scholarly journals Small-Molecule Hormones: Molecular Mechanisms of Action

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Puzianowska-Kuznicka ◽  
Eliza Pawlik-Pachucka ◽  
Magdalena Owczarz ◽  
Monika Budzińska ◽  
Jacek Polosak

Small-molecule hormones play crucial roles in the development and in the maintenance of an adult mammalian organism. On the molecular level, they regulate a plethora of biological pathways. Part of their actions depends on their transcription-regulating properties, exerted by highly specific nuclear receptors which are hormone-dependent transcription factors. Nuclear hormone receptors interact with coactivators, corepressors, basal transcription factors, and other transcription factors in order to modulate the activity of target genes in a manner that is dependent on tissue, age and developmental and pathophysiological states. The biological effect of this mechanism becomes apparent not earlier than 30–60 minutes after hormonal stimulus. In addition, small-molecule hormones modify the function of the cell by a number of nongenomic mechanisms, involving interaction with proteins localized in the plasma membrane, in the cytoplasm, as well as with proteins localized in other cellular membranes and in nonnuclear cellular compartments. The identity of such proteins is still under investigation; however, it seems that extranuclear fractions of nuclear hormone receptors commonly serve this function. A direct interaction of small-molecule hormones with membrane phospholipids and with mRNA is also postulated. In these mechanisms, the reaction to hormonal stimulus appears within seconds or minutes.

Biomedicines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suresh P. Khadke ◽  
Aniket A. Kuvalekar ◽  
Abhay M. Harsulkar ◽  
Nitin Mantri

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by impaired insulin action and its secretion. The objectives of the present study were to establish an economical and efficient animal model, mimicking pathophysiology of human T2DM to understand probable molecular mechanisms in context with lipid metabolism. In the present study, male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups. Animals were fed with high fat diet (HFD) except healthy control (HC) for 12 weeks. After eight weeks, intra peritoneal glucose tolerance test was performed. After confirmation of glucose intolerance, diabetic control (DC) group was injected with streptozotocin (STZ) (35 mg/kg b.w., i.p.). HFD fed rats showed increase (p ≤ 0.001) in glucose tolerance and HOMA-IR as compared to HC. Diabetes rats showed abnormal (p ≤ 0.001) lipid profile as compared to HC. The hepatocyte expression of transcription factors SREBP-1c and NFκβ, and their target genes were found to be upregulated, while PPAR-γ, CPT1A and FABP expressions were downregulated as compared to the HC. A number of animal models have been raised for studying T2DM, but the study has been restricted to only the biochemical level. The model is validated at biochemical, molecular and histopathological levels, which can be used for screening new therapeutics for the effective management of T2DM.


2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (39) ◽  
pp. 13617-13629
Author(s):  
Clément Immarigeon ◽  
Sandra Bernat-Fabre ◽  
Emmanuelle Guillou ◽  
Alexis Verger ◽  
Elodie Prince ◽  
...  

The evolutionarily conserved multiprotein Mediator complex (MED) serves as an interface between DNA-bound transcription factors (TFs) and the RNA Pol II machinery. It has been proposed that each TF interacts with a dedicated MED subunit to induce specific transcriptional responses. But are these binary partnerships sufficient to mediate TF functions? We have previously established that the Med1 Mediator subunit serves as a cofactor of GATA TFs in Drosophila, as shown in mammals. Here, we observe mutant phenotype similarities between another subunit, Med19, and the Drosophila GATA TF Pannier (Pnr), suggesting functional interaction. We further show that Med19 physically interacts with the Drosophila GATA TFs, Pnr and Serpent (Srp), in vivo and in vitro through their conserved C-zinc finger domains. Moreover, Med19 loss of function experiments in vivo or in cellulo indicate that it is required for Pnr- and Srp-dependent gene expression, suggesting general GATA cofactor functions. Interestingly, Med19 but not Med1 is critical for the regulation of all tested GATA target genes, implying shared or differential use of MED subunits by GATAs depending on the target gene. Lastly, we show a direct interaction between Med19 and Med1 by GST pulldown experiments indicating privileged contacts between these two subunits of the MED middle module. Together, these findings identify Med19/Med1 as a composite GATA TF interface and suggest that binary MED subunit–TF partnerships are probably oversimplified models. We propose several mechanisms to account for the transcriptional regulation of GATA-targeted genes.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (18) ◽  
pp. 6655-6664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Kyun Ahn ◽  
Kapil Tahlan ◽  
Zhou Yu ◽  
Justin Nodwell

ABSTRACT The SCO7222 protein and ActR are two of ∼150 TetR-like transcription factors encoded in the Streptomyces coelicolor genome. Using bioluminescence as a readout, we have developed Escherichia coli-based biosensors that accurately report the regulatory activity of these proteins and used it to investigate their interactions with DNA and small-molecule ligands. We found that the SCO7222 protein and ActR repress the expression of their putative target genes, SCO7223 and actII-ORF2 (actA), respectively, by interacting with operator sequence in the promoters. The operators recognized by the two proteins are related such that O 7223 (an operator for SCO7223) could be bound by both the SCO7222 protein and ActR with similar affinities. In contrast, Oact (an operator for actII-ORF2) was bound tightly by ActR and more weakly by the SCO7222 protein. We demonstrated ligand specificity of these proteins by showing that while TetR (but not ActR or the SCO7222 protein) interacts with tetracyclines, ActR (but not TetR or the SCO7222 protein) interacts with actinorhodin and related molecules. Through operator-targeted mutagenesis, we found that at least two nucleotide changes in O 7223 were required to disrupt its interaction with SCO7222 protein, while ActR was more sensitive to changes on Oact . Most importantly, we found that the interaction of each protein with wild-type and mutant operator sequences in vivo and in vitro correlated perfectly. Our data suggest that E. coli-based biosensors of this type should be broadly applicable to TetR-like transcription factors.


Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herring ◽  
Elison ◽  
Tessem

The Nr4a family of nuclear hormone receptors is composed of three members—Nr4a1/Nur77, Nr4a2/Nurr1 and Nr4a3/Nor1. While currently defined as ligandless, these transcription factors have been shown to regulate varied processes across a host of tissues. Of particular interest, the Nr4a family impinge, in a tissue dependent fashion, on cellular proliferation, apoptosis and fuel utilization. The regulation of these processes occurs through both nuclear and non-genomic pathways. The purpose of this review is to provide a balanced perspective of the tissue specific and Nr4a family member specific, effects on cellular proliferation, apoptosis and fuel utilization.


2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 292-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.U. Birkenkamp ◽  
P.J. Coffer

Recently, the FOXO (Forkhead box, class O) subfamily of Forkhead transcription factors has been identified as direct targets of phosphoinositide 3-kinase-mediated signal transduction. The AFX (acute-lymphocytic-leukaemia-1 fused gene from chromosome X), FKHR (Forkhead in rhabdomyosarcoma) and FKHR-L1 (FKHR-like 1) transcription factors are directly phosphorylated by protein kinase B, resulting in nuclear export and inhibition of transcription. This signalling pathway was first identified in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, where it has a role in regulation of the life span of the organism. Studies have shown that this evolutionarily conserved signalling module has a role in regulation of both cell-cycle progression and cell survival in higher eukaryotes. These effects are co-ordinated by FOXO-mediated induction of a variety of specific target genes that are only now beginning to be identified. Interestingly, FOXO transcription factors appear to be able to regulate transcription through both DNA-binding-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Our understanding of the regulation of FOXO activity, and defining specific transcriptional targets, may provide clues to the molecular mechanisms controlling cell fate decisions to divide, differentiate or die.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Rümpler ◽  
Günter Theißen ◽  
Rainer Melzer

ABSTRACTThe development of angiosperm flowers is regulated by homeotic MIKC-type MADS-domain transcription factors that activate or repress target genes via the formation of DNA-bound, organ specific tetrameric complexes. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) capabilities differ considerably between different MIKC-type proteins. The floral homeotic protein SEPALLATA3 (SEP3) acts as a hub that incorporates numerous other MADS-domain proteins into tetrameric complexes that would otherwise not form. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie these promiscuous interactions remain largely unknown. In this study we created a collection of amino acid substitution mutants of SEP3 to quantify the contribution of individual residues on protein tetramerization during DNA-binding, employing methods of molecular biophysics. We show that leucine residues at certain key positions form a leucine zipper structure that is essential for tetramerization of SEP3, whereas the introduction of physicochemically very similar residues at respective sites impedes the formation of DNA-bound tetramers. Comprehensive molecular evolutionary analyses of MADS-domain proteins from a diverse set of flowering plants revealed exceedingly high conservation of the identified leucine residues within SEP3-subfamily proteins throughout angiosperm evolution. In contrast, MADS-domain proteins that are unable to tetramerize among themselves exhibit preferences for other amino acids at homologous sites. Our findings indicate that the subfamily-specific conservation of amino acid residues at just a few key positions account for subfamily-specific interaction capabilities of MADS-domain transcription factors and shaped the present-day structure of the PPI network controlling flower development.


Author(s):  
Michela Osnato ◽  
Elia Lacchini ◽  
Alessandro Pilatone ◽  
Ludovico Dreni ◽  
Andrea Grioni ◽  
...  

Abstract In angiosperms, floral homeotic genes encoding MADS-domain transcription factors regulate the development of floral organs. Specifically, members of the SEPALLATA (SEP) and AGAMOUS (AG) subfamilies form higher-order protein complexes to control floral meristem determinacy and to specify the identity of female reproductive organs. In rice, the AG subfamily gene OsMADS13 is intimately involved in the determination of ovule identity, since knock-out mutant plants develop carpel-like structures in place of ovules, resulting in female sterility. Little is known about the regulatory pathways at the base of rice gynoecium development. To investigate molecular mechanisms acting downstream of OsMADS13, we obtained transcriptomes of immature inflorescences from wild-type and Osmads13 mutant plants. Among a total of 476 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), a substantial overlap with DEGs from the SEP-family Osmads1 mutant was found, suggesting that OsMADS1 and OsMADS13 may act on a common set of target genes. Expression studies and preliminary analyses of two up-regulated genes encoding Zinc-finger transcription factors indicated that our dataset represents a valuable resource for the identification of both OsMADS13 target genes and novel players in rice ovule development. Taken together, our study suggests that OsMADS13 is an important repressor of the carpel pathway during ovule development.


2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (6) ◽  
pp. E1313-E1320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor R. Sweeney ◽  
Arthur H. Moser ◽  
Judy K. Shigenaga ◽  
Carl Grunfeld ◽  
Kenneth R. Feingold

During the third trimester of pregnancy, there is an increase in serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels. The mechanisms accounting for these changes in lipid metabolism during pregnancy are unknown. We hypothesized that, during pregnancy, the expression of nuclear hormone receptors involved in regulating lipid metabolism would decrease. In 19-day pregnant mice, serum triglyceride and non-HDL cholesterol levels were significantly increased, whereas total cholesterol was slightly decreased, because of a decrease in the HDL fraction. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α, PPARβ/δ, and PPARγ, liver X receptor (LXR)α and LXRβ, farnesoid X receptor (FXR), and retinoid X receptor (RXR)α, RXRβ, and RXRγ mRNA levels were significantly decreased in the livers of 19-day pregnant mice. Additionally, the expressions of thyroid receptor (TR)α, pregnane X receptor, sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP)-1a, SREBP-1c, SREBP-2, and liver receptor homolog 1 were also decreased, whereas the expression of TRβ, constitutive androstane receptor, and hepatic nuclear factor 4 showed no significant change. mRNA levels of the PPAR target genes carnitine-palmitoyl transferase 1α and acyl-CoA oxidase, the LXR target genes SREBP1c, ATP-binding cassettes G5 and G8, the FXR target gene SHP, and the TR target genes malic enzyme and Spot14 were all significantly decreased. Finally, the expressions of PPARγ coactivator (PGC)-1α and PGC-1β, known activators of a number of nuclear hormone receptors, were also significantly decreased. The decreases in expression of RXRs, PPARs, LXRs, FXR, TRs, SREBPs, and PGC-1s could contribute to the alterations in lipid metabolism during late pregnancy.


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