Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) upregulation via the mTORC1-ATF4 pathway activation contributes to palmitate-induced lipotoxicity in hepatocytes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Griffiths ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Qing Song ◽  
Iredia D. Iyamu ◽  
Lifeng Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Pathway Activation ◽  
Hepatic Lipotoxicity ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
Protein Response ◽  
Transcription Factor 4

Defined as the dysfunction and/or cell death caused by toxic lipids accumulation in hepatocytes, hepatic lipotoxicity plays a pathological role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying lipotoxicity remain to be elucidated. In this study, using AML12 cells, a non-transformed murine hepatocyte cell line, exposed to palmitate (a 16-C saturated fatty acid) as an experimental model, we investigated the role and mechanisms of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), a methyltransferase catalyzing nicotinamide methylation and degradation, in hepatic lipotoxicity. We initially identified activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) as a major transcription factor for hepatic NNMT expression. Here, we demonstrated that palmitate upregulates NNMT expression via activating ATF4 in a mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-dependent mechanism in that mTORC1 inhibition by both Torin1 and rapamycin attenuated ATF4 activation and NNMT upregulation. We further demonstrated that the mTORC1-dependent ATF4 activation is an integral signaling event of unfolded protein response (UPR) as both ATF4 activation and NNMT upregulation by tunicamycin, a well-documented endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inducer, are blunted when hepatocytes were pretreated with Torin1. Importantly, our data uncovered that NNMT upregulation contributes to palmitate-induced hepatotoxicity as NNMT inhibition, via either pharmacological (NNMT inhibitors) or genetic approach (siRNA transfection), provided protection against palmitate lipotoxicity. Our further mechanistic exploration identified protein kinase A (PKA) activation to contribute, at least, partially to the protective effect of NNMT inhibition against lipotoxicity. Collectively, our data demonstrated that NNMT upregulation by the mTORC1-ATF4 pathway activation contributes to the development of lipotoxicity in hepatocytes.

scholarly journals Activating Transcription Factor 4 Is Translationally Regulated by Hypoxic Stress

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (17) ◽  
pp. 7469-7482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime D. Blais ◽  
Vasilisa Filipenko ◽  
Meixia Bi ◽  
Heather P. Harding ◽  
David Ron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Microarray Analysis ◽  
Initiation Factor ◽  
Hypoxic Stress ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response ◽  
Transcription Factor 4

ABSTRACT Hypoxic stress results in a rapid and sustained inhibition of protein synthesis that is at least partially mediated by eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) phosphorylation by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) kinase PERK. Here we show through microarray analysis of polysome-bound RNA in aerobic and hypoxic HeLa cells that a subset of transcripts are preferentially translated during hypoxia, including activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), an important mediator of the unfolded protein response. Changes in mRNA translation during the unfolded protein response are mediated by PERK phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2α at Ser-51. Similarly, PERK is activated and is responsible for translational regulation under hypoxic conditions, while inducing the translation of ATF4. The overexpression of a C-terminal fragment of GADD34 that constitutively dephosphorylates eIF2α was able to attenuate the phosphorylation of eIF2α and severely inhibit the induction of ATF4 in response to hypoxic stress. These studies demonstrate the essential role of ATF4 in the response to hypoxic stress, define the pathway for its induction, and reveal that GADD34, a target of ATF4 activation, negatively regulates the eIF2α-mediated inhibition of translation. Taken with the concomitant induction of additional ER-resident proteins identified by our microarray analysis, this study suggests an important integrated response between ER signaling and the cellular adaptation to hypoxic stress.

Activation of ATF4 mediates unwanted Mcl-1 accumulation by proteasome inhibition

Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 826-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinsong Hu ◽  
Nana Dang ◽  
Eline Menu ◽  
Elke De Bryune ◽  
Dehui Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Myeloid Cell ◽  
Proteasome Inhibition ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
Induced Apoptosis ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response ◽  
Transcription Factor 4

Abstract Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) protein is an anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein that plays essential roles in multiple myeloma (MM) survival and drug resistance. In MM, it has been demonstrated that proteasome inhibition can trigger the accumulation of Mcl-1, which has been shown to confer MM cell resistance to bortezomib-induced lethality. However, the mechanisms involved in this unwanted Mcl-1 accumulation are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the unwanted Mcl-1 accumulation could be induced by the unfolded protein response (UPR) and to elucidate the role of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response in regulating Mcl-1 expression. Using quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot, we found that the translation of activating transcription factor-4 (ATF4), an important effector of the UPR, was also greatly enhanced by proteasome inhibition. ChIP analysis further revealed that bortezomib stimulated binding of ATF4 to a regulatory site (at position −332 to −324) at the promoter of the Mcl-1 gene. Knocking down ATF4 was paralleled by down-regulation of Mcl-1 induction by bortezomib and significantly increased bortezomib-induced apoptosis. These data identify the UPR and, more specifically, its ATF4 branch as an important mechanism mediating up-regulation of Mcl-1 by proteasome inhibition.

scholarly journals Combined Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis of Perk Toxicity Pathways

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4598
Author(s):  
Rebeka Popovic ◽  
Ivana Celardo ◽  
Yizhou Yu ◽  
Ana C. Costa ◽  
Samantha H. Y. Loh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Calcium Signalling ◽  
Nucleotide Metabolism ◽  
Protein Kinase R ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response ◽  
Transcription Factor 4

In Drosophila, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress activates the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (dPerk). dPerk can also be activated by defective mitochondria in fly models of Parkinson’s disease caused by mutations in pink1 or parkin. The Perk branch of the unfolded protein response (UPR) has emerged as a major toxic process in neurodegenerative disorders causing a chronic reduction in vital proteins and neuronal death. In this study, we combined microarray analysis and quantitative proteomics analysis in adult flies overexpressing dPerk to investigate the relationship between the transcriptional and translational response to dPerk activation. We identified tribbles and Heat shock protein 22 as two novel Drosophila activating transcription factor 4 (dAtf4) regulated transcripts. Using a combined bioinformatics tool kit, we demonstrated that the activation of dPerk leads to translational repression of mitochondrial proteins associated with glutathione and nucleotide metabolism, calcium signalling and iron-sulphur cluster biosynthesis. Further efforts to enhance these translationally repressed dPerk targets might offer protection against Perk toxicity.

scholarly journals Co-activation of Akt, Nrf2, and NF-κB signals under UPRER in torpid Myotis ricketti bats for survival

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjie Huang ◽  
Chen-Chung Liao ◽  
Yijie Han ◽  
Junyan Lv ◽  
Ming Lei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Nuclear Factor ◽  
Serine Threonine Kinase ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Co Activation ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
Protein Response ◽  
Transcription Factor 4

Abstract Bats hibernate to survive stressful conditions. Examination of whole cell and mitochondrial proteomes of the liver of Myotis ricketti revealed that torpid bats had endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response (UPRER), global reduction in glycolysis, enhancement of lipolysis, and selective amino acid metabolism. Compared to active bats, torpid bats had higher amounts of phosphorylated serine/threonine kinase (p-Akt) and UPRER markers such as PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4). Torpid bats also had lower amounts of the complex of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) (p65)/I-κBα. Cellular redistribution of 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and reduced binding between PERK and GRP78 were also seen in torpid bats. Evidence of such was not observed in fasted, cold-treated, or normal mice. These data indicated that bats activate Akt, Nrf2, and NF-κB via the PERK-ATF4 regulatory axis against endoplasmic reticulum stresses during hibernation.

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