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Members of the enabled/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (Ena/VASP) family are important regulators of the actin cytoskeleton dynamics. VASP functions as well as its interactions with other proteins are regulated by phosphorylation at three sites - serine157 (S157), serine239 (S239), and threonine278 (T278) in humans. cAMP- and cGMP- dependent protein kinases phosphorylate S157 and S239, respectively. In contrast, the kinase responsible for T278 was as yet unknown and identified in the first part of this thesis. In a screen for T278 phosphorylating kinases using a phospho-specific antibody against phosphorylated T278 AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was identified in endothelial cells. Mutants of AMPK with altered kinase-activity modulate T278-phosphorylation levels in cells. AMPK-driven T278-phosphorylation impaired stress fiber formation and changed cell morphology in living cells. AMPK is a fundamental sensor of cellular and whole body energy homeostasis. Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats, which are an animal model for type II diabetes mellitus, were used to analyze the impact of phosphorylated T278 in vivo. AMPK-activity and T278-phosphorylation were substantially reduced in arterial vessel walls of ZDF rats in comparison to control animals. These findings demonstrate that VASP is a new AMPK substrate, that VASP phosphorylation mediates the effects of metabolic regulation on actin cytoskeleton rearrangements, and that this signaling system becomes down-regulated in diabetic vessel disorders in rats. In the second part of this thesis, a functional analysis of differential VASP phosphorylations was performed. To systematically address VASP phosphorylation patterns, a set of VASP phosphomimetic mutants was cloned. These mutants enable the mimicking of defined phosphorylation patterns and the specific analysis of single kinase-mediated phosphorylations. VASP localization to the cell periphery was increased by S157- phosphorylation and modulated by phosphorylation at S239 and T278. Latter phosphorylations synergistically reduced actin polymerization. In contrast, S157- phosphorylation had no effect on actin-dynamics. Taken together, the results of the second part show that phosphorylation of VASP serves as a fine regulator of localization and actin polymerization activity. In summary, this study revealed the functions of VASP phosphorylations and established novel links between signaling pathways and actin cytoskeleton rearrangement.
The enzyme pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) plays a major role in the switch of tumor cells from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis, one of the hallmarks of cancer. Different allosteric inhibitors or activators and several posttranslational modifications regulate its activity. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common disease with a high rate of recurrence. To find out more about PKM2 and its modulation in HNSCC, we examined a panel of HNSCC cells using real-time cell metabolic analysis and Western blotting with an emphasis on phosphorylation variant Tyr105 and two reagents known to impair PKM2 activity. Our results show that in HNSCC, PKM2 is commonly phosphorylated at Tyrosine 105. Its levels depended on tyrosine kinase activity, emphasizing the importance of growth factors such as EGF (epidermal growth factor) on HNSCC metabolism. Furthermore, its correlation with the expression of CD44 indicates a role in cancer stemness. Cells generally reacted with higher glycolysis to PKM2 activator DASA-58 and lower glycolysis to PKM2 inhibitor Compound 3k, but some were more susceptible to activation and others to inhibition. Our findings emphasize the need to further investigate the role of PKM2 in HNSCC, as it could aid understanding and treatment of the disease.
In this thesis the Drosophila mutant loechrig (loe), that shows progressive degeneration of the nervous system, is further described. Loe is missing a neuronal isoform of the protein kinase AMPK γ subunit (AMP-activated protein kinase- also known as SNF4Aγ) The heterotrimeric AMPK controls the energy level of the cell, which requires constant monitoring of the ATP/AMP levels. It is activated by low energy levels and metabolic insults like oxygen starvation and regulates multiple important signal pathways that control cell metabolism. Still, its role in neuronal survival is unclear. One of AMPK’s downstream targets is HMGR (hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA- reductase), a key enzyme in cholesterol and isoprenoid synthesis. It has been shown that manipulating the levels of HMGR affects the severity of the neurodegenerative phenotype in loe. Whereas the regulatory role of AMPK on HMGR is conserved in Drosophila, insects cannot synthesize cholesterol de novo. However, the synthesis of isoprenoids is a pathway that is evolutionarily conserved between vertebrates and insects. Isoprenylation of target proteins like small G-proteins provides a hydrophobic anchor that allows the association of these proteins with membranes and following activation. This thesis shows that the loe mutation interferes with the prenylation of Rho1 and the regulation of the LIM kinase pathway, which plays an important role in actin turnover and axonal outgrowth. The results suggest that the mutation in LOE, causes hyperactivity of the isoprenoid synthesis pathway, which leads to increased farnesylation of RHO1 and therefore higher levels of phospho-cofilin. A mutation in Rho1 improves the neurodegenerative phenotype and life span. The increased inactive cofilin amount in loe leads to an up regulation of filamentous actin. Actin is involved in neuronal outgrowth and experiments analyzing loe neurons gave valuable insights into a possible role of AMPK and accordingly actin on neurite growth and stability. It was demonstrated that neurons derived from loe mutants exhibit reduces axonal transport suggesting that changes in the cytoskeletal network caused by the effect of loe on the Rho1 pathway lead to disruptions in axonal transport and subsequent neuronal death. It also shows that actin is not only involved in neuronal outgrowth, its also important in maintenance of neurons, suggesting that interference with actin dynamics leads to progressive degeneration of neurons. Together, these results further support the importance of AMPK in neuronal function and survival and provide a novel functional mechanisms how alterations in AMPK can cause neuronal degeneration
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is a new regulator of energy homeostasis. Its expression is increased in models of obesity and diabetes. An enhanced NNMT level is also caused by an adipose tissue-specific knockout of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) in mice, whereas the overexpression of this glucose transporter reduced the NNMT expression. Furthermore, the knockdown of the enzyme prevents mice from diet-induced obesity (DIO) and the recently developed small molecule inhibitors for NNMT reverses the DIO. These previous findings demonstrated the exclusive role of NNMT in adipose tissue and further make it to a promising target in obesity treatment. However, the regulation mechanism of this methyltransferase is not yet clarified.
The first part of the thesis focus on the investigation whether pro-inflammatory signals are responsible for the enhanced NNMT expression in obese adipose tissue because a hallmark of this tissue is a low-level chronic inflammation. Indeed, the NNMT mRNA in our study was elevated in obese patients compared with the control group, whereas the GLUT4 mRNA expression does not differ between lean and obese humans. To analyze whether pro inflammatory signals, like interleukin (IL 6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), regulate NNMT expression 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with these cytokines. However, IL 6, TNF α, and leptin, which is an alternative activator of the JAK/STAT pathway, did not affect the NNMT protein or mRNA level in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The mRNA and protein levels were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting.
In the second part of this study, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were cultivated with varying glucose concentrations to show whether NNMT expression depends on glucose availability. Further studies with activators and inhibitors of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways were used to elucidate the regulation mechanism of the enzyme.
The glucose deprivation of differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes led to a 2-fold increase in NNMT expression. This effect was confirmed by the inhibition of the glucose transports with phloretin as well as the inhibition of glycolysis with 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG). AMPK serves as an intracellular energy sensor and the pharmacological activation of it enhanced the NNMT expression. This increase was also caused by the inhibition of mTOR. Conversely, the activation of mTOR using MHY1485 prevented the effect of glucose deprivation on NNMT. Furthermore, the NNMT up-regulation was also blocked by the different autophagy inhibitors.
Taken together, NNMT plays a critical role in autophagy in adipocytes, because an inhibition of this process prevented the augmented NNMT expression during glucose starvation. Moreover, the effect on NNMT protein and mRNA level depends on AMPK and mTOR. However, pro-inflammatory signals did not affect the expression. Further in vivo studies have to clarify whether AMPK activation and mTOR inhibition as well as autophagy are responsible for the increased NNMT levels in obese adipose tissue. In future this methyltransferase emerges as an awesome therapeutic target for obesity.
Complement 1q/tumor necrosis factor-related proteins (CTRPs): structure, receptors and signaling
(2023)
Adiponectin and the other 15 members of the complement 1q (C1q)/tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related protein (CTRP) family are secreted proteins composed of an N-terminal variable domain followed by a stalk region and a characteristic C-terminal trimerizing globular C1q (gC1q) domain originally identified in the subunits of the complement protein C1q. We performed a basic PubMed literature search for articles mentioning the various CTRPs or their receptors in the abstract or title. In this narrative review, we briefly summarize the biology of CTRPs and focus then on the structure, receptors and major signaling pathways of CTRPs. Analyses of CTRP knockout mice and CTRP transgenic mice gave overwhelming evidence for the relevance of the anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing effects of CTRPs in autoimmune diseases, obesity, atherosclerosis and cardiac dysfunction. CTRPs form homo- and heterotypic trimers and oligomers which can have different activities. The receptors of some CTRPs are unknown and some receptors are redundantly targeted by several CTRPs. The way in which CTRPs activate their receptors to trigger downstream signaling pathways is largely unknown. CTRPs and their receptors are considered as promising therapeutic targets but their translational usage is still hampered by the limited knowledge of CTRP redundancy and CTRP signal transduction.