Suppression of adipocyte differentiation by aldo-keto reductase 1B3 acting as prostaglandin F2alpha synthase

Current methods of adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

There has been a recent increase in our understanding in the isolation, culture, and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Concomitantly, the availability of MSCs has increased, with cells now commercially available, including human MSCs from adipose tissue and bone marrow. Despite an increased understanding of MSC biology and an increase in their availability, standardization of techniques for adipogenic differentiation of MSCs is lacking. The following review will explore the variability in adipogenic differentiation in vitro, specifically in 3T3-L1 and primary MSCs derived from both adipose tissue and bone marrow. A review of alternative methods of adipogenic induction is also presented, including the use of specific peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonists as well as bone morphogenetic proteins. Finally, we define a standard, commonly used adipogenic differentiation medium in the hopes that this will be adopted for the future standardization of laboratory techniques--however, we also highlight the essentially arbitrary nature of this decision. With the current, rapid pace of electronic publications, it becomes imperative for standardization of such basic techniques so that interlaboratory results may be easily compared and interpreted.

Catalytic mechanism of the primary human prostaglandin F2α synthase, aldo-keto reductase 1B1--prostaglandin D2 synthase activity in the absence of NADP(H)

Aldo-keto reductase 1B1 and 1B3 (AKR1B1 and AKR1B3) are the primary human and mouse prostaglandin F(2α) (PGF(2α)) synthases, respectively, which catalyze the NADPH-dependent reduction of PGH(2), a common intermediate of various prostanoids, to form PGF(2α). In this study, we found that AKR1B1 and AKR1B3, but not AKR1B7 and AKR1C3, also catalyzed the isomerization of PGH(2) to PGD(2) in the absence of NADPH or NADP(+). Both PGD(2) and PGF(2α) synthase activities of AKR1B1 and AKR1B3 completely disappeared in the presence of NADP(+) or after heat treatment of these enzymes at 100 °C for 5 min. The K(m), V(max), pK and optimum pH values of the PGD(2) synthase activities of AKR1B1 and AKR1B3 were 23 and 18 μM, 151 and 57 nmol·min(-1)·(mg protein)(-1), 7.9 and 7.6, and pH 8.5 for both AKRs, respectively, and those of PGF(2α) synthase activity were 29 and 33 μM, 169 and 240 nmol·min(-1)·(mg protein)(-1), 6.2 and 5.4, and pH 5.5 and pH 5.0, respectively, in the presence of 0.5 mm NADPH. Site-directed mutagenesis of the catalytic tetrad of AKR1B1, composed of Tyr, Lys, His and Asp, revealed that the triad of Asp43, Lys77 and His110, but not Tyr48, acts as a proton donor in most AKR activities, and is crucial for PGD(2) and PGF(2α) synthase activities. These results, together with molecular docking simulation of PGH(2) to the crystallographic structure of AKR1B1, indicate that His110 acts as a base in concert with Asp43 and Lys77 and as an acid to generate PGD(2) and PGF(2α) in the absence of NADPH or NADP(+) and in the presence of NADPH, respectively.

Forkhead transcription factor Foxa1 is a novel target gene of C/EBPβ and suppresses the early phase of adipogenesis

Forkhead/winged helix transcription factors (Foxs) regulate differentiation, metabolism, and development. Although Foxa1 is expressed in adipocytes, the roles and regulation of Foxa1 in them remain unclear. Here, we found that under the control of C/EBPβ, Foxa1 suppressed lipid accumulation and concomitantly caused a decrease in adipogenic gene expression in adipocytes. Foxa1 was expressed in undifferentiated mouse 3T3-L1 cells and in the early phase of adipogenesis, with its highest expression at 3h after the initiation of adipogenesis, which was followed by a subsequent decrease. SiRNA-mediated suppression of Foxa1 expression activated the expression of adipogenic genes such as PPARγ. Moreover, siRNAs for C/EBPβ, but not those for C/EBPδ, reduced Foxa1 mRNA and protein levels. The results of a promoter-reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that C/EBPβ bound to the C/EBP binding element at -529 of the mouse Foxa1 promoter. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown of C/EBPβ decreased the promoter activity of mouse Foxa1 gene. These results suggest that Foxa1 plays a suppressive role in the early phase of adipogenesis, acting under the control of C/EBPβ, and might be involved in the regulation of the rate of progression of the early phase of adipogenesis.

Carbonyl reductase 1 protects pancreatic β-cells against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in glucotoxicity and glucolipotoxicity

Carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) plays an important role in the detoxification of reactive lipid aldehydes. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pancreatic β-cell failure. However, the functional role of CBR1 in pancreatic β-cell failure has not been studied yet. Therefore, we investigated the role of CBR1 in pancreatic β-cell failure under glucotoxic and glucolipotoxic conditions. Under both conditions, knockdown of CBR1 by specific siRNA increased β-cell apoptosis, expression of lipogenic enzymes (such as ACC, FAS, and ABCA1), intracellular lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, ER stress, and nuclear SREBP1c, but decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In contrast, overexpression of CBR1 showed the opposite effects. The antioxidants N-acetyl-l-cysteine and Tiron, as well as the FAS inhibitor cerulenin, reversed the effects of CBR1 knockdown. Interestingly, the expression level and enzyme activity of CBR1 were significantly decreased in pancreatic islets of db/db mice, compared with those of wild-type mice. In conclusion, CBR1 protects pancreatic β-cells against oxidative stress and promotes their survival in glucotoxicity and glucolipotoxicity.

Prostaglandin F(2alpha) suppresses early phase of adipogenesis, but is not associated with osteoblastogenesis in mouse mesenchymal stem cells

In this study, we investigated the roles of prostaglandin (PG) F(2alpha) in the differentiation of mouse ST2 mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) into adipocytes and osteoblasts. PGF(2alpha) was not produced in the undifferentiated ST2 MSC, but its highest level of production was detected at 3h after the initiation of adipogenesis and then quickly decreased. On the contrary, apparent PGF(2alpha) production was not detected during the osteoblastogenesis of ST2 MSC. The PGF(2alpha) production pattern during adipogenesis well resembled the expression profiles of aldo-keto reductase (AKR) 1B3, which acted as the PGF(2alpha) synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 genes; but the pattern showed a slight delay compared with these profiles. The siRNA for AKR1B3, but not that for AKR1B8 or 1B10, decreased PGF(2alpha) production and enhanced the expression of adipogenic genes, but did not affect the mRNA levels of osteoblastogenic genes, during the adipogenesis of ST2 MSC. The FP receptor was expressed during adipogenesis of ST2 MSC, and its agonist or antagonist suppressed or enhanced, respectively, the lipid accumulation and the adipogenic gene expression; but this receptor was not associated with the osteoblastogenesis. These results indicate that AKR1B3-mediated PGF(2alpha) suppressed the early phase of adipogenesis through FP receptors, but did not affect osteoblastogenesis in ST2 MSC. Therefore, PGF(2alpha) suppressed the progression of early phase adipogenesis after determination of the cell fate that causes MSC to differentiate into adipocytes.