Glucose and Fatty Acids Synergize to Promote B-Cell Apoptosis through Activation of Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta Independent of JNK Activation
PLOS ONE
Authors: Tanabe, Katsuya; Liu, Yang; Hasan, Syed D.; Martinez, Sara C.; Cras-Meneur, Corentin; Welling, Cris M.; Bernal-Mizrachi, Ernesto; Tanizawa, Yukio; Rhodes, Christopher J.; Zmuda, Erik; Hai, Tsonwin; Abumrad, Nada A.; Permutt, M. Alan
Abstract
Background: The combination of elevated glucose and free-fatty acids (FFA), prevalent in diabetes, has been suggested to be a major contributor to pancreatic beta-cell death. This study examines the synergistic effects of glucose and FFA on beta-cell apoptosis and the molecular mechanisms involved. Mouse insulinoma cells and primary islets were treated with palmitate at increasing glucose and effects on apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and insulin receptor substrate (IRS) signaling were examined. Principal Findings: Increasing glucose (5-25 mM) with palmitate (400 mu M) had synergistic effects on apoptosis. Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activation peaked at the lowest glucose concentration, in contrast to a progressive reduction in IRS2 protein and impairment of insulin receptor substrate signaling. A synergistic effect was observed on activation of ER stress markers, along with recruitment of SREBP1 to the nucleus. These findings were confirmed in primary islets. The above effects associated with an increase in glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (Gsk3 beta) activity and were reversed along with apoptosis by an adenovirus expressing a kinase dead Gsk3b beta. Conclusions/Significance: Glucose in the presence of FFA results in synergistic effects on ER stress, impaired insulin receptor substrate signaling and Gsk3 beta activation. The data support the importance of controlling both hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in the management of Type 2 diabetes, and identify pancreatic islet beta-cell Gsk3 beta as a potential therapeutic target.
Targeted Multiplexed Selected Reaction Monitoring Analysis Evaluates Protein Expression Changes of Molecular Risk Factors for Major Psychiatric Disorders
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
Authors: Wesseling, Hendrik; Gottschalk, Michael G.; Bahn, Sabine
Abstract
Background: Extensive research efforts have generated genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and functional data hoping to elucidate psychiatric pathophysiology. Selected reaction monitoring, a recently developed targeted proteomic mass spectrometric approach, has made it possible to evaluate previous findings and hypotheses with high sensitivity, reproducibility, and quantitative accuracy. Methods: Here, we have developed a labelled multiplexed selected reaction monitoring assay, comprising 56 proteins previously implicated in the aetiology of major psychiatric disorders, including cell type markers or targets and effectors of known psychopharmacological interventions. We analyzed postmortem anterior prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 10) tissue of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 22), bipolar disorder (n = 23), and major depressive disorder with (n = 11) and without (n = 11) psychotic features compared with healthy controls (n = 22). Results: Results agreed with several previous studies, with the finding of alterations of Wnt-signalling and glutamate receptor abundance predominately in bipolar disorder and abnormalities in energy metabolism across the neuropsychiatric disease spectrum. Calcium signalling was predominantly affected in schizophrenia and affective psychosis. Interestingly, we were able to show a decrease of all 4 tested oligodendrocyte specific proteins (MOG, MBP, MYPR, CNPase) in bipolar disorder and to a lesser extent in schizophrenia and affective psychosis. Finally, we provide new evidence linking ankyrin 3 specifically to affective psychosis and the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome-associated protein septin 5 to schizophrenia. Conclusions: Our study highlights the potential of selected reaction monitoring to evaluate the protein abundance levels of candidate markers of neuropsychiatric spectrum disorders, providing a high throughput multiplex platform for validation of putative disease markers and drug targets.