scholarly journals An insulin, AMPK, and steroid hormone-mediated metabolic switch regulates the transition between growth and diapause in C. elegans

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sider Penkov ◽  
Bharath Kumar Raghuraman ◽  
Cihan Erkut ◽  
Jana Oertel ◽  
Roberta Galli ◽  
...  

AbstractThe balance between growth and quiescence depends on the global metabolic state. The dauer larva of C. elegans, a developmentally arrested stage for survival under adverse environment, undergoes a major metabolic transition. Here, we show that this switch involves the concerted activity of several regulatory pathways. Whereas the steroid hormone receptor DAF-12 controls dauer morphogenesis, the insulin pathway maintains low energy expenditure through DAF-16/FoxO, which also requires AAK-2/AMPKα. DAF-12 and AAK-2 separately promote a shift in the molar ratios between competing enzymes at two key branch points within the central carbon metabolic pathway. This way, carbon atoms are diverted from the TCA cycle and directed to gluconeogenesis. When both AAK-2 and DAF-12 are suppressed, the TCA cycle is active and the developmental arrest is bypassed. Hence, the metabolic status of each developmental stage is defined by stoichiometric ratios within the constellation of metabolic enzymes and controls the transition between growth and quiescence.

Author(s):  
Marte Molenaars ◽  
Bauke V. Schomakers ◽  
Hyung L. Elfrink ◽  
Arwen W. Gao ◽  
Martin A.T. Vervaart ◽  
...  

AbstractComprehensive metabolomic and lipidomic mass spectrometry methods are in increasing demand, for instance in research related to nutrition and aging. The nematode C. elegans is a key model organism in these fields, due to the large repository of available C. elegans mutants and their convenient natural lifespan. Here, we describe a robust and sensitive analytical method for the semi-quantitative analysis of >100 polar (metabolomics) and >1000 apolar (lipidomics) metabolites in C. elegans, using a single sample preparation. Our method is capable of reliably detecting a wide variety of biologically relevant metabolic aberrations in, for instance, glycolysis and the TCA cycle, pyrimidine metabolism and complex lipid biosynthesis. In conclusion, we provide a powerful analytical tool that maximizes metabolic data yield from a single sample.Graphical abstract


2021 ◽  
pp. dmm.047746
Author(s):  
Marte Molenaars ◽  
Bauke V. Schomakers ◽  
Hyung L. Elfrink ◽  
Arwen W. Gao ◽  
Martin A. T. Vervaart ◽  
...  

Comprehensive metabolomic and lipidomic mass spectrometry methods are in increasing demand, for instance in research related to nutrition and aging. The nematode C. elegans is a key model organism in these fields, due to the large repository of available C. elegans mutants and their convenient natural lifespan. Here, we describe a robust and sensitive analytical method for the semi-quantitative analysis of >100 polar (metabolomics) and >1000 apolar (lipidomics) metabolites in C. elegans, using a single sample preparation. Our method is capable of reliably detecting a wide variety of biologically relevant metabolic aberrations in, for instance, glycolysis and the TCA cycle, pyrimidine metabolism and complex lipid biosynthesis. In conclusion, we provide a powerful analytical tool that maximizes metabolic data yield from a single sample.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Mobili ◽  
Sonia La Cognata ◽  
Francesca Merlo ◽  
Andrea Speltini ◽  
Massimo Boiocchi ◽  
...  

<div> <p>The extraction of the succinate dianion from a neutral aqueous solution into dichloromethane is obtained using a lipophilic cage-like dicopper(II) complex as the extractant. The quantitative extraction exploits the high affinity of the succinate anion for the cavity of the azacryptate. The anion is effectively transferred from the aqueous phase, buffered at pH 7 with HEPES, into dichloromethane. A 1:1 extractant:anion adduct is obtained. Extraction can be easily monitored by following changes in the UV-visible spectrum of the dicopper complex in dichloromethane, and by measuring the residual concentration of succinate in the aqueous phase by HPLC−UV. Considering i) the relevance of polycarboxylates in biochemistry, as e.g. normal intermediates of the TCA cycle, ii) the relevance of dicarboxylates in the environmental field, as e.g. waste products of industrial processes, and iii) the recently discovered role of succinate and other dicarboxylates in pathophysiological processes including cancer, our results open new perspectives for research in all contexts where selective recognition, trapping and extraction of polycarboxylates is required. </p> </div>


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2746
Author(s):  
Dimitri Shcherbakov ◽  
Reda Juskeviciene ◽  
Adrián Cortés Sanchón ◽  
Margarita Brilkova ◽  
Hubert Rehrauer ◽  
...  

Mitochondrial misreading, conferred by mutation V338Y in mitoribosomal protein Mrps5, in-vivo is associated with a subtle neurological phenotype. Brain mitochondria of homozygous knock-in mutant Mrps5V338Y/V338Y mice show decreased oxygen consumption and reduced ATP levels. Using a combination of unbiased RNA-Seq with untargeted metabolomics, we here demonstrate a concerted response, which alleviates the impaired functionality of OXPHOS complexes in Mrps5 mutant mice. This concerted response mitigates the age-associated decline in mitochondrial gene expression and compensates for impaired respiration by transcriptional upregulation of OXPHOS components together with anaplerotic replenishment of the TCA cycle (pyruvate, 2-ketoglutarate).


GeroScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul S. Brookes ◽  
Ana Gabriela Jimenez

AbstractAmong several animal groups (eutherian mammals, birds, reptiles), lifespan positively correlates with body mass over several orders of magnitude. Contradicting this pattern are domesticated dogs, with small dog breeds exhibiting significantly longer lifespans than large dog breeds. The underlying mechanisms of differing aging rates across body masses are unclear, but it is generally agreed that metabolism is a significant regulator of the aging process. Herein, we performed a targeted metabolomics analysis on primary fibroblasts isolated from small and large breed young and old dogs. Regardless of size, older dogs exhibited lower glutathione and ATP, consistent with a role for oxidative stress and bioenergetic decline in aging. Furthermore, several size-specific metabolic patterns were observed with aging, including the following: (i) An apparent defect in the lower half of glycolysis in large old dogs at the level of pyruvate kinase. (ii) Increased glutamine anaplerosis into the TCA cycle in large old dogs. (iii) A potential defect in coenzyme A biosynthesis in large old dogs. (iv) Low nucleotide levels in small young dogs that corrected with age. (v) An age-dependent increase in carnitine in small dogs that was absent in large dogs. Overall, these data support the hypothesis that alterations in metabolism may underlie the different lifespans of small vs. large breed dogs, and further work in this area may afford potential therapeutic strategies to improve the lifespan of large dogs.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 762
Author(s):  
Edward V. Prochownik ◽  
Huabo Wang

Pyruvate occupies a central metabolic node by virtue of its position at the crossroads of glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and its production and fate being governed by numerous cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The former includes the cell’s type, redox state, ATP content, metabolic requirements and the activities of other metabolic pathways. The latter include the extracellular oxygen concentration, pH and nutrient levels, which are in turn governed by the vascular supply. Within this context, we discuss the six pathways that influence pyruvate content and utilization: 1. The lactate dehydrogenase pathway that either converts excess pyruvate to lactate or that regenerates pyruvate from lactate for use as a fuel or biosynthetic substrate; 2. The alanine pathway that generates alanine and other amino acids; 3. The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex pathway that provides acetyl-CoA, the TCA cycle’s initial substrate; 4. The pyruvate carboxylase reaction that anaplerotically supplies oxaloacetate; 5. The malic enzyme pathway that also links glycolysis and the TCA cycle and generates NADPH to support lipid bio-synthesis; and 6. The acetate bio-synthetic pathway that converts pyruvate directly to acetate. The review discusses the mechanisms controlling these pathways, how they cross-talk and how they cooperate and are regulated to maximize growth and achieve metabolic and energetic harmony.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2634
Author(s):  
Beatriz Soldevilla ◽  
Angeles López-López ◽  
Alberto Lens-Pardo ◽  
Carlos Carretero-Puche ◽  
Angeles Lopez-Gonzalvez ◽  
...  

Purpose: High-throughput “-omic” technologies have enabled the detailed analysis of metabolic networks in several cancers, but NETs have not been explored to date. We aim to assess the metabolomic profile of NET patients to understand metabolic deregulation in these tumors and identify novel biomarkers with clinical potential. Methods: Plasma samples from 77 NETs and 68 controls were profiled by GC−MS, CE−MS and LC−MS untargeted metabolomics. OPLS-DA was performed to evaluate metabolomic differences. Related pathways were explored using Metaboanalyst 4.0. Finally, ROC and OPLS-DA analyses were performed to select metabolites with biomarker potential. Results: We identified 155 differential compounds between NETs and controls. We have detected an increase of bile acids, sugars, oxidized lipids and oxidized products from arachidonic acid and a decrease of carnitine levels in NETs. MPA/MSEA identified 32 enriched metabolic pathways in NETs related with the TCA cycle and amino acid metabolism. Finally, OPLS-DA and ROC analysis revealed 48 metabolites with diagnostic potential. Conclusions: This study provides, for the first time, a comprehensive metabolic profile of NET patients and identifies a distinctive metabolic signature in plasma of potential clinical use. A reduced set of metabolites of high diagnostic accuracy has been identified. Additionally, new enriched metabolic pathways annotated may open innovative avenues of clinical research.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Julie A. Hicks ◽  
Hsiao-Ching Liu

As the chick transitions from embryonic to post-hatching life, its metabolism must quickly undergo a dramatic switch in its major energy source. The chick embryo derives most of its energy from the yolk, a lipid-rich/carbohydrate-poor source. Upon hatching, the chick’s metabolism must then be able to utilize a lipid-poor/carbohydrate-rich source (feed) as its main form of energy. We recently found that a number of hepatically-expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) help facilitate this shift in metabolic processes in the chick liver, the main site of lipogenesis. While adipose tissue was initially thought to mainly serve as a lipid storage site, it is now known to carry many metabolic, endocrine, and immunological functions. Therefore, it would be expected that adipose tissue is also an important factor in the metabolic switch. To that end, we used next generation sequencing (NGS) and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to generate miRNome and transcriptome signatures of the adipose tissue during the transition from late embryonic to early post-hatch development. As adipose tissue is well known to produce inflammatory and other immune factors, we used SPF white leghorns to generate the initial miRNome and transcriptome signatures to minimize complications from external factors (e.g., pathogenic infections) and ensure the identification of bona fide switch-associated miRNAs and transcripts. We then examined their expression signatures in the adipose tissue of broilers (Ross 708). Using E18 embryos as representative of pre-switching metabolism and D3 chicks as a representative of post-switching metabolism, we identified a group of miRNAs which work concordantly to regulate a diverse but interconnected group of developmental, immune and metabolic processes in the adipose tissue during the metabolic switch. Network mapping suggests that during the first days post-hatch, despite the consumption of feed, the chick is still heavily reliant upon adipose tissue lipid stores for energy production, and is not yet efficiently using their new energy source for de novo lipid storage. A number of core master regulatory pathways including, circadian rhythm transcriptional regulation and growth hormone (GH) signaling, likely work in concert with miRNAs to maintain an essential balance between adipogenic, lipolytic, developmental, and immunological processes in the adipose tissue during the metabolic switch.


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