Mechanisms linking energy balance and reproduction: impact of prenatal environment

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin M. Rhinehart
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Metabolic Regulation ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Reproductive Fitness ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Energy Availability ◽  
Prenatal Environment ◽  
Regulation Of Reproduction

AbstractThe burgeoning field of metabolic reproduction regulation has been gaining momentum due to highly frequent discoveries of new neuroendocrine factors regulating both energy balance and reproduction. Universally throughout the animal kingdom, energy deficits inhibit the reproductive axis, which demonstrates that reproduction is acutely sensitive to fuel availability. Entrainment of reproductive efforts with energy availability is especially critical for females because they expend large amounts of energy on gestation and lactation. Research has identified an assortment of both central and peripheral factors involved in the metabolic regulation of reproduction. From an evolutionary perspective, these mechanisms likely evolved to optimize reproductive fitness in an environment with an unpredictable food supply and regular bouts of famine. To be effective, however, the mechanisms responsible for the metabolic regulation of reproduction must also retain developmental plasticity to allow organisms to adapt their reproductive strategies to their particular niche. In particular, the prenatal environment has emerged as a critical developmental window for programming the mechanisms responsible for the metabolic control of reproduction. This review will discuss the current knowledge about hormonal and molecular mechanisms that entrain reproduction with prevailing energy availability. In addition, it will provide an evolutionary, human life-history framework to assist in the interpretation of findings on gestational programming of the female reproductive function, with a focus on pubertal timing as an example. Future research should aim to shed light on mechanisms underlying the prenatal modulation of the adaptation to an environment with unstable resources in a way that optimizes reproductive fitness.

scholarly journals Molecular Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Unraveling the Conundrum in Skeletal Muscle?

2019 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 5372-5381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigel K Stepto ◽  
Alba Moreno-Asso ◽  
Luke C McIlvenna ◽  
Kirsty A Walters ◽  
Raymond J Rodgers
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Polycystic Ovary ◽  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ovary Syndrome

Abstract Context Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine condition affecting 8% to 13% of women across the lifespan. PCOS affects reproductive, metabolic, and mental health, generating a considerable health burden. Advances in treatment of women with PCOS has been hampered by evolving diagnostic criteria and poor recognition by clinicians. This has resulted in limited clinical and basic research. In this study, we provide insights into the current and future research on the metabolic features of PCOS, specifically as they relate to PCOS-specific insulin resistance (IR), that may affect the most metabolically active tissue, skeletal muscle. Current Knowledge PCOS is a highly heritable condition, yet it is phenotypically heterogeneous in both reproductive and metabolic features. Human studies thus far have not identified molecular mechanisms of PCOS-specific IR in skeletal muscle. However, recent research has provided new insights that implicate energy-sensing pathways regulated via epigenomic and resultant transcriptomic changes. Animal models, while in existence, have been underused in exploring molecular mechanisms of IR in PCOS and specifically in skeletal muscle. Future Directions Based on the latest evidence synthesis and technologies, researchers exploring molecular mechanisms of IR in PCOS, specifically in muscle, will likely need to generate new hypothesis to be tested in human and animal studies. Conclusion Investigations to elucidate the molecular mechanisms driving IR in PCOS are in their early stages, yet remarkable advances have been made in skeletal muscle. Overall, investigations have thus far created more questions than answers, which provide new opportunities to study complex endocrine conditions.

scholarly journals MAP Kinase Pathways in the YeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae

1998 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 1264-1300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Gustin ◽  
Jacobus Albertyn ◽  
Matthew Alexander ◽  
Kenneth Davenport
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Mapk Cascade ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mapk Pathways ◽  
Mapk Cascades

SUMMARY A cascade of three protein kinases known as a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is commonly found as part of the signaling pathways in eukaryotic cells. Almost two decades of genetic and biochemical experimentation plus the recently completed DNA sequence of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome have revealed just five functionally distinct MAPK cascades in this yeast. Sexual conjugation, cell growth, and adaptation to stress, for example, all require MAPK-mediated cellular responses. A primary function of these cascades appears to be the regulation of gene expression in response to extracellular signals or as part of specific developmental processes. In addition, the MAPK cascades often appear to regulate the cell cycle and vice versa. Despite the success of the gene hunter era in revealing these pathways, there are still many significant gaps in our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms for activation of these cascades and how the cascades regulate cell function. For example, comparison of different yeast signaling pathways reveals a surprising variety of different types of upstream signaling proteins that function to activate a MAPK cascade, yet how the upstream proteins actually activate the cascade remains unclear. We also know that the yeast MAPK pathways regulate each other and interact with other signaling pathways to produce a coordinated pattern of gene expression, but the molecular mechanisms of this cross talk are poorly understood. This review is therefore an attempt to present the current knowledge of MAPK pathways in yeast and some directions for future research in this area.

scholarly journals Endocrinology of thermoregulation in birds in a changing climate

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suvi Ruuskanen ◽  
Bin-Yan Hsu ◽  
Andreas Nord
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Endocrine Regulation ◽  
Thermal Environments ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Wide Range

The ability to maintain a (relatively) stable body temperature in a wide range of thermal environments is a unique feature of endotherms such as birds. Endothermy is acquired and regulated via various endocrine and molecular pathways, and ultimately allows wide aerial, aquatic, and terrestrial distribution in variable environments. However, due to our changing climate, birds are faced with potential new challenges for thermoregulation, such as more frequent extreme weather events, lower predictability of climate, and increasing mean temperature. We provide a compact overview on thermoregulation in birds and its endocrine and molecular mechanisms, pinpointing gaps in current knowledge and recent developments, focusing especially on non-model species to understand the generality of, and variation in, mechanisms. We highlight plasticity in thermoregulation and underlying endocrine regulation, because thorough understanding of plasticity is key to predicting responses to changing environmental conditions. To this end, we discuss how changing climate is likely to affect avian thermoregulation and associated endocrine traits, and how the interplay between these physiological processes may play a role in facilitating or constraining adaptation to a changing climate. We conclude that while the general patterns of endocrine regulation of thermogenesis are quite well understood, at least in poultry, the molecular and endocrine mechanisms that regulate e.g. mitochondria function and plasticity of thermoregulation over different time scales (from transgenerational to daily variation) need to be unveiled. Plasticity may ameliorate climate change effects on thermoregulation to some extent, but the increased frequency of extreme weather events, and associated in resource availability, may be beyond the scope and/or speed for plastic responses. This could lead to selection for more tolerant phenotypes, if the underlying physiological traits harbour genetic and individual variation for selection to act on – a key question for future research.

scholarly journals Chemical and molecular factors in irritable bowel syndrome: current knowledge, challenges, and unanswered questions

2016 ◽  
Vol 311 (5) ◽  
pp. G777-G784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Camilleri ◽  
Ibironke Oduyebo ◽  
Houssam Halawi
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽  
Mucosal Barrier ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Enteroendocrine Cell ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Irritable Bowel

Several chemical and molecular factors in the intestine are reported to be altered and to have a potentially significant role in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), particularly in IBS with diarrhea. These include bile acids; short-chain fatty acids; mucosal barrier proteins; mast cell products such as histamine, proteases, and tryptase; enteroendocrine cell products; and mucosal mRNAs, proteins, and microRNAs. This article reviews the current knowledge and unanswered questions in the pathobiology of the chemical and molecular factors in IBS. Evidence continues to point to significant roles in pathogenesis of these chemical and molecular mechanisms, which may therefore constitute potential targets for future research and therapy. However, it is still necessary to address the interaction between these factors in the gut and to appraise how they may influence hypervigilance in the central nervous system in patients with IBS.

scholarly journals Metabolic Impact of Flavonoids Consumption in Obesity: From Central to Peripheral

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 2393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viviana Sandoval ◽  
Hèctor Sanz-Lamora ◽  
Giselle Arias ◽  
Pedro F. Marrero ◽  
Diego Haro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Metabolic Regulation ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Heterocyclic Ring ◽  
Metabolic Effects ◽  
Free Radical Scavengers ◽  
Pyrone Ring ◽  
Brown Adipose

The prevention and treatment of obesity is primary based on the follow-up of a healthy lifestyle, which includes a healthy diet with an important presence of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols. For many years, the health benefits of polyphenols have been attributed to their anti-oxidant capacity as free radical scavengers. More recently it has been described that polyphenols activate other cell-signaling pathways that are not related to ROS production but rather involved in metabolic regulation. In this review, we have summarized the current knowledge in this field by focusing on the metabolic effects of flavonoids. Flavonoids are widely distributed in the plant kingdom where they are used for growing and defensing. They are structurally characterized by two benzene rings and a heterocyclic pyrone ring and based on the oxidation and saturation status of the heterocyclic ring flavonoids are grouped in seven different subclasses. The present work is focused on describing the molecular mechanisms underlying the metabolic impact of flavonoids in obesity and obesity-related diseases. We described the effects of each group of flavonoids in liver, white and brown adipose tissue and central nervous system and the metabolic and signaling pathways involved on them.

Serotonin and energy balance: molecular mechanisms and implications for type 2 diabetes

2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel D. Lam ◽  
Lora K. Heisler
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Glucose Homeostasis ◽  
Metabolic Regulation ◽  
Energy Homeostasis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Peripheral Tissues ◽  
Midbrain Raphe Nuclei ◽  
Treatment Of Obesity

The neurotransmitter serotonin is an important regulator of energy balance. In the brain, serotonergic fibres from midbrain raphe nuclei project to key feeding centres, where serotonin acts on specific receptors to modulate the activity of various downstream neuropeptide systems and autonomic pathways and thus affects ingestive behaviour and energy expenditure. Serotonin, released by intestinal enterochromaffin cells, also appears to regulate energy homeostasis through peripheral mechanisms. Serotonergic effects on energy balance lead to secondary effects on glucose homeostasis, based on a well-established link between obesity and insulin resistance. However, serotonergic pathways may also directly affect glucose homeostasis through regulation of autonomic efferents and/or action on peripheral tissues. Several serotonergic compounds have been evaluated for clinical use in the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes; results of these trials are discussed here. Finally, future directions in the elucidation of serotonergic metabolic regulation are discussed.

scholarly journals Animal Coronaviruses Induced Apoptosis

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
Katerina Gioti ◽  
Christine Kottaridi ◽  
Chrysa Voyiatzaki ◽  
Dimitrios Chaniotis ◽  
Theodoros Rampias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Adaptive Immune Response ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Molecular Aspects ◽  
Apoptotic Pathways ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a form of programmed death that has also been observed in cells infected by several viruses. It is considered one of the most critical innate immune mechanisms that limits pathogen proliferation and propagation before the initiation of the adaptive immune response. Recent studies investigating the cellular responses to SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infection have revealed that coronaviruses can alter cellular homeostasis and promote cell death, providing evidence that the modulation of apoptotic pathways is important for viral replication and propagation. Despite the genetic diversity among different coronavirus clades and the infection of different cell types and several hosts, research studies in animal coronaviruses indicate that apoptosis in host cells is induced by common molecular mechanisms and apoptotic pathways. We summarize and critically review current knowledge on the molecular aspects of cell-death regulation during animal coronaviruses infection and the viral–host interactions to this process. Future research is expected to lead to a better understanding of the regulation of cell death during coronavirus infection. Moreover, investigating the role of viral proteins in this process will help us to identify novel antiviral targets related to apoptotic signaling pathways.

scholarly journals Legionnaires’ Disease: State of the Art Knowledge of Pathogenesis Mechanisms of Legionella

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 439-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Mondino ◽  
Silke Schmidt ◽  
Monica Rolando ◽  
Pedro Escoll ◽  
Laura Gomez-Valero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Severe Form ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Eukaryotic Origin ◽  
Legionella Species ◽  
Legionnaires Disease

Legionella species are environmental gram-negative bacteria able to cause a severe form of pneumonia in humans known as Legionnaires’ disease. Since the identification of Legionella pneumophila in 1977, four decades of research on Legionella biology and Legionnaires’ disease have brought important insights into the biology of the bacteria and the molecular mechanisms that these intracellular pathogens use to cause disease in humans. Nowadays, Legionella species constitute a remarkable model of bacterial adaptation, with a genus genome shaped by their close coevolution with amoebae and an ability to exploit many hosts and signaling pathways through the secretion of a myriad of effector proteins, many of which have a eukaryotic origin. This review aims to discuss current knowledge of Legionella infection mechanisms and future research directions to be taken that might answer the many remaining open questions. This research will without a doubt be a terrific scientific journey worth taking.

scholarly journals Advances in Biosynthesis and Biological Functions of Proanthocyanidins in Horticultural Plants

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1774
Author(s):  
Dan Yu ◽  
Ting Huang ◽  
Bin Tian ◽  
Jicheng Zhan
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Plant Metabolites ◽  
Secondary Plant Metabolites ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Processed Products

Proanthocyanidins are colorless flavonoid polymers condensed from flavan-3-ol units. They are essential secondary plant metabolites that contribute to the nutritional value and sensory quality of many fruits and the related processed products. Mounting evidence has shown that the accumulation of proanthocyanidins is associated with the resistance of plants against a broad spectrum of abiotic and biotic stress conditions. The biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins has been examined extensively, allowing for identifying and characterizing the key regulators controlling the biosynthetic pathway in many plants. New findings revealed that these specific regulators were involved in the proanthocyanidins biosynthetic network in response to various environmental conditions. This paper reviews the current knowledge regarding the control of key regulators in the underlying proanthocyanidins biosynthetic and molecular mechanisms in response to environmental stress. Furthermore, it discusses the directions for future research on the metabolic engineering of proanthocyanidins production to improve food and fruit crop quality.

scholarly journals Developmental programming of mitochondrial biology: a conceptual framework and review

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1926) ◽  
pp. 20192713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E. Gyllenhammer ◽  
Sonja Entringer ◽  
Claudia Buss ◽  
Pathik D. Wadhwa
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Developmental Programming ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Functional Features ◽  
Developmental Conditions

Research on mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of developmental programming of health and disease has focused primarily on processes that are specific to cell types, organs and phenotypes of interest. However, the observation that exposure to suboptimal or adverse developmental conditions concomitantly influences a broad range of phenotypes suggests that these exposures may additionally exert effects through cellular mechanisms that are common, or shared, across these different cell and tissue types. It is in this context that we focus on cellular bioenergetics and propose that mitochondria, bioenergetic and signalling organelles, may represent a key cellular target underlying developmental programming. In this review, we discuss empirical findings in animals and humans that suggest that key structural and functional features of mitochondrial biology exhibit developmental plasticity, and are influenced by the same physiological pathways that are implicated in susceptibility for complex, common age-related disorders, and that these targets of mitochondrial developmental programming exhibit long-term temporal stability. We conclude by articulating current knowledge gaps and propose future research directions to bridge these gaps.

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