Hematopoietically-expressed homeobox protein HHEX regulates adipogenesis in preadipocytes

Mechanisms and Physiological Roles of Polymorphisms in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a significant pregnancy complication linked to perinatal complications and an elevated risk of future metabolic disorders for both mothers and their children. GDM is diagnosed when women without prior diabetes develop chronic hyperglycemia due to β-cell dysfunction during gestation. Global research focuses on the association between GDM and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and aims to enhance our understanding of GDM's pathogenesis, predict its risk, and guide patient management. This review offers a summary of various SNPs linked to a heightened risk of GDM and explores their biological mechanisms within the tissues implicated in the development of the condition.

The Haematopoietically-expressed homeobox transcription factor: roles in development, physiology and disease

The Haematopoietically expressed homeobox transcription factor (Hhex) is a transcriptional repressor that is of fundamental importance across species, as evident by its evolutionary conservation spanning fish, amphibians, birds, mice and humans. Indeed, Hhex maintains its vital functions throughout the lifespan of the organism, beginning in the oocyte, through fundamental stages of embryogenesis in the foregut endoderm. The endodermal development driven by Hhex gives rise to endocrine organs such as the pancreas in a process which is likely linked to its role as a risk factor in diabetes and pancreatic disorders. Hhex is also required for the normal development of the bile duct and liver, the latter also importantly being the initial site of haematopoiesis. These haematopoietic origins are governed by Hhex, leading to its crucial later roles in definitive haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal, lymphopoiesis and haematological malignancy. Hhex is also necessary for the developing forebrain and thyroid gland, with this reliance on Hhex evident in its role in endocrine disorders later in life including a potential role in Alzheimer's disease. Thus, the roles of Hhex in embryological development throughout evolution appear to be linked to its later roles in a variety of disease processes.

Differential Occupancy and Regulatory Interactions of KDM6A in Bladder Cell Lines

Epigenetic deregulation is a critical theme which needs further investigation in bladder cancer research. One of the most highly mutated genes in bladder cancer is KDM6A, which functions as an H3K27 demethylase and is one of the MLL3/4 complexes. To decipher the role of KDM6A in normal versus tumor settings, we identified the genomic landscape of KDM6A in normal, immortalized, and cancerous bladder cells. Our results showed differential KDM6A occupancy in the genes involved in cell differentiation, chromatin organization, and Notch signaling depending on the cell type and the mutation status of KDM6A. Transcription factor motif analysis revealed HES1 to be enriched at KDM6A peaks identified in the T24 bladder cancer cell line; moreover, it has a truncating mutation in KDM6A and lacks a demethylase domain. Our co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed TLE co-repressors and HES1 as potential truncated and wild-type KDM6A interactors. With the aid of structural modeling, we explored how truncated KDM6A could interact with TLE and HES1, as well as RUNX and HHEX transcription factors. These structures provide a solid means of studying the functions of KDM6A independently of its demethylase activity. Collectively, our work provides important contributions to the understanding of KDM6A malfunction in bladder cancer.

Genetic Background of Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obesity Phenotypes in Hungarian Adult Sample Population

A specific phenotypic variant of obesity is metabolically healthy (MHO), which is characterized by normal blood pressure and lipid and glucose profiles, in contrast to the metabolically unhealthy variant (MUO). The genetic causes underlying the differences between these phenotypes are not yet clear. This study aims to explore the differences between MHO and MUO and the contribution of genetic factors (single nucleotide polymorphisms-SNPs) in 398 Hungarian adults (81 MHO and 317 MUO). For this investigation, an optimized genetic risk score (oGRS) was calculated using 67 SNPs (related to obesity and to lipid and glucose metabolism). Nineteen SNPs were identified whose combined effect was strongly associated with an increased risk of MUO (OR = 1.77, p < 0.001). Four of them (rs10838687 in MADD, rs693 in APOB, rs1111875 in HHEX, and rs2000813 in LIPG) significantly increased the risk of MUO (OR = 1.76, p < 0.001). Genetic risk groups based on oGRS were significantly associated with the risk of developing MUO at a younger age. We have identified a cluster of SNPs that contribute to the development of the metabolically unhealthy phenotype among Hungarian adults suffering from obesity. Our findings emphasize the significance of considering the combined effect(s) of multiple genes and SNPs in ascertaining cardiometabolic risk in obesity in future genetic screening programs.

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Atlas From a Bivalve Larva Enhances Classical Cell Lineage Studies

Ciliated trochophore-type larvae are widespread among protostome animals with spiral cleavage. The respective phyla are often united into the superclade Spiralia or Lophotrochozoa that includes, for example, mollusks, annelids, and platyhelminths. Mollusks (bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods, polyplacophorans, and their kin) in particular are known for their morphological innovations and lineage-specific plasticity of homologous characters (e.g., radula, shell, foot, neuromuscular systems), raising questions concerning the cell types and the molecular toolkit that underlie this variation. Here, we report on the gene expression profile of individual cells of the trochophore larva of the invasive freshwater bivalve Dreissena rostriformis as inferred from single cell RNA sequencing. We generated transcriptomes of 632 individual cells and identified seven transcriptionally distinct cell populations. Developmental trajectory analyses identify cell populations that, for example, share an ectodermal origin such as the nervous system, the shell field, and the prototroch. To annotate these cell populations, we examined ontology terms from the gene sets that characterize each individual cluster. These were compared to gene expression data previously reported from other lophotrochozoans. Genes expected to be specific to certain tissues, such as Hox1 (in the shell field), Caveolin (in prototrochal cells), or FoxJ (in other cillia-bearing cells) provide evidence that the recovered cell populations contribute to various distinct tissues and organs known from morphological studies. This dataset provides the first molecular atlas of gene expression underlying bivalve organogenesis and generates an important framework for future comparative studies into cell and tissue type development in Mollusca and Metazoa as a whole.

Adipocyte Biology from the Perspective of In Vivo Research: Review of Key Transcription Factors

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are both significant contributors to the contemporary pandemic of non-communicable diseases. Both disorders are interconnected and associated with the disruption of normal homeostasis in adipose tissue. Consequently, exploring adipose tissue differentiation and homeostasis is important for the treatment and prevention of metabolic disorders. The aim of this work is to review the consecutive steps in the postnatal development of adipocytes, with a special emphasis on in vivo studies. We gave particular attention to well-known transcription factors that had been thoroughly described in vitro, and showed that the in vivo research of adipogenic differentiation can lead to surprising findings.

Proteins of allogeneic hepatocytes and pharmacological preparations for the correction of immunometabolic disorders in experimental liver pathology

Introduction: The relationship of numerous metabolic shifts, disorders of hepatocytes functional activity resulting from hypoxia and toxic liver damage with the function of the immune system has not been sufficiently studied so far, nor have the most effective methods of pharmacological correction been established.

Materials and Methods: The studies were carried out on 603 mature male Wistar rats and 45 mice. Acute toxic liver damage (ATLD) was modeled by intramuscular introduction of carbon tetrachloride; acute liver ischemia (ALI) was caused by clamping the hepatoduodenal ligament for 20 minutes; chronic alcohol intoxication (CAI) was modeled by forced intragastric administration of 20% ethanol solution for 60 days. Isolation of xenogeneic (murine) and allogeneic (rat) hepatocytes from newborn mice and rats was carried out according to the method of Berry and Friend (1969); culture fluid of hepatocytes and its protein fractions were prepared according to our developed techniques. The obtained biological material was intraperitoneally introduced into the rats with ATLD, ALI, and CAI.

Results and Discussion: In all the models of the liver damage, there developed morphological and biochemical signs of the liver damage, impaired congenital and adaptive immunity, oxidative stress, increased lipid peroxidation processes.

Conclusion: The introduction of allogeneic hepatocytes, culture fluid obtained on their basis,and proteins isolated from it with MW less than 130 kDa to the recipients with toxic and ischemic liver damage more effectively corrects the pathologic changes in the liver in comparison with xenogeneic hepatocytes, their culture fluid and pharmacological preparations (combinations of Essentiale N and Hypoxenum or Heptral and Mexicor).