Activation of TGR5 promotes mitochondrial biogenesis in human aortic endothelial cells
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
Authors: Zhao, Li-Jun; Zhang, Shi-Fang
Abstract
Impairment of mitochondrial biogenesis has been associated with vascular pathophysiology. The G-protein-coupled receptor (TGR5) is an important mediator of bile acid signaling and glucose metabolism. However, the effects of TGR5 on mitochondrial biogenesis in endothelial cells remain elusive. In this study, we found that activation of TGR5 using its specific agonist taurolithocholic acid (TLCA) promoted the expression of PGC-la, a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). Additionally, activation of TGR5 increased the expression of PGC-la target genes, such as NRF1 and TFAM. Indeed, we found that TLCA treatment promoted mitochondrial biogenesis by increasing mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial-to-nuclear DNA (mtDNA/nDNA), COX-I expression, and cytochrome c oxidase activity in HAECs. Notably, our results displayed that activation of TGR5 resulted in a functional gam in mitochondria by increasing the rate of respiration and ATP production. Mechanistically, we found that TLCA treatment activated the transcriptional factor CREB by inducing the phosphorylation of CREB at Ser133. Using the PKA/CREB inhibitor H89 abolished the effects of TLCA on PGC-1 alpha, NRF1 and TFAM expression as well as the increase in mtDNA/nDNA and ATP production. These findings suggest that activation of TGR5 promoted mitochondrial biogenesis in endothelial cells, which is mediated by the CREB/PGC-1 alpha signaling pathway. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Mitochondrial DNA replication is initiated at blastocyst formation in equine embryos
REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Hendriks, W. Karin; Colleoni, Silvia; Galli, Cesare; Paris, Damien B. B. P.; Colenbrander, Ben; Stout, Tom A. E.
Abstract
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is the technique of choice for equine IVF and, in a research setting, 18-36% of injected oocytes develop to blastocysts. However, blastocyst development in clinical programs is lower, presumably due to a combination of variable oocyte quality (e.g. from old mares), suboptimal culture conditions and marginal fertility of some stallions. Furthermore, mitochondrial constitution appears to be critical to developmental competence, and both maternal aging and invitro embryo production (IVEP) negatively affect mitochondrial number and function in murine and bovine embryos. The present study examined the onset of mitochondrial (mt) DNA replication in equine embryos and investigated whether IVEP affects the timing of this important event, or the expression of genes required for mtDNA replication (i.e. mitochondrial transcription factor (TFAM), mtDNA polymerase subunit B (mtPOLB) and single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB)). We also investigated whether developmental arrest was associated with low mtDNA copy number. mtDNA copy number increased (P<0.01) between the early and expanded blastocyst stages both invivo and invitro, whereas the mtDNA:total DNA ratio was higher in invitro-produced embryos (P=0.041). Mitochondrial replication was preceded by an increase in TFAM but, unexpectedly, not mtPOLB or SSB expression. There was no association between embryonic arrest and lower mtDNA copy numbers.