An association study of clock genes with major depressive disorder

OBJECTIVE

To study the relationship between clock genes and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

METHODS

GEO database was used to obtain the chip data and clinical information of datasets GSE98793, GSE39653 and GSE52790. The differentially expressed clock genes were found through the analysis of the differentially expressed genes between MDD and healthy controls. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed on the differential expressed clock genes. Lasso Regression and Support Vector Machine (SVM) method were used for screening the differential expressed clock genes. Logistic regression was used to establish a diagnostic model for depression with the screened genes. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve was used to verify the model. Gene differential expression analysis was performed for MDD with high scores and MDD with low scores in the diagnostic model. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) enrichment analysis was performed for differentially expressed genes. Single-gene GSEA was used to analyze each gene in the model separately. Cibersort method was used to analyze the immune infiltration of MDD and healthy controls, and the correlation between immune cells and clock genes was analyzed. Cytoscape was used to analyze the clock gene interaction network. The DGIdb website was used to predict potentially effective therapeutic drugs for clock genes closely related to MDD.

RESULTS

Six genes were identified by differential expression analysis of clock genes between MDD and healthy controls. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of 6 genes showed that their pathways were concentrated such as circadian rhythm, rhythmic process, TGF - beta signaling pathway, longevity regulating pathway-multiple species, adipocytokine signaling pathway and so on. Lasso regression and SVM were used to screen out 5 clock genes (HDAC1, ID3, NFIL3, PRKAA1, TNF) for MDD. The diagnostic model of depression was established according to the 5 clock genes. The area under the curve (AUC) of the established depression diagnostic model was 0.686. Gene difference analysis was performed between MDD patients with high score of clock gene diagnostic model and MDD patients with low score. GSEA was performed for the differential genes showed that the most enriched pathways were:adipocytokine signaling pathway, TGF beta signaling pathway, oxidative phosphorylation, primary immunodeficiency, and so on. The single gene GSEA showed that the most enriched pathways were Toll like receptor signaling pathway, glucolipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, neuroactive ligand receptor interaction, and so on. The results of immune infiltration analysis showed that NK cells resting and Macrophages M2 were different between MDD and control groups. In MDD, the gene closely related to NK cells resting was HDAC1, and the genes closely related to Macrophages M2 were HDAC1 and NFIL3. The RNA interactions network of clock genes shows that the regulation process is complex, which can provide a reference for subsequent related research. Potential therapeutic drugs predict display, among the 5 clock genes, TNF, HDAC1, and PRKAA1 may have potential effective therapeutic drugs.

CONCLUSION

Among all CLOCK genes, HDAC1, ID3, NFIL3, PRKAA1, TNF are closely related to MDD. Among them, TNF, HDAC1, and PRKAA1 may have potential effective therapeutic drugs.

PRKAA1 predicts prognosis and is associated with immune characteristics in gastric cancer

PRKAA1 is the α-subunit of 5-AMP-activated protein kinase. This study aimed to investigate the role of PRKAA1 expression with multiple clinical parameters, the overall survival rate, blood indexes, and immune infiltration in gastric cancer (GC) patients. We investigated PRKAA1 expression data in GC patients using ELISA, protein atlas, UALCAN, and GEPIA. PRKAA1 expression was associated with immune cell infiltration, and immune cell types were analyzed with the TIMER, DICE, and protein atlas databases. We compared the level of PRKAA1 expression based on the clinical features of GC patients (n = 345). GC patients were divided into two groups based on PRKAA1 expression, and the lymphocyte subsets, overall survival rate, and clinical parameters were compared with peripheral blood mononuclear cell and biochemical indexes. PRKAA1 was highly expressed in the serum of GC patients compared with that of healthy individuals. GC patients with distant metastases, a later TNM stage, and stage IV in UICC exhibited higher PRKAA1 expression. PRKAA1 expression was significantly correlated with circulating T cells. The protein atlas and DICE database results confirmed that PRKAA1 was closely associated with T cells in a single-cell cluster. Furthermore, GC patients with low PRKAA1 expression had better OS rates. PRKAA1 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for GC and have an association with immune infiltrates.

PRKAA1 induces aberrant mitophagy in a PINK1/Parkin-dependent manner, contributing to fluoride-induced developmental neurotoxicity

Chronic fluoride exposure can cause developmental neurotoxicity, however the precise mechanisms remain unclear. To explore the mechanism of mitophagy in fluoride-induced developmental neurotoxicity, specifically focusing on PRKAA1 in regulating the PINK1/Parkin pathway, we established a Sprage Dawley rat model with continuous sodium fluoride (NaF) exposure and an NaF-treated SH-SY5Y cell model. We found that NaF exposure increased the levels of LC3-Ⅱ and p62, impaired autophagic degradation, and subsequently blocked autophagic flux. Additionally, NaF exposure increased the expression of PINK1, Parkin, TOMM-20, and Cyt C and cleaved PARP in vivo and in vitro, indicating NaF promotes mitophagy and neuronal apoptosis. Meanwhile, phosphoproteomics and western blot analysis showed that NaF treatment enhanced PRKAA1 phosphorylation. Remarkably, the application of both 3-methyladenosine (3-MA; autophagy inhibitor) and dorsomorphin (DM; AMPK inhibitor) suppressed NaF-induced neuronal apoptosis by restoring aberrant mitophagy. In addition, 3-MA attenuated an increase in p62 protein levels and NaF-induced autophagic degradation. Collectively, our findings indicated that NaF causes aberrant mitophagy via PRKAA1 in a PINK1/Parkin-dependent manner, which triggers neuronal apoptosis. Thus, regulating PRKAA1-activated PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy may be a potential treatment for NaF-induced developmental neurotoxicity.

Elevated basal AMP-activated protein kinase activity sensitizes colorectal cancer cells to growth inhibition by metformin

Expression and activity of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) α1 catalytic subunit of the heterotrimeric kinase significantly correlates with poor outcome for colorectal cancer patients. Hence there is considerable interest in uncovering signalling vulnerabilities arising from this oncogenic elevation of AMPKα1 signalling. We have therefore attenuated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) control of AMPKα1 to generate a mutant colorectal cancer in which AMPKα1 signalling is elevated because AMPKα1 serine 347 cannot be phosphorylated by mTORC1. The elevated AMPKα1 signalling in this HCT116 α1.S347A cell line confers hypersensitivity to growth inhibition by metformin. Complementary chemical approaches confirmed this relationship in both HCT116 and the genetically distinct HT29 colorectal cells, as AMPK activators imposed vulnerability to growth inhibition by metformin in both lines. Growth inhibition by metformin was abolished when AMPKα1 kinase was deleted. We conclude that elevated AMPKα1 activity modifies the signalling architecture in such a way that metformin treatment compromises cell proliferation. Not only does this mutant HCT116 AMPKα1-S347A line offer an invaluable resource for future studies, but our findings suggest that a robust biomarker for chronic AMPKα1 activation for patient stratification could herald a place for the well-tolerated drug metformin in colorectal cancer therapy.

Genetic polymorphisms of PRKAA1 (AMPKα1) and postherpetic pain susceptibility: Multicenter, randomized control, and haplotype analysis study

Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a pivotal regulatory protein in energy metabolism. In a pilot study, we found that AMPK-associated energy metabolism imbalance in neurons contributes to the occurrence and maintenance of neuropathic pain (NeP). This study aimed to explore the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of AMPK gene (Rs13361707, rs3792822, and rs10074991) in PRKAA1 and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in Chinese individuals. Hundred and thirty two patients with PHN and 118 control individuals were enrolled in this study. All blood samples were shuffled and blinded to the person performing the haplotype analysis. Rs13361707, rs3792822, and rs10074991 PRKAA1 genotypes were identified in all participants. Dominant and recessive models were used for evaluating the association between these nucleotide polymorphisms and PHN susceptibility. A haplotype analysis of PHN patients and healthy controls was performed. Clinical characteristics between the two groups were not significantly different (p > 0.05) except that the ages in control subjects were younger than the PHN patients (p < 0.05). Genotypes and allele frequencies are significantly different between the PHN patients and control subjects for the rs13361707 and rs10074991 polymorphisms (p < 0.05), but not for rs3792822 (p > 0.05). In addition, the CCG haplotype of rs13361707-rs3792822-rs10074991 correlated negatively with PHN occurrence, but TCA was positively correlated with PHN (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that PRKAA1 gene polymorphisms rs13361707 and rs10074991 were associated with a risk of PHN, and that the CCG haplotype of rs13361707-rs3792822-rs10074991 correlated negatively with PHN occurrence in haplotype analysis. TCA was positively associated with PHN in Chinese individuals.

Circ_0003340 downregulation mitigates esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression by targeting miR-940/PRKAA1 axis

Background

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a highly prevalent type of esophageal cancer (EC), usually found at an advanced stage with a high mortality rate, and it is now crucial to find new ways to diagnose and treat ESCC. This study analyzed the function of circular RNA_0003340 (circ_0003340)/microRNA‐940 (miR‐940)/protein kinase AMP‐activated alpha 1 catalytic subunit (PRKAA1) axis in ESCC.

Methods

Circ_0003340, miR‐940 and PRKAA1 contents were measured with the application of real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) and western blot. Cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, invasion and angiogenesis were assessed with a cell counting kit‐8 (CCK8), 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine (EdU), flow cytometry, wound healing, transwell and tube formation assays. We used both the luciferase reporter system and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) to analyze the relationship between miR‐940 and circ_0003340 or PRKAA1. Finally, xenograft models were applied to analyze the effect of circ_0003340 on tumor growth in vivo.

Results

Upregulated circ_0003340 and PRKAA1, and downregulated miR‐940 levels were detected in ESCC. Meanwhile, ESCC progression was apparently restrained by circ_0003340 knockdown in vitro. Circ_0003340 acted as a ceRNA for miR‐940 in regulating ESCC progression and miR‐940 was proved to target PRKAA1 to arrest ESCC progression in vitro. Finally, in vivo experiments established that silencing of circ_0003340 slowed tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusion

Circ_0003340 downregulation mitigated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression by targeting miR‐940/PRKAA1 axis.

CircC6orf132 Facilitates Proliferation, Migration, Invasion, and Glycolysis of Gastric Cancer Cells Under Hypoxia by Acting on the miR-873-5p/PRKAA1 Axis

Background: Hypoxia is a crucial factor in the progression of various tumors, including gastric cancer (GC). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important regulators in GC, and this study focused on researching circC6orf132 in GC progression under hypoxia.

Methods:In vitro experiments were performed in GC cells under hypoxia (1% O₂). CircC6orf132, microRNA-873-5p (miR-873-5p), and protein kinase AMP-activated alpha 1 catalytic subunit (PRKAA1) levels were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Colony formation assay and transwell assay were used for detecting cell proliferation and migration or invasion. Glycolytic metabolism was evaluated using lactate production, glucose uptake, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). Western blotting was performed for determining protein expression. The target interaction was analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. In vivo assay was conducted via mouse xenograft model.

Results: The expression of circC6orf132 was significantly high in GC cells under hypoxia. Hypoxia-induced GC proliferation, migration, invasion, and glycolysis were reversed by silencing circC6orf132. CircC6orf132 targeted miR-873-5p; and the inhibition of circC6orf132 knockdown for the effects of hypoxia on GC cells was abrogated by miR-873-5p inhibitor. PRKAA1 was validated as a downstream gene of miR-873-5p, and miR-873-5p functioned as an anticancer molecule in GC cells under hypoxia by downregulating PRKAA1 level. CircC6orf132 could regulate PRKAA1 by sponging miR-873-5p. CircC6orf132/miR-873-5p/PRKAA1 axis could regulate GC progression under the hypoxic condition. CircC6orf132 downregulation reduced tumorigenesis in vivo through affecting the miR-873-5p/PRKAA1 axis.

Conclusion: CircC6orf132 has been affirmed to promote proliferation, migration, invasion, and glycolysis in GC under hypoxia, partly by depending on the regulation of miR-873-5p/PRKAA1 axis.

Autophagy-dependent glutaminolysis drives superior IL21 production in HIV-1-specific CD4 T cells

The maintenance of a strong IL21 production in memory CD4 T cells, especially in HIV-1-specific cells, represents a major correlate of natural immune protection against the virus. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying IL21 production during HIV-1 infection, which is only elevated among the naturally protected elite controllers (EC), are still unknown. We recently found out that lipophagy is a critical immune mediator that control an antiviral metabolic state following CD8A T cell receptor engagement, playing an important role in the natural control of HIV-1 infection. This led us to investigate whether the beneficial role of a strong macroautophagy/autophagy, could also be used to ensure effective IL21 production as well. Herein, we confirm that after both polyclonal and HIV-1-specific activation, memory CD4 T cells (Mem) from EC display enhanced activity of the autophagy-mediated proteolysis compared to ART. Our results indicate that the enhanced autophagy activity in EC was controlled by the energy-sensing PRKAA1 (protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha 1). We further confirmed the critical role of the autophagy-mediated proteolysis in the strong IL21 production in EC by using BECN1 gene silencing as well as protease, PRKAA1, and lysosomal inhibitors. Finally, we established that high autophagy-mediated proteolysis in EC fuels their cellular rates of mitochondrial respiration due to glutaminolysis. Our data confirm the critical role of autophagy in dictating the metabolic input, which is required not only to ensure protective cytotoxic CD8A T cell responses, but also to provide strong IL21 production among antiviral CD4 T cells.Abbreviations: AKG: alpha-ketoglutarate; ART: patients under antiretroviral therapy; ATG7: autophagy related 7; BaF: bafilomycin A₁; BECN1: beclin 1; Chloro.: chloroquine; EC: elite controllers; EIF4EBP1: eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1; FOXO3: forkhead box O3; GLS: glutaminase; GLUD1: glutamate dehydrogenase 1; HIV^neg: HIV-1-uninfected control donors; IFNG/IFN-γ: interferon gamma; IL21: interleukin 21; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; PBMC: peripheral blood mononuclear cells; PRKAA1: protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha 1; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TCA: tricarboxylic acid cycle; ULK1: unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase.

LINC01315 silencing inhibits the aggressive phenotypes of colorectal carcinoma by sponging miR-205-3p

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulatory factors in the progression of cancers. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of long intergenic non-coding 01315 (LINC01315) in inhibiting the aggressive characteristics of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells. We proved that LINC01315 was significantly upregulated in CRC. Knockdown of LINC01315 decreased CRC cell growth and invasion in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis and a luciferase reporter experiment showed direct binding between LINC01315 and miR-205-3p. Furthermore, LINC01315 positively modulated protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit α 1 (PRKAA1) expression by serving as a "sponge" for miR-205-3p. Moreover, LINC01315 regulated the growth and invasive phenotypes of CRC cells by sponging miR-205-3p. Downregulation of LINC01315 remarkedly impaired the tumorigenicity of CRC cells in vivo in a transplanted tumour model. Altogether, our results demonstrated that downregulation of LINC01315 suppresses CRC progression by sponging miR-205-3p.

Expression and Impact of Vaspin on In Vitro Oocyte Maturation through MAP3/1 and PRKAA1 Signalling Pathways

Oocyte maturation is a critical stage in embryo production and female reproduction. The aims of this study were to determine: (i) the mRNA and protein expression of vaspin and its receptor 78-kDa glucose-regulated (GRP78) in porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively, and their localisation by immunofluorescence; and (ii) the effects of vaspin on in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) and the involvement of mitogen ERK1/2 (MAP3/1)- and AMPKα (PRKAA1)-activated kinases in the studied processes. Porcine COCs were matured in vitro for 22 h or 44 h with vaspin at a dose of 1 ng/mL and nuclear maturation assessed by Hoechst 33342 or DAPI staining and the measurement of progesterone (P4) level in the maturation medium. We showed that vaspin and GRP78 protein expression increased in oocytes and cumulus cells after IVM. Moreover, vaspin enhanced significantly porcine oocyte IVM and P4 concentration, as well as MAP3/1 phosphorylation, while decreasing PRKAA1. Using pharmacological inhibitors of MAP3/1 (PD98059) and PRKAA1 (Compound C), we observed that the effect of vaspin was reversed to the control level by all studied parameters. In conclusion, vaspin, by improving in vitro oocyte maturation via MAP3/1 and PRKAA1 kinase pathways, can be a new factor to improve in vitro fertilisation protocols.

Involvement of NF-κB signaling pathway in the regulation of PRKAA1-mediated tumorigenesis in gastric cancer

AMP-activated alpha 1 catalytic subunit (PRKAA1) is one of the subunits of the mammalian 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) playing an important role in maintaining intracellular energy metabolism and associating with the risk of gastric cancer (GC). This paper aims to uncover the influences of PRKAA1 on the tumorigenesis of GC, as well as the underlying mechanisms. We found that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection markedly increased p-NF-κBp50 and NF-κBp50 expression, along with the PRKAA1 expression, which was inhibited by NF-κBp50 knockdown. NF-κBp50 and PRKAA1 expression were lower in non-tumor gastric tissues compared with that in GC tumor tissues. Up-regulation of PRKAA1 expression was correlated with poor survival in GC patients. MKN-45 and BGC-823 cells stably knockdown of PRKAA1 were transplanted into nude mice and observed the decreased cell metastasis in the lungs. PRKAA1 knockdown in GC cells showed significant decreases in the cell invasion and migration and inhibited MMP-2 expression and NF-κB activation, whereas PRKAA1 involved in NF-κBp50 mediated GC cell invasion and migration. In conclusion, our findings suggest the involvement of NF-κBp50 in the regulation of PRKAA1 in GC tumorigenesis.

Protein expression profile changes of lung tissue in patients with pulmonary hypertension

Background

Pulmonary hypertension occurs in approximately 1% of the global population, and the prognosis for such patients may be poor. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of this disease remain unclear. Thus, understanding the development of pulmonary hypertension and finding new therapeutic targets and approaches are important for improved clinical outcomes.

Methods

Lung tissue specimens were collected from six patients with atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension (all women, with a mean age of 46.5 ± 4.7 years, and their condition could not be corrected with an internal medical occlusion device) and from nine control patients with lung cancer who underwent lobectomy (six men and three women, with a mean age of 56.7 ± 1.7 years). Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analyses were used to detect protein expression levels.

Results

We found 74 significantly upregulated and 88 significantly downregulated differentially expressed proteins between control and pulmonary hypertensive lung tissue specimens. Gene ontology analyses identified the top 20 terms in all three categories, that is, biological process, cellular component, and molecular function. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and protein–protein interaction analyses determined the top 10 signaling pathways and found that the six hub proteins associated with the differentially expressed upregulated proteins (PRKAA1, DHPR, ACTB, desmin, ACTG1, and ITGA1) were all involved in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Conclusion

Our results identified protein expression profile changes in lung tissue derived from patients with pulmonary hypertension, providing potential new biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and prognosis for patients with pulmonary hypertension and offering candidate protein targets for future therapeutic drug development.

LINC00473/miR-497-5p Regulates Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression Through Targeting PRKAA1

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the esophageal cancers known as an aggressive malignant tumor. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be involved in the progression and development of cancers. lncRNA LINC00473 (LINC00473) was reported to exert an oncogenic influence on diverse cancers. However, neither the biological function nor the underlying mechanism of LINC00473 has been explored in ESCC. Aim of the Study: The aim of investigation is to explore the role of LINC00473 in ESCC. Methods: The expression of LINC00473, miR-497-5p, and protein kinase AMP-activated alpha 1 catalytic subunit (PRKAA1) was detected by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. Cell counting kit-8 and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assays were carried out to measure cell proliferation. Cell migration was tested by transwell assay. Western blot assay was performed to examine the protein expression of PRKAA1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin. The binding capacity between miR-497-5p and LINC00473 (or PRKAA1) was, respectively, studied by luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Pearson correlation analysis was adopted to analyze the correlation between miR-497-5p (or LINC00473) and PRKAA1. Results: LINC00473 presented much higher expression and LINC00473 suppression restrained the proliferation, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in ESCC cells. MiR-497-5p presented lower expression, binding with and negatively regulated by LINC00473 in ESCC. PRKAA1 was confirmed as a downstream target gene for miR-497-5p. PRKAA1 could combine with miR-497-5p, and LINC00473 knockdown or miR-497-5p overexpression downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of PRKAA1. At last, the inhibitory effects of LINC00473 knockdown on proliferation, migration, and EMT process were reversed by PRKAA1 overexpression in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: LINC00473 regulates ESCC progression through miR-497-5p/PRKAA1 axis, which provides a new therapeutic strategy for ESCC patients.

Bta-miR-152 affects intracellular triglyceride content by targeting the UCP3 gene

According to our previous studies, bta-miR-152, PRKAA1 and UCP3 are differentially expressed in mammary gland tissues of high milk fat and low milk fat cows, and the trend in bta-miR-152 expression is opposite from those of PRKAA1 and UCP3. To further identify the function and regulatory mechanism of bta-miR-152 in milk fat metabolism, we investigated the effect of bta-miR-152 on cellular triglyceride content in bovine mammary epithelial cells cultured in vitro, on the basis of bta-miR-152 overexpression and inhibition assays. The target genes of bta-miR-152 were identified through qPCR, Western blotting and dual luciferase reporter gene detection. Compared with that in the control group, the expression of UCP3 was significantly lower in the bta-miR-152 mimic group, the expression of PRKAA1 was decreased, and the intracellular TAG content was significantly increased. After transfection with bta-miR-152 inhibitor, the expression of UCP3 increased significantly, and the expression of PRKAA1 decreased, but the difference was not significant; in addition, the intracellular TAG content decreased significantly. Therefore, we concluded that bta-miR-152 affects the intracellular TAG content by targeting UCP3.

Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate ameliorates hepatic steatosis by inhibiting lipogenesis and inflammation

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming an epidemic disease in adults and children worldwide. Importantly, there are currently no approved treatments available for NAFLD. This study aims to investigate the potential applications of sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) on improving the NAFLD condition using both in vitro and in vivo approaches. The results showed that STS markedly inhibited lipid accumulation in oleic acid (OA) and palmitic acid (PA) treated HepG2 and primary immortalized human hepatic (PIH) cells. STS suppressed lipogenesis by inhibiting expression of sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1), fatty acid synthase (FASN) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD). In addition, STS reduced inflammation in cells treated with OA-PA, shown by decreased transcriptional levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1) and interleukin 1 beta (IL1B). Consistently, protective effects on hepatic steatosis in db/db mice were observed after STS administration, demonstrated by decreased lipid accumulation in mouse hepatocytes. This protective effect might be associated with STS induced activation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)/protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha 1 (PRKAA1) pathways. Our findings suggest a potential therapeutic role for STS in the treatment of NAFLD.

Do polymorphisms in protein kinase catalytic subunit alpha-1 gene associated with cancer susceptibility? a meta-analysis and systematic review

Background

Currently, several studies have demonstrated that PRKAA1 polymorphisms conduce to the development of cancer. PRKAA1 gene encodes the AMP-activated protein kinase summit-α1, and plays an important role in cell metabolism. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all enrolled eligible case-control studies to obtain a precise correlation between PRKAA1 polymorphism and cancer susceptibility.

Methods

Extensive retrieve was performed in Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, EMbase, CNKI and Wanfang databases up to August 26, 2018. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were performed to evaluate the overall strength of the associations in five models, as well as in subgroup analyses, stratified by ethnicity, cancer type or source of control. Q-test, Egger’s test and Begg’s funnel plot were applied to evaluate the heterogeneity and publication bias. In-silico analysis was performed to demonstrate the relationship of PRKAA1 expression correlated with cancer tissues and survival time.

Results

Twenty-two case-control studies from 14 publications were enrolled, with 17,068 cases and 20,871 controls for rs13361707, and 2514 cases and 3193 controls for rs10074991. Overall, we identified that the PRKAA1 rs13361707 polymorphism is not significantly associated with cancer susceptibility under all five genetic models. For rs10074991, we revealed a significant decrease risk in allelic comparison model (B vs. A: OR = 0.774, 95% CI = 0.642–0.931, P_Adjust = 3.376*10^− 2), heterozygote comparison model (BA vs. AA: OR = 0.779 95%CI = 0.691–0.877, P_Adjust = 9.86*10^− 10;), and dominant genetic model (BB + BA vs. AA: OR = 0.697 95%CI = 0.533–0.912, P_Adjust = 4.211*10^− 2;). Evidence from TCGA database and GTEx projects indicated that the expression of PRKAA1 in gastric cancer tissue is higher, compared to normal stomach tissue, as well as it in breast cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. However, the Kaplan-Meier estimate showed that there is no significant difference of OS and RFS between the low and high PRKAA1 TPM groups in gastric cancer, breast cancer, and esophageal carcinoma.

Conclusions

To sum up, PRKAA1 rs13361707 polymorphism is not participant with the increased risk of cancer, while the A allele of PRKAA1 rs10074991 revealed a significant decrease risk.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12881-018-0704-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Genetic variations in PRKAA1 predict the risk and progression of gastric Cancer

Background

PRKAA1 encodes α-subunit of 5-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of carcinoma of the stomach. Previous works have suggested that polymorphisms in the PRKAA1 may be associated with the risk of non-cardiac gastric cancer (NCGC), but whether PRKAA1 polymorphisms are related to clinical pathologic characteristics of gastric cancer and its clinical outcome is largely unknown.

Methods

We carried out a case-control study including a total of 481 gastric cancer patients and 490 healthy controls. The genotypes of enrolled polymorphisms were identified with Sequenom MassARRAY platform.

Results

This study showed that rs10074991 GG genotype (adjusted OR = 1.44, 95%CI:0.99–2.09, p = 0.056) has a borderline significantly increased risk for gastric cancer, which was consistent with the result of additive model (adjusted OR = 1.21, 95%CI:1.01–1.46, p = 0.042). In similar, an increased risk of gastric cancer was also observed for rs13361707 TC genotype (adjusted OR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.01–2.14, p = 0.043; additive model: adjusted OR = 1.22, 95%CI: 1.02–1.47, p = 0.033). Furthermore, the rs154268 and rs461404 were also found associated with increased gastric cancer risk, which may be influenced by age, tumor type and differentiation, and tumor stage. Haplotype analysis indicated A-G-C-T-C-G haplotype (rs6882903, rs10074991, rs13361707, rs3805490, rs154268 and rs461404) is associated with increased risk of gastric cancer (OR = 1.29, 95%CI: 1.02–1.62, p = 0.035). The univariate analysis for overall survival (OS) revealed that both of rs10074991 and rs13361707 variants are associated with poor OS in patients with NCGC.

Conclusion

This case-control study provided the evidence thatrs13361707CC, rs10074991GG, rs461404GG, and rs154268CC are associated with increased gastric cancer risk, especially for NCGC, and that patients with rs10074991 G or rs13361707 C allele have a poor OS.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4818-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Metabolic studies of a patient harbouring a novel S487L mutation in the catalytic subunit of AMPK

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates many different metabolic pathways in eukaryote cells including mitochondria biogenesis and energy homeostasis. Here we identify a patient with hypotonia, weakness, delayed milestones and neurological impairment since birth harbouring a novel homozygous mutation in the AMPK catalytic α-subunit 1, encoded by the PRKAA1 gene. The homozygous mutation p.S487L in isoform 1 present in the patient is in a cryptic residue for AMPK activity. In the present study, we performed the characterization of mitochondrial respiratory properties of the patient, in comparison to healthy controls, through the culture of skin fibroblasts in order to understand some of the cellular consequences of the PRKAA1 mutation. In these assays, mitochondrial respiratory complex I showed lower activity, which was followed by a decrement in the mtDNA copy number, which is a probable consequence of the lower expression of PGC-1α and PRKAA1 itself as measured in our quantitative PCRs experiments. Confirming the effect of the patient mutation in respiration, transfection of patient fibroblasts with wild type PRKAA1 partially restore complex I level. The preliminary clinic evaluations of the patient suggested a metabolic defect related to the mitochondrial respiratory function, therefore treatment with CoQ10 supplementation dose started four years ago and a clear improvement in motor skills and strength has been achieved with this treatment.

Knockdown of Human AMPK Using the CRISPR/Cas9 Genome-Editing System

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a critical energy sensor, regulating signaling networks involved in pathology including metabolic diseases and cancer. This increasingly recognized role of AMPK has prompted tremendous research efforts to develop new pharmacological AMPK activators. To precisely study the role of AMPK, and the specificity and activity of AMPK activators in cellular models, genetic AMPK inactivating tools are required. We report here methods for genetic inactivation of AMPK α1/α2 catalytic subunits in human cell lines by the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, a recent breakthrough technique for genome editing.

LINC00152/miR-139-5p regulates gastric cancer cell aerobic glycolysis by targeting PRKAA1

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and glycolysis is a major feature of gastric cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) involve in gastric cancer cell proliferation, glycolysis and other cellular processes. MiR-139-5p is reported as a tumor suppressor in cancers, however, the role of miR-139-5p including glycolytic metabolism is unclear in gastric cancer. So, the purpose of the present study is to elucidate the underlying mechanism in gastric cancer metabolism mediated by miR-139-5p. Our results revealed that miR-139-5p inhibited glycolysis by regulating AMP-activated, alpha 1 catalytic subunit (PRKAA1) expression in gastric cancer cells. We also found that miR-139-5p was down-regulated by long intergenic non-coding RNA 152 (LINC00152) in gastric cancer cells. Our results indicate that LINC00152/miR-139-5p facilitates gastric cancer cell glycolysis by regulating PRKAA1 expression.

Expression of genes involved in BMP and estrogen signaling and AMPK production can be important factors affecting total number of antral follicles in ewes

Follicular growth and ovulation of healthy oocytes is a complicated process which is regulated by several endocrine and paracrine factors as well as cross-talk between the oocyte and its surrounding somatic cells. This study compared the expression profile of some candidate genes involved in BMP signaling as well as estrogen and AMPK production in cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) of small and large antral follicles and their associated somatic cell layers in ovaries from ewes with high- and low-antral follicle count (AFC). Expression of GDF9 was increased by increasing the size of antral follicles, while BMP15 expression was decreased by follicular size. It should be noteworthy that transcription of both GDF9 and BMP15 was also detected in the adjacent cellular layers under the follicles. There was a very strong positive correlation between BMP15 and BMPR2 in ovary tissues. Expression of GDF9 was highly correlated with BMP15, BMPR1B, and BMPR2 in large antral follicles. Expression of BMP7 in small antral follicles and BMPR2 in ovary tissues was significantly increased in the high-AFC group. Expression of ESR1 and ESR2 involved in estrogen production as well as PRKAA1 which involved in AMPK production were significantly greater in large antral follicles of high-AFC. There was a very high correlation between Cyp19 and ESR1 in large antral follicles and ovary tissues. Expression of Cyp19 and PRKAA1 were positively correlated with GDF9, BMP15, and BMP7 in large follicles. In conclusion, this study suggests that apart from the BMP signaling, genes involved in AMPK and estrogen production can be pivotal players in ewe's follicular development process. In addition, a strong cross-talk can exist among AMPK, BMP signaling, and estrogen synthesis systems in ewe ovary.

Genetic variations in the PRKAA1 and ZBTB20 genes and gastric cancer susceptibility in a Korean population

A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified new susceptibility single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs13361707 (PRKAA1 and PTGER4 gene on 5p13.1) and rs9841504 (ZBTB20 gene on 3q13.31) that were significantly associated with non-cardia gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to determine whether rs13361707 and rs9841504 polymorphisms are associated with the risk of gastric cancer in a Korean population. We conducted a large-scale case-control study of 3245 gastric cancer patients and 1700 controls. The allele frequencies for rs13361707 C and rs9841504 G were 53.5% and 18.3% among gastric cancer cases, compared with 47.1% and 17.2% among controls, respectively. We found that rs13361707 TC and CC genotypes were associated with increased risk for gastric cancer (odds ratios [OR] = 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11-1.51 for TC vs. TT and 1.68; 1.41-2.01 for CC vs. TT). However, we found no significant association between rs9841504 and gastric cancer risk (OR = 1.11; 0.97-1.28 for CG vs. CC; OR = 1.09; 0.77-1.53 for GG vs. CC). We observed no significant interactions between rs13361707 and rs9841504 polymorphisms and age, gender, smoking habit, alcohol consumption, and clinicopathologic characteristics such as anatomical tumor location and histological type. Our study showed that the rs13361707 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of gastric cancer in a Korean population. This finding provides further evidence that genetic variant of PRKAA1 and PTGER4 genes may contribute to the gastric carcinogenesis. However, we found no association between rs9841504 and gastric cancer risk.