ESR signal (g = 2.002; H = 1 mT) appeared after illumination of the complex with intense white light at 77 K. The ESR signal appeared with simultaneous quenching of the initial protochlorophyllide fluorescence, this being due to the formation of a primary non-fluorescent intermediate. The ESR signal disappeared on raising the temperature to 253 K, and a new fluorescence maximum at 695 nm belonging to chlorophyllide simultaneously appeared. The data show that the mechanism of protochlorophyllide photoreduction in the complex is practically identical to the in vivo mechanism: this includes the formation of a short-lived non-fluorescent free radical that is transformed into chlorophyllide in a dark reaction.     

Structural and Functional Characterization of an Anesthetic Binding Site in the Second Cysteine-Rich Domain of Protein Kinase Cδ?

Elucidating the principles governing anesthetic-protein interactions requires structural determinations at high resolutions not yet achieved with ion channels. Protein kinase C (PKC) activity is modulated by general anesthetics. We solved the structure of the phorbol-binding domain (C1B) of PKCδ complexed with an ether (methoxymethylcycloprane) and with an alcohol (cyclopropylmethanol) at 1.36-Å resolution. The cyclopropane rings of both agents displace a single water molecule in a surface pocket adjacent to the phorbol-binding site, making van der Waals contacts with the backbone and/or side chains of residues Asn-237 to Ser-240. Surprisingly, two water molecules anchored in a hydrogen-bonded chain between Thr-242 and Lys-260 impart elasticity to one side of the binding pocket. The cyclopropane ring takes part in π-acceptor hydrogen bonds with the amide of Met-239. There is a crucial hydrogen bond between the oxygen atoms of the anesthetics and the hydroxyl of Tyr-236. A Tyr-236-Phe mutation results in loss of binding. Thus, both van der Waals interactions and hydrogen-bonding are essential for binding to occur. Ethanol failed to bind because it is too short to benefit from both interactions. Cyclopropylmethanol inhibited phorbol-ester-induced PKCδ activity, but failed to do so in PKCδ containing the Tyr-236-Phe mutation.     

Protein kinase Cδ contributes to phenylephrine-mediated contraction in the aortae of high fat diet-induced obese mice

The down-regulation of α-adrenoceptor-mediated signaling casacade has been implicated in obesity but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. The present study investigated whether inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor and protein kinase C (PKC) were involved in the reduction of α₁-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine-evoked contraction in aortae of high fat diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. C57BL/6 mice were fed with a rodent diet containing 45 kcal% fat for 16 weeks to induce obesity. Isolated mouse aortae were suspended in myograph for isometric force measurement. Protein phosphorylations and expressions were determined by Western blotting. In C57BL/6 mouse aortae, phenylephrine-induced contraction was partially inhibited by either IP3 receptor antagonist heparin or PKC inhibitor GFX, and the combined treatment with heparin and GFX abolished the contraction. Phenylephrine-induced contraction was significantly less in the aortae of DIO mice than those of control mice; only GFX but not heparin attenuated the contraction, indicating a diminishing role of IP3 receptor in DIO mice. Western blotting showed the reduced expression and phosphorylation of IP3 receptor and the down-regulated expression of PKC, PKCβ, PKCδ, and PKCζ in DIO mouse aortae. Importantly, PKCδ was more likely to maintain phenylephrine-mediated contraction in DIO mouse aortae because that (1) PKCδ inhibitor rottlerin but not PKCα and PKCβ inhibitor Gö6976, PKCβ inhibitor hispidin, or PKCζ pseudosubstrate inhibitor attenuated the contraction; and (2) PKCδ phosphorylation was increased but phosphorylations of PKCα, PKCβ, and PKCζ were reduced in DIO mouse aortae. The present study thus provides additional insights into the cellular mechanisms responsible for vascular dysfunction in obesity.     

Inhibition of Osteocyte Apoptosis Prevents the Increase in Osteocytic Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor κB Ligand (RANKL) but Does Not Stop Bone Resorption or the Loss of Bone Induced by Unloading

Apoptosis of osteocytes and osteoblasts precedes bone resorption and bone loss with reduced mechanical stimulation, and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) expression is increased with unloading in mice. Because osteocytes are major RANKL producers, we hypothesized that apoptotic osteocytes signal to neighboring osteocytes to increase RANKL expression, which, in turn, increases osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. The traditional bisphosphonate (BP) alendronate (Aln) or IG9402, a BP analog that does not inhibit resorption, prevented the increase in osteocyte apoptosis and osteocytic RANKL expression. The BPs also inhibited osteoblast apoptosis but did not prevent the increase in osteoblastic RANKL. Unloaded mice exhibited high serum levels of the bone resorption marker C-telopeptide fragments of type I collagen (CTX), elevated osteoclastogenesis, and increased osteoclasts in bone. Aln, but not IG9402, prevented all of these effects. In addition, Aln prevented the reduction in spinal and femoral bone mineral density, spinal bone volume/tissue volume, trabecular thickness, mechanical strength, and material strength induced by unloading. Although IG9402 did not prevent the loss of bone mass, it partially prevented the loss of strength, suggesting a contribution of osteocyte viability to strength independent of bone mass. These results demonstrate that osteocyte apoptosis leads to increased osteocytic RANKL. However, blockade of these events is not sufficient to restrain osteoclast formation, inhibit resorption, or stop bone loss induced by skeletal unloading.     

Loss of Gsα in the Postnatal Skeleton Leads to Low Bone Mass and a Blunted Response to Anabolic Parathyroid Hormone Therapy

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is an important regulator of osteoblast function and is the only anabolic therapy currently approved for treatment of osteoporosis. The PTH receptor (PTH1R) is a G protein-coupled receptor that signals via multiple G proteins including G_sα. Mice expressing a constitutively active mutant PTH1R exhibited a dramatic increase in trabecular bone that was dependent upon expression of G_sα in the osteoblast lineage. Postnatal removal of G_sα in the osteoblast lineage (P-G_sα^OsxKO mice) yielded markedly reduced trabecular and cortical bone mass. Treatment with anabolic PTH(1–34) (80 μg/kg/day) for 4 weeks failed to increase trabecular bone volume or cortical thickness in male and female P-G_sα^OsxKO mice. Surprisingly, in both male and female mice, PTH administration significantly increased osteoblast numbers and bone formation rate in both control and P-G_sα^OsxKO mice. In mice that express a mutated PTH1R that activates adenylyl cyclase and protein kinase A (PKA) via G_sα but not phospholipase C via G_q/11 (D/D mice), PTH significantly enhanced bone formation, indicating that phospholipase C activation is not required for increased bone turnover in response to PTH. Therefore, although the anabolic effect of intermittent PTH treatment on trabecular bone volume is blunted by deletion of G_sα in osteoblasts, PTH can stimulate osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Together these findings suggest that alternative signaling pathways beyond G_sα and G_q/11 act downstream of PTH on osteoblast differentiation.     

Loss of the Polarity Protein PAR3 Activates STAT3 Signaling via an Atypical Protein Kinase C (aPKC)/NF-κB/Interleukin-6 (IL-6) Axis in Mouse Mammary Cells

PAR3 suppresses tumor growth and metastasis in vivo and cell invasion through matrix in vitro. We propose that PAR3 organizes and limits multiple signaling pathways and that inappropriate activation of these pathways occurs without PAR3. Silencing Pard3 in conjunction with oncogenic activation promotes invasion and metastasis via constitutive STAT3 activity in mouse models, but the mechanism for this is unknown. We now show that loss of PAR3 triggers increased production of interleukin-6, which induces STAT3 signaling in an autocrine manner. Activation of atypical protein kinase C ι/λ (aPKCι/λ) mediates this effect by stimulating NF-κB signaling and IL-6 expression. Our results suggest that PAR3 restrains aPKCι/λ activity and thus prevents aPKCι/λ from activating an oncogenic signaling network.