Guan-zhong Zhu

Differential DNA Methylation Status Between Human Preadipocytes and Mature Adipocytes

Obesity is a multifactorial disease resulting from interactions between susceptibility genes, psychosocial, and environmental factors. However, it is becoming evident that interindividual differences in obesity susceptibility depend also on epigenetic factors, although the mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. We have undertaken a genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation of human preadipocytes and mature adipocytes to examine the differences in methylation between them. We found hypomethylation occurring in 2,701 genes and hypermethylation in 1,070 genes after differentiation. Meanwhile, Gene Ontology analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis showed many significant gene functions and pathways with altered methylation status after adipocyte differentiation. In addition, Signal-Net analysis showed that tumor necrosis factor-α, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and interleukin-8 were important to the formation of this network. Our results suggest that DNA methylation mechanisms may be involved in regulating the differentiation process of human preadipocytes.

α-Lipoic acid ameliorates impaired glucose uptake in LYRM1 overexpressing 3T3-L1 adipocytes through the IRS-1/Akt signaling pathway

Overexpression of the Homo sapiens LYR motif containing 1 (LYRM1) causes mitochondrial dysfunction and induces insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. α-Lipoic acid (α-LA), a dithiol compound with antioxidant properties, improves glucose transport and utilization in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate the direct effects of α-LA on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and insulin sensitivity in LYRM1 overexpressing 3T3-L1 adipocytes and to explore the underlying mechanism. Pretreatment with α-LA significantly increased both basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation, while intracellular ROS levels in LYRM1 overexpressing 3T3-L1 adipocytes were decreased. These changes were accompanied by a marked upregulation in expression of insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and serine phosphorylation of Akt following treatment with α-LA. These results indicated that α-LA protects 3T3-L1 adipocytes from LYRM1-induced insulin resistance partially via its capacity to restore mitochondrial function and/or increase phosphorylation of IRS-1 and Akt.

Metformin prevents LYRM1-induced insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via a mitochondrial-dependent mechanism

We previously proposed that LYR motif containing 1 (LYRM1)-induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production contributes to obesity-related insulin resistance. Metformin inhibits ROS production and promotes mitochondrial biogenesis in specific tissues. We assessed the effects of metformin on insulin resistance in LYRM1-over-expressing 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Metformin enhanced basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation, reduced IRS-1 and Akt phosphorylation and ROS levels, and affected the expression of regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis in LYRM1-over-expressing adipocytes. Metformin may ameliorate LYRM1-induced insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction in part via a direct antioxidant effect and in part by activating the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-PGC1/NRFs pathway.

Knockdown of NYGGF4 (PID1) rescues insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by FCCP in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

NYGGF4 is a recently identified gene that is involved in obesity-associated insulin resistance. Previous data from this laboratory have demonstrated that NYGGF4 overexpression might contribute to the development of insulin resistance (IR) and to mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, NYGGF4 knockdown enhanced insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We designed this study to determine whether silencing of NYGGF4 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes could rescue the effect of insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function induced by the cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl-hydrazone (FCCP), a mitochondrion uncoupler, to ascertain further the mechanism of NYGGF4 involvement in obesity-associated insulin resistance. We found that 3T3-L1 adipocytes, incubated with 5μM FCCP for 12h, had decreased levels of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and had impaired insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. Silencing also diminished insulin-stimulated tyrosinephosphorylation of IRS-1 and serine phosphorylation of Akt. This phenomenon contrasts with the effect of NYGGF4 knockdown on insulin sensitivity and describes the regulatory function of NYGGF4 in adipocytes insulin sensitivity. We next analyzed the mitochondrial function in NYGGF4-silenced adipocytes incubated with FCCP. NYGGF4 knockdown partly rescued the dissipation of mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial DNA, intracellular ATP synthesis, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production occurred following the addition of FCCP, as well as inhibition of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes incubated with FCCP. Collectively, our results suggested that addition of silencing NYGGF4 partly rescued the effect of insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction in NYGGF4 silenced 3T3-L1 adipocytes incubated with FCCP, which might explain the involvement of NYGGF4-induced IR and the development of NYGGF4 in mitochondrial function.

The lin-4 Gene Controls Fat Accumulation and Longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Previous studies have determined that lin-4, which was the first miRNA to be discovered, controls the timing of cell fate determination and life span in Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the mechanism of lin-4 involvement in these processes remains poorly understood. Fat storage is an essential aspect of the life cycle of organisms, and the function of lin-4 in fat accumulation is not clear. In this study, we showed that the fat content is reduced remarkably in C. elegans lin-4 mutants. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed a considerable decrease in the levels of SBP-1 and OGA-1 mRNA in lin-4 mutants. We also showed that lin-4 mutants have a significantly shorter life span than wild-type worms. DCF assay experiments showed that the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number decreased in loss-of-function lin-4 mutants. These mutants also showed attenuation of locomotion. Taken together, our findings suggest that lin-4 may play an important role in regulating fat accumulation and locomotion and that lin-4 may control the life span of C. elegans by mediating ROS production.

α-Lipoic acid protects 3T3-L1 adipocytes from NYGGF4 (PID1) overexpression-induced insulin resistance through increasing phosphorylation of IRS-1 and Akt

NYGGF4 (also called PID1) was demonstrated that it may be related to the development of obesity-related IR. We aimed in the present study to further elucidate the effects of NYGGF4 on IR and the underlying mechanisms through using α-Lipoic acid (LA) treatment, which could facilitate glucose transport and utilization in fully differentiated adipocytes. Our data showed that the LA pretreatment strikingly enhanced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake through increasing GLUT4 translocation to the PM in NYGGF4 overexpression adipocytes. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in NYGGF4 overexpression adipocytes were strikingly enhanced, which could be decreased by the LA pretreatment. NYGGF4 overexpression resulted in significant inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and serine phosphorylation of Akt, whereas incubation with LA strongly activated IRS-1 and Akt phosphorylation in NYGGF4 overexpression adipocytes. These results suggest that LA protects 3T3-L1 adipocytes from NYGGF4-induced IR partially through increasing phosphorylation of IRS-1 and Akt and provide evidence that NYGGF4 may be a potential target for the treatment of obesity and obesity-related IR.

NYGGF4 (PID1) effects on insulin resistance are reversed by metformin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

NYGGF4 (also called PID1) is a recently discovered gene that is involved in obesity-related insulin resistance (IR). We aimed in the present study to further elucidate the effects of NYGGF4 on IR and the underlying mechanisms through using metformin treatment in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our data showed that the metformin pretreatment strikingly enhanced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake through increasing GLUT4 translocation to the PM in NYGGF4 overexpression adipocytes. NYGGF4 overexpression resulted in significant inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and serine phosphorylation of Akt, whereas incubation with metformin strongly activated IRS-1 and Akt phosphorylation in NYGGF4 overexpression adipocytes. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in NYGGF4 overexpression adipocytes were strikingly enhanced, which could be decreased by the metformin pretreatment. Our data also showed that metformin increased the expressions of PGC1-α, NRF-1, and TFAM, which were reduced in the NYGGF4 overexpression adipocytes. These results suggest that NYGGF4 plays a role in IR and its effects on IR could be reversed by metformin through activating IRS-1/PI3K/Akt and AMPK-PGC1-α pathways.