scholarly journals Autophagy promotes cell and organismal survival by maintaining NAD(H) pools

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Sedlackova ◽  
Elsje G. Otten ◽  
Filippo Scialo ◽  
David Shapira ◽  
Tetsushi Kataura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Lysosomal Storage ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Tissue Degeneration ◽  
Effective Intervention Strategy ◽  
The Many

Autophagy is an essential catabolic process that promotes clearance of surplus or damaged intracellular components1. As a recycling process, autophagy is also important for the maintenance of cellular metabolites during periods of starvation2. Loss of autophagy is sufficient to cause cell death in animal models and is likely to contribute to tissue degeneration in a number of human diseases including neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage disorders3–7. However, it remains unclear which of the many cellular functions of autophagy primarily underlies its role in cell survival. Here we have identified a critical role of autophagy in the maintenance of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+/NADH) levels. In respiring cells, loss of autophagy caused NAD(H) depletion resulting in mitochondrial membrane depolarisation and cell death. We also found that maintenance of NAD(H) is an evolutionary conserved function of autophagy from yeast to human cells. Importantly, cell death and reduced viability of autophagy-deficient animal models can be partially reversed by supplementation with an NAD(H) precursor. Our study provides a mechanistic link between autophagy and NAD(H) metabolism and suggests that boosting NAD(H) levels may be an effective intervention strategy to prevent cell death and tissue degeneration in human diseases associated with autophagy dysfunction.

Autophagy promotes cell survival by maintaining NAD(H) levels

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Sedlackova ◽  
Tetsushi Kataura ◽  
Elena Seranova ◽  
Congxin Sun ◽  
Elsje Otten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Survival ◽  
Lysosomal Storage Diseases ◽  
Lysosomal Storage ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Cellular Survival ◽  
Tissue Degeneration ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Membrane Depolarisation ◽  
The Many

Abstract Autophagy is an essential catabolic process that promotes the clearance of surplus or damaged intracellular components1. As a recycling process, autophagy is also important for the maintenance of cellular metabolites to aid metabolic homeostasis2. Loss of autophagy in animal models or malfunction of this process in a number of age-related human pathologies, including neurodegenerative and lysosomal storage diseases, contributes to tissue degeneration3-9. However, it remains unclear which of the many cellular functions of autophagy primarily underlies its role in cell survival. Here we have identified an evolutionarily conserved role of autophagy from yeast to humans in the preservation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+/NADH) levels, which are critical for cellular survival. In respiring cells, loss of autophagy caused hyperactivation of PARP and Sirtuin families of NADases. Uncontrolled depletion of NAD(H) pool by these enzymes resulted in mitochondrial membrane depolarisation and cell death. Supplementation with NAD(H) precursors improved cell viability in autophagy-deficient models including human pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons with autophagy deficiency or patient-derived neurons with autophagy dysfunction. Our study provides a mechanistic link between autophagy and NAD(H) metabolism, and suggests that boosting NAD(H) levels may have therapeutic benefits in human diseases associated with autophagy dysfunction.

scholarly journals Chromosome Y genetic variants: impact in animal models and on human disease

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 525-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Prokop ◽  
C. F. Deschepper
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Repetitive Sequences ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Chromosome Y ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Regulatory Changes ◽  
Causal Variants ◽  
The Many

Chromosome Y (chrY) variation has been associated with many complex diseases ranging from cancer to cardiovascular disorders. Functional roles of chrY genes outside of testes are suggested by the fact that they are broadly expressed in many other tissues and correspond to regulators of basic cellular functions (such as transcription, translation, and protein stability). However, the unique genetic properties of chrY (including the lack of meiotic crossover and the presence of numerous highly repetitive sequences) have made the identification of causal variants very difficult. Despite the prior lack of reliable sequences and/or data on genetic polymorphisms, earlier studies with animal chrY consomic strains have made it possible to narrow down the phenotypic contributions of chrY. Some of the evidence so far indicates that chrY gene variants associate with regulatory changes in the expression of other autosomal genes, in part via epigenetic effects. In humans, a limited number of studies have shown associations between chrY haplotypes and disease traits. However, recent sequencing efforts have made it possible to greatly increase the identification of genetic variants on chrY, which promises that future association of chrY with disease traits will be further refined. Continuing studies (both in humans and in animal models) will be critical to help explain the many sex-biased disease states in human that are contributed to not only by the classical sex steroid hormones, but also by chrY genetics.

scholarly journals Cellular clearance of circulating transthyretin decreases cell-nonautonomous proteotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (33) ◽  
pp. E7710-E7719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayalvizhi Madhivanan ◽  
Erin R. Greiner ◽  
Miguel Alves-Ferreira ◽  
David Soriano-Castell ◽  
Nirvan Rouzbeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Neuronal Dysfunction ◽  
Protein Aggregate ◽  
Tissue Degeneration ◽  
Neuronal Toxicity ◽  
Parkinson’S Diseases ◽  
In Trans

Cell-autonomous and cell-nonautonomous mechanisms of neurodegeneration appear to occur in the proteinopathies, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. However, how neuronal toxicity is generated from misfolding-prone proteins secreted by nonneuronal tissues and whether modulating protein aggregate levels at distal locales affects the degeneration of postmitotic neurons remains unknown. We generated and characterized animal models of the transthyretin (TTR) amyloidoses that faithfully recapitulate cell-nonautonomous neuronal proteotoxicity by expressing human TTR in the Caenorhabditis elegans muscle. We identified sensory neurons with affected morphological and behavioral nociception-sensing impairments. Nonnative TTR oligomer load and neurotoxicity increased following inhibition of TTR degradation in distal macrophage-like nonaffected cells. Moreover, reducing TTR levels by RNAi or by kinetically stabilizing natively folded TTR pharmacologically decreased TTR aggregate load and attenuated neuronal dysfunction. These findings reveal a critical role for in trans modulation of aggregation-prone degradation that directly affects postmitotic tissue degeneration observed in the proteinopathies.

scholarly journals Mitochondria in Health and Diseases

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabzali Javadov ◽  
Andrey V. Kozlov ◽  
Amadou K. S. Camara
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Subcellular Organelles ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cell Life ◽  
And Function

Mitochondria are subcellular organelles evolved by endosymbiosis of bacteria with eukaryotic cells characteristics. They are the main source of ATP in the cell and play a pivotal role in cell life and cell death. Mitochondria are engaged in the pathogenesis of human diseases and aging directly or indirectly through a broad range of signaling pathways. However, despite an increased interest in mitochondria over the past decades, the mechanisms of mitochondria-mediated cell/organ dysfunction in response to pathological stimuli remain unknown. The Special Issue, “Mitochondria in Health and Diseases,” organized by Cells includes 24 review and original articles that highlight the latest achievements in elucidating the role of mitochondria under physiological (healthy) conditions and, in various cell/animal models of human diseases and, in patients. Altogether, the Special Issue summarizes and discusses different aspects of mitochondrial metabolism and function that open new avenues in understanding mitochondrial biology.

Signal-regulated oxidation of proteins via MICAL

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 613-620
Author(s):  
Clara Ortegón Salas ◽  
Katharina Schneider ◽  
Christopher Horst Lillig ◽  
Manuela Gellert
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Hydrogen Peroxide ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Redox Regulation ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathways ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Intracellular Signals ◽  
Amino Acid Side Chains ◽  
Specific Receptors ◽  
Sulfur Containing

Processing of and responding to various signals is an essential cellular function that influences survival, homeostasis, development, and cell death. Extra- or intracellular signals are perceived via specific receptors and transduced in a particular signalling pathway that results in a precise response. Reversible post-translational redox modifications of cysteinyl and methionyl residues have been characterised in countless signal transduction pathways. Due to the low reactivity of most sulfur-containing amino acid side chains with hydrogen peroxide, for instance, and also to ensure specificity, redox signalling requires catalysis, just like phosphorylation signalling requires kinases and phosphatases. While reducing enzymes of both cysteinyl- and methionyl-derivates have been characterised in great detail before, the discovery and characterisation of MICAL proteins evinced the first examples of specific oxidases in signal transduction. This article provides an overview of the functions of MICAL proteins in the redox regulation of cellular functions.

scholarly journals Is There a Brain Microbiome?

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 263310552110187
Author(s):  
Christopher D Link
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Strong Motivation ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Brain

Numerous studies have identified microbial sequences or epitopes in pathological and non-pathological human brain samples. It has not been resolved if these observations are artifactual, or truly represent population of the brain by microbes. Given the tempting speculation that resident microbes could play a role in the many neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases that currently lack clear etiologies, there is a strong motivation to determine the “ground truth” of microbial existence in living brains. Here I argue that the evidence for the presence of microbes in diseased brains is quite strong, but a compelling demonstration of resident microbes in the healthy human brain remains to be done. Dedicated animal models studies may be required to determine if there is indeed a “brain microbiome.”

scholarly journals Two chemically distinct root lignin barriers control solute and water balance

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilhem Reyt ◽  
Priya Ramakrishna ◽  
Isai Salas-González ◽  
Satoshi Fujita ◽  
Ashley Love ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Phenylpropanoid Pathway ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Casparian Strip ◽  
Transcriptional Reprogramming ◽  
Exogenous Cues ◽  
Endodermal Cells ◽  
Complex Polymer ◽  
Nutrient Homeostasis ◽  
Lignin Deposition

AbstractLignin is a complex polymer deposited in the cell wall of specialised plant cells, where it provides essential cellular functions. Plants coordinate timing, location, abundance and composition of lignin deposition in response to endogenous and exogenous cues. In roots, a fine band of lignin, the Casparian strip encircles endodermal cells. This forms an extracellular barrier to solutes and water and plays a critical role in maintaining nutrient homeostasis. A signalling pathway senses the integrity of this diffusion barrier and can induce over-lignification to compensate for barrier defects. Here, we report that activation of this endodermal sensing mechanism triggers a transcriptional reprogramming strongly inducing the phenylpropanoid pathway and immune signaling. This leads to deposition of compensatory lignin that is chemically distinct from Casparian strip lignin. We also report that a complete loss of endodermal lignification drastically impacts mineral nutrients homeostasis and plant growth.

scholarly journals Protective Effect of Osmundacetone against Neurological Cell Death Caused by Oxidative Glutamate Toxicity

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 328
Author(s):  
Tuy An Trinh ◽  
Young Hye Seo ◽  
Sungyoul Choi ◽  
Jun Lee ◽  
Ki Sung Kang
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Glutamate Release ◽  
Chromatin Condensation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Glutamate Toxicity ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
Brain Functions

Oxidative stress is one of the main causes of brain cell death in neurological disorders. The use of natural antioxidants to maintain redox homeostasis contributes to alleviating neurodegeneration. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that plays a critical role in many brain functions. However, excessive glutamate release induces excitotoxicity and oxidative stress, leading to programmed cell death. Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of osmundacetone (OAC), isolated from Elsholtzia ciliata (Thunb.) Hylander, against glutamate-induced oxidative toxicity in HT22 hippocampal cells. The effect of OAC treatment on excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), intracellular calcium levels, chromatin condensation, apoptosis, and the expression level of oxidative stress-related proteins was evaluated. OAC showed a neuroprotective effect against glutamate toxicity at a concentration of 2 μM. By diminishing the accumulation of ROS, as well as stimulating the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), OAC triggered the self-defense mechanism in neuronal cells. The anti-apoptotic effect of OAC was demonstrated through its inhibition of chromatin condensation, calcium accumulation, and reduction of apoptotic cells. OAC significantly suppressed the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and p38 kinases. Thus, OAC could be a potential agent for supportive treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

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