Jinrong Fu, Rili Gao, Qiting Ye, Wenwen Feng, He Liu, Yushu Li, Haixia Guan
{"title":"Disruption of thyroid-intrinsic clock aggravates experimental autoimmune thyroiditis.","authors":"Jinrong Fu, Rili Gao, Qiting Ye, Wenwen Feng, He Liu, Yushu Li, Haixia Guan","doi":"10.1530/JME-25-0022","DOIUrl":"10.1530/JME-25-0022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The core clock gene Bmal1 has been associated with the development of a variety of inflammatory diseases, with its deletion shown to induce or aggravate autoimmune disease in a tissue-specific pattern. Building on our previous findings that light shift can disrupt thyroid clock and exacerbate autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), we investigated the specific role of the thyroid clock in AIT using a thyrocyte-specific Bmal1 knockdown mouse model (cKO). Our study revealed that Bmal1 knockdown in thyrocytes disrupted the rhythmic expression of intrathyroidal clock genes. Both cKO and Ctrl mice exhibited more severe experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) when immunized at ZT6 compared to ZT18. However, cKO-EAT mice showed elevated levels of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and inflammatory cytokines compared to Ctrl-EAT mice, which correlated with CD4+ T cell-mediated immune responses. These findings highlight a novel role for Bmal1 in regulating the thyroid clock and modulating the severity of EAT, uncovering a previously unrecognized connection between circadian regulation and thyroid autoimmune disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":16570,"journal":{"name":"Journal of molecular endocrinology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143492436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lucia Mráziková, Silvie Hojná, Anna Shánělová, Blanka Železná, Jaroslav Kuneš, Lenka Maletínská
{"title":"Anti-inflammatory effects of palm11-PrRP31 in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide-induced acute inflammation.","authors":"Lucia Mráziková, Silvie Hojná, Anna Shánělová, Blanka Železná, Jaroslav Kuneš, Lenka Maletínská","doi":"10.1530/JME-24-0090","DOIUrl":"10.1530/JME-24-0090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are major components of gram-negative bacteria. LPS not only induce endotoxemia and inflammation but also contribute to various diseases. In experimental settings, LPS administration serves as a model for acute inflammatory responses. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential and mechanism of action of palmitoylated prolactin-releasing peptide (palm11-PrRP31) in a rat model of LPS-induced inflammation. Palm11-PrRP31 has demonstrated efficacy in mitigating LPS-induced weight loss and anorexia, emphasizing its potential protective effects. The cytokine profiles revealed a consistent reduction in tumor necrosis factor α, highlighting the potent anti-inflammatory effects of palm11-PrRP31. The peptide also modulated key cytokines and chemokines in the plasma, liver and hypothalamus, reflecting its broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory properties. Palm11-PrRP31 also effectively attenuated the expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4 signaling components in the liver, suggesting its ability to suppress the activation of these pathways during LPS-induced inflammation. These anti-inflammatory effects were specific to palm11-PrRP31, whereas natural PrRP31 had a minimal impact. In conclusion, this study reveals the efficacy of palm11-PrRP31 in modulating LPS-induced inflammation, offering insights into its immunomodulatory properties. The ability of the peptide to suppress proinflammatory responses and attenuate relevant signaling pathways indicates its potential use as a therapeutic agent for inflammatory disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":16570,"journal":{"name":"Journal of molecular endocrinology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11840832/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143052745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dicer inhibition delays wound closure by increasing Suz12 levels and regulating ITGAV levels in keratinocytes.","authors":"Sushant Bhattacharya, Shruti Hazra, Malabika Datta","doi":"10.1530/JME-24-0122","DOIUrl":"10.1530/JME-24-0122","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Delayed wound closure is a significant hallmark associated with diabetes. A previous study from our laboratory identified decreased levels of Dicer and miRNAs together with altered levels of wound-healing genes in the wounded tissues of diabetic rats. Comprehensive regulators of these wound-healing genes mapped onto the PRC2 (polycomb repressive complex 2) complex. Here, we show that Dicer inhibition increases the transcript levels of core components of the PRC2 complex, namely Suz12 (suppressor of zeste 12) and Ezh2 (enhancer of zeste 2), and of Mtf2 (metal response element-binding transcription factor 2), its additional subunit, and elevates H3K27me3 levels in HaCaT cells. Such patterns of increase were also observed in the wounded tissues of diabetic rats as compared to those of normal rats. In a scratch assay in HaCaT cells, while Dicer inhibition significantly prevented wound closure, this was rescued by Suz12 siRNA but not by Ezh2 inhibition, suggesting that Suz12 mediates the effects of Dicer siRNA in these cells. In addition, as compared to scramble-transfected cells, Dicer siRNA decreased the levels of integrin alpha V (Itgav), which is extensively implicated in the process of wound healing, and this effect was rescued in the presence of Suz12 siRNA. Itgav harbours potential histone methylation marks across the gene length, and Dicer inhibition, by increasing PRC2-mediated H3K27 methylation on Itgav, possibly decreases its transcription that subsequently impairs wound closure. These data put forth novel aspects of delayed wound closure as seen during diabetes and might be a potential target for therapeutic intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":16570,"journal":{"name":"Journal of molecular endocrinology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142978975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A missing paradigm: deciphering endocrine innovations among diverging regulations of alleles, paralogous genes and orthologous genes.","authors":"Jean-Jacques Lareyre, Philippe Monget","doi":"10.1530/JME-24-0092","DOIUrl":"10.1530/JME-24-0092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In endocrinology, there are many similarities in the regulation of gene expression between alleles, paralogous genes or orthologous genes, at the genetic or epigenetic level. However, there are also major differences in the spatial and temporal expression patterns of these genes, in particular between species. In few cases, it has been shown in vitro and/or in vivo that regulatory differences are mainly due to subtle differences (from one bp to less than 12 bp) in the nucleotide sequence of transcription factor-binding sites localized in the vicinity of the proximal promoter. In this short review, we propose to cite some of them, without claiming to be exhaustive. We also briefly review new methodologies that allow for more global studies of comparisons of expression regulations at the transcriptional level. We also discuss whether such studies could have given rise to any paradigm.</p>","PeriodicalId":16570,"journal":{"name":"Journal of molecular endocrinology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142818264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Glucocorticoids reduce Slc2a2 (GLUT2) gene expression through HNF1 in pancreatic β-cells.","authors":"Yuka Ono, Kohsuke Kataoka","doi":"10.1530/JME-24-0077","DOIUrl":"10.1530/JME-24-0077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glucose transporter type 2 (GLUT2), encoded by the Slc2a2 gene, is essential for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in pancreatic islet β-cells, and low expression of GLUT2 is associated with β-cell dysfunction during the progression of type 2 diabetes in humans and animal models. Glucocorticoids are stress hormones that regulate inflammation and metabolism through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, and synthetic glucocorticoids are widely used for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Prolonged exposure to glucocorticoids induces β-cell dysfunction and diabetes, but the effects of Slc2a2 gene repression in β-cells, if any, and the mechanisms involved remain unclear. In the present study, we measured the expression of GSIS-related genes in the MIN6 β-cell line and found that Slc2a2 mRNA expression was selectively reduced by dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic glucocorticoid. Using bioinformatics and reporter assays, we identified two β-cell enhancers of the Slc2a2 gene, one within the first intron and another located approximately 40 kb downstream of the transcription start site. The latter enhancer (designated as E3c) was responsible for the DEX-induced repression of the Slc2a2 gene. Of the previously identified β-cell-enriched transcription factors (NEUROD1, MAFA, HNF1α and HNF1β) that activate the E3c enhancer, the transcriptional activity of HNF1α and HNF1β, responsible for maturity-onset diabetes of the young types 3 and 5, respectively, was repressed by DEX and GR. This functional link between HNF1α/HNF1β and GR should help elucidate the mechanism of glucocorticoid-induced β-cell dysfunction and diabetes.</p>","PeriodicalId":16570,"journal":{"name":"Journal of molecular endocrinology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142837163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Renyi Wang, Yunyu Zhong, Qianxin Du, Chengzhi Zhao, Yuhao Wang, Jian Pan
{"title":"YK11 promotes osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and repair of bone defects.","authors":"Renyi Wang, Yunyu Zhong, Qianxin Du, Chengzhi Zhao, Yuhao Wang, Jian Pan","doi":"10.1530/JME-24-0073","DOIUrl":"10.1530/JME-24-0073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The selective androgen receptor (AR) modulator YK11 promotes the anabolism of muscle cells and osteoblastic precursor cells. However, its effects on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and the repair of cranial bone defects are unknown. Here, the effects of different concentrations of YK11 on the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs were determined. Subsequently, the AR was inhibited to investigate whether the effect of YK11 on the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs was affected. A model of cranial defects was constructed to investigate the effects of the YK11-equipped hydrogel on cranial defect repair as well as the effects of YK11 on cranial defect repair after inhibiting the AR. Finally, the possible pathway of YK11 regulating the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs was explored. Our results show 2 μM YK11 promoted the proliferation of BMSCs. A dose of 0.25-4 μM YK11 could promote osteogenesis of BMSCs, and the promoting effect was gradually enhanced with increasing concentration. In vivo, 0.5 and 1 mg/mL YK11 could promote the repair of cranial bone defects. After inhibiting the AR, the effects of YK11 on promoting both the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and repair of cranial defects were suppressed. YK11 may regulate the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs through the BMP2 (bone morphogenetic protein 2)/Smad signaling pathway. In conclusion, YK11 promoted the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs by activation on the AR. Meanwhile, YK11 promoted the repair of cranial bone defects in rats in vivo. The BMP2/Smad signaling pathway may be involved in the regulation of the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs by YK11.</p>","PeriodicalId":16570,"journal":{"name":"Journal of molecular endocrinology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142807421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"ATF3 suppresses 3T3-L1 adipocyte adipogenesis by transcriptionally repressing USP53.","authors":"Yuling Xu, Huimin Hu, Jun Li, Haoyue Li, Man Ye","doi":"10.1530/JME-24-0110","DOIUrl":"10.1530/JME-24-0110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Obesity is a widespread nutritional disorder, leading to a strong predisposition toward adverse health consequences. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), a stress-induced transcription factor, has been documented as a therapeutic target for obesity. The intent of this project was to characterize the detailed role of ATF3 in adipogenesis in the context of obesity and its obscure downstream mechanism. After adipogenic differentiation, RT-qPCR and western blot examined ATF3 and ubiquitin-specific peptidase 53 (USP53) mRNA levels and protein levels. Adipogenesis was identified by Oil Red O staining, triglyceride (TG) levels, and western blot analysis. JASPAR database, ChIP and luciferase reporter assays predicted and validated the transcriptional regulation of USP53 by ATF3. Western blot also examined the protein levels of Ras homolog family member A (RhoA)/Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK) pathway-involved proteins. ATF3 mRNA and protein levels were depleted in the differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and ATF3 elevation hindered the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. ATF3 suppressed the transcription of USP53 as a transcription factor and lowered USP53 expression. Eventually, USP53 upregulation partially blunted the inhibitory role of ATF3 overexpression in adipogenesis and the RhoA/ROCK pathway. Consequently, ATF3 might transcriptionally inactivate USP53 to repress adipocyte adipogenesis and downregulate the RhoA/ROCK pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":16570,"journal":{"name":"Journal of molecular endocrinology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142785723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Emerging roles of osteocytes in the regulation of bone and skeletal muscle mass.","authors":"Md Rameez Moin, Shubhrajyoti Das, Sabyasachi Sanyal","doi":"10.1530/JME-24-0033","DOIUrl":"10.1530/JME-24-0033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Contrary to the popular perception that bone is merely a structural organ, decades of research has established its functional importance in whole-body metabolism. Osteocytes, which comprise >80% of all bone cells, were also initially thought to be terminally differentiated dormant cells lacking metabolic functions. New research, however, is increasingly providing evidence that osteocytes not only play a role in the structural integrity of bone but also have secretory functions that regulate other bone cells and other organs, including skeletal muscle, the structural-mechanical neighbor of the bone, via paracrine and endocrine pathways. However, interpretations of the publicly available preclinical and clinical data pertaining to the factors secreted by osteocytes and their functions in the musculoskeletal system largely fail to reach a consensus. This review aimed to objectively collate all information available in the public domain for efficient access by researchers in the field. We strongly believe that this review will assist researchers attempting the unbiased design of therapeutic strategies for musculoskeletal disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":16570,"journal":{"name":"Journal of molecular endocrinology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142467923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chen Kong, Daniel C Castro, Jeongmin Lee, David W Piston
{"title":"The role of mu-opioid receptors in pancreatic islet α-cells.","authors":"Chen Kong, Daniel C Castro, Jeongmin Lee, David W Piston","doi":"10.1530/JME-24-0060","DOIUrl":"10.1530/JME-24-0060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diabetes is a complex disease that impacts more than 500 million people across the world. Many of these individuals will develop diabetic neuropathy as a comorbidity, which is historically treated with exogenous opioids, such as morphine, oxycodone, or tramadol. Although these opioids are effective analgesics, growing evidence indicates that they may directly impact the endocrine pancreas function in patients. One common feature of these exogenous opioid ligands is their preference for the mu-opioid receptor (MOPR), so we aimed to determine whether endogenous MOPRs directly regulate pancreatic islet metabolism and hormone secretion. We show that pharmacological antagonism of MOPRs enhances glucagon secretion, but not insulin secretion, from human islets under high-glucose conditions. This increased secretion is accompanied by increased cAMP signaling. mRNA expression of MOPRs is robust in nondiabetic human islets but downregulated in islets from T2D donors, suggesting a link between metabolism and MOPR expression. Conditional genetic knockout of MOPRs in murine α-cells increases glucagon secretion under high-glucose conditions without increasing glucagon content. Consistent with downregulation of MOPRs during metabolic disease, conditional MOPR knockout mice treated with a high-fat diet show impaired glucose tolerance, increased glucagon secretion, increased insulin content, and increased islet size. Together, these results demonstrate a direct mechanism of action for endogenous opioid regulation of endocrine pancreas.</p>","PeriodicalId":16570,"journal":{"name":"Journal of molecular endocrinology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11875080/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142546030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karina Prins, Noa Mutsters, Femke Volker, Martin Huisman, Rosinda Mies, Patric J D Delhanty, Jenny A Visser
{"title":"Syndecans modulate ghrelin receptor signaling.","authors":"Karina Prins, Noa Mutsters, Femke Volker, Martin Huisman, Rosinda Mies, Patric J D Delhanty, Jenny A Visser","doi":"10.1530/JME-24-0070","DOIUrl":"10.1530/JME-24-0070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ghrelin is a gut hormone that enhances food intake and growth hormone secretion through its G-protein coupled receptor, the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR). Recently, we have shown that ghrelin interacts with syndecans (SDCs), a family of membrane proteins known to modulate hypothalamic appetite signaling. Here, we investigated whether SDCs impact ghrelin signaling at GHSR by assessing ghrelin-induced intracellular Ca2+ mobilization (iCa2+) and inositol phosphate 1 (IP1) production in HEK293 cells. Compared with controls, the overexpression of SDCs dose-dependently increased the maximum iCa2+ response two- to four-fold, without affecting EC50. The IP1 response was similarly amplified by SDCs, but it also indicated that they reduce constitutive (ghrelin-independent) activity of GHSR. These enhanced responses occurred despite a SDC dose-dependent reduction in plasma membrane GHSR levels. Although ghrelin-stimulated Gαq activation was unaltered by SDC1 expression, it failed to restore iCa2+ responsiveness in GNAQ/11 knockout cells, indicating dependence on Gαq/11, not another Gα subunit. This suggests that SDCs modulate either signaling downstream of Gαq/11 or quenching of β-arrestin2 recruitment to GHSR. Indeed, expression of SDCs at levels that only modestly suppress cell surface receptor reduced ghrelin-induced β-arrestin2 recruitment by ∼80%. SDC co-expression also delayed the peak β-arrestin2 response. However, peak β-arrestin2 recruitment follows the peak iCa2+ response, making it unclear whether reduced β-arrestin2 recruitment potentiated Ca2+ signaling. Altogether, SDCs enhanced iCa2+/IP1 and reduced β-arrestin2 recruitment by GHSR in response to ghrelin, likely by modulating signaling downstream of Gαq. This could be a novel mechanism through which SDCs affect metabolism and obesity.</p>","PeriodicalId":16570,"journal":{"name":"Journal of molecular endocrinology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11729051/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142676058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}