Obesity significantly increases the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition that affects more than 30% of the US adult population. However, not all obese patients develop NAFLD. Although the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the discrepancy remains poorly understood, it is now widely accepted that mitochondrial dysfunction is pivotal to the pathogenesis of NAFLD and its progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
1- Koliaki C.
- Szendroedi J.
- Kaul K.
- Jelenik T.
- Nowotny P.
- Jankowiak F.
- Herder C.
- Carstensen M.
- Krausch M.
- Knoefel W.T.
- Schlensak M.
- Roden M.
Adaptation of hepatic mitochondrial function in humans with non-alcoholic fatty liver is lost in steatohepatitis.
Obese patients who developed NAFLD showed a gradual decline of the respiratory control ratio and mitochondrial coupling efficiency before the progression to NASH. Accordingly, only those obese patients who showed a loss of mitochondrial functional adaptation to the bioenergetic needs in obesity were highly prone to the development of NAFLD.
1- Koliaki C.
- Szendroedi J.
- Kaul K.
- Jelenik T.
- Nowotny P.
- Jankowiak F.
- Herder C.
- Carstensen M.
- Krausch M.
- Knoefel W.T.
- Schlensak M.
- Roden M.
Adaptation of hepatic mitochondrial function in humans with non-alcoholic fatty liver is lost in steatohepatitis.
However, the precise causes for these mitochondrial defects in NAFLD remain elusive, which has hindered ongoing efforts in developing an effective treatment of NAFLD and its dangerous progression to NASH.
Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) is a glycerophospholipid commonly recognized for its important role as a precursor for the synthesis of cardiolipin (CL), a mitochondrial signature phospholipid required for dynamic mitochondrial functions.
2- Chen D.
- Zhang X.-Y.
- Shi Y.
Identification and functional characterization of hCLS1, a human cardiolipin synthase localized in mitochondria.
, 3Identification and characterization of a gene encoding human LPGAT1, an endoplasmic reticulum-associated lysophosphatidylglycerol acyltransferase.
, 4- Nie J.
- Hao X.
- Chen D.
- Han X.
- Chang Z.
- Shi Y.
A novel function of the human CLS1 in phosphatidylglycerol synthesis and remodeling.
PG deficiency in mammalian cells leads to CL deficiency, mitochondrial dysfunction, and a reduction in adenosine triphosphate production.
5- Kawasaki K.
- Kuge O.
- Chang S.C.
- Heacock P.N.
- Rho M.
- Suzuki K.
- Nishijima M.
- Dowhan W.
Isolation of a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cDNA encoding phosphatidylglycerophosphate (PGP) synthase, expression of which corrects the mitochondrial abnormalities of a PGP synthase-defective mutant of CHO-K1 cells.
Disruption of the
PGS1 gene in yeast causes PG and CL deficiency and inhibition of growth on nonfermentable carbon sources.
6- Zhong Q.
- Gohil V.M.
- Ma L.
- Greenberg M.L.
Absence of cardiolipin results in temperature sensitivity, respiratory defects, and mitochondrial DNA instability independent of pet56.
PG is subjected to remodeling subsequent to its de novo biosynthesis in mitochondria to incorporate appropriate acyl content for its biological functions and to prevent the harmful effect of lysophosphatidylglycerol accumulation. Consequently, defective PG remodeling is implicated in the pathogenesis of NAFLD
7- Gorden D.L.
- Ivanova P.T.
- Myers D.S.
- McIntyre J.O.
- VanSaun M.N.
- Wright J.K.
- Matrisian L.M.
- Brown H.A.
Increased diacylglycerols characterize hepatic lipid changes in progression of human nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; comparison to a murine model.
and 3-methylglutaconic aciduria with deafness, encephalopathy and Leigh-like (MEGDEL) syndrome, a recessive genetic disorder of dystonia and deafness with Leigh-like syndrome.
8- Wortmann S.B.
- Vaz F.M.
- Gardeitchik T.
- Vissers L.E.
- Renkema G.H.
- Schuurs-Hoeijmakers J.H.
- Kulik W.
- Lammens M.
- Christin C.
- Kluijtmans L.A.
- Rodenburg R.J.
- Nijtmans L.G.
- Grunewald A.
- Klein C.
- Gerhold J.M.
- Kozicz T.
- van Hasselt P.M.
- Harakalova M.
- Kloosterman W.
- Baric I.
- Pronicka E.
- Ucar S.K.
- Naess K.
- Singhal K.K.
- Krumina Z.
- Gilissen C.
- van Bokhoven H.
- Veltman J.A.
- Smeitink J.A.
- Lefeber D.J.
- Spelbrink J.N.
- Wevers R.A.
- Morava E.
- de Brouwer A.P.
Mutations in the phospholipid remodeling gene SERAC1 impair mitochondrial function and intracellular cholesterol trafficking and cause dystonia and deafness.
Patients with MEGDEL syndrome also showed hepatopathy and mitochondrial dysfunction. Defective PG remodeling also is associated with the onset of Barth syndrome, an X-linked recessive disease caused by mutations of the
tafazzin gene encoding a transacylase involved in CL remodeling.
9- Claypool S.M.
- Koehler C.M.
The complexity of cardiolipin in health and disease.
PG and CL deficiency in Barth syndrome significantly impaired mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, which leads to cardiomyopathy and premature death.
10Disorders of phospholipid metabolism: an emerging class of mitochondrial disease due to defects in nuclear genes.
, 11Regulation of autophagy by mitochondrial phospholipids in health and diseases.
Our previous work showed that Lysophosphatidylglycerol Acyltransferase 1 (LPGAT1) is an acyltransferase that catalyzes the acylation of lysophosphatidylglycerol to PG, a key step involved in the PG remodeling process.
3Identification and characterization of a gene encoding human LPGAT1, an endoplasmic reticulum-associated lysophosphatidylglycerol acyltransferase.
LPGAT1 belongs to a large family of acyltransferases, which are involved in a variety of biological processes including pathways that regulate energy homeostasis, body weight, and NAFLD. LPGAT1 also was reported to regulate lipid metabolism in the liver as a putative monoacylgcyerol acyltransferase.
12- Hiramine Y.
- Emoto H.
- Takasuga S.
- Hiramatsu R.
Novel acyl-coenzyme A:monoacylglycerol acyltransferase plays an important role in hepatic triacylglycerol secretion.
Recently, a genome-wide association study linked DNA polymorphism of the
LPGAT1 gene promoter to the onset of severe obesity in Pima Indians.
13- Traurig M.T.
- Orczewska J.I.
- Ortiz D.J.
- Bian L.
- Marinelarena A.M.
- Kobes S.
- Malhotra A.
- Hanson R.L.
- Mason C.C.
- Knowler W.C.
- Bogardus C.
- Baier L.J.
Evidence for a role of LPGAT1 in influencing BMI and percent body fat in Native Americans.
LPGAT1 is expressed abundantly in a number of metabolic tissues, with highest expression in the liver.
3Identification and characterization of a gene encoding human LPGAT1, an endoplasmic reticulum-associated lysophosphatidylglycerol acyltransferase.
Moreover, LPGAT1 is implicated as a key regulator of cholesterol secretion and atherosclerosis.
14Small RNA overcomes the challenges of therapeutic targeting of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein.
However, the metabolic function of the LPGAT1 enzyme remains elusive. In this study, we generated mice with targeted deletion of LPGAT1, and investigated the role of LPGAT1 in regulating diet-induced obesity (DIO) and its related hepatosteatosis. We show that PG remodeling by LPGAT1 plays an important role in protecting mitochondrial dysfunction associated with NAFLD.
Discussion
Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a major role in the development of NAFLD, which is increasing because of the ongoing obesity epidemic. There is no effective treatment for this debilitating disorder owing to poor understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms and a lack of suitable drug targets. Moreover, approximately 25% of NAFLD patients are not obese and the importance of mitochondrial dysfunction in these patients remains to be determined. In this study, we identified LPGAT1 as a key regulator of mitochondrial dysfunction in NAFLD, which is supported by multiple lines of evidence. We showed that LPGAT1 deficiency rendered the mice highly susceptible to the development of severe hepatosteatosis, implicating mitochondrial dysfunction as a potential cause for NAFLD. Indeed, LPGAT1 deficiency also caused multiple defects in mitochondrial function in the liver, including oxidative stress, mtDNA depletion, mitochondrial fragmentation, and impaired oxidative phosphorylation. In contrast to a recent report that decreased LPGAT1 expression was associated with severe obesity of Pima Indians,
13- Traurig M.T.
- Orczewska J.I.
- Ortiz D.J.
- Bian L.
- Marinelarena A.M.
- Kobes S.
- Malhotra A.
- Hanson R.L.
- Mason C.C.
- Knowler W.C.
- Bogardus C.
- Baier L.J.
Evidence for a role of LPGAT1 in influencing BMI and percent body fat in Native Americans.
LPGAT1-deficient mice are protected from DIO. Our findings are corroborated further by a recent report that mitochondrial dysfunction is the primary determining factor for susceptibility to the onset of NAFLD in obese patients.
1- Koliaki C.
- Szendroedi J.
- Kaul K.
- Jelenik T.
- Nowotny P.
- Jankowiak F.
- Herder C.
- Carstensen M.
- Krausch M.
- Knoefel W.T.
- Schlensak M.
- Roden M.
Adaptation of hepatic mitochondrial function in humans with non-alcoholic fatty liver is lost in steatohepatitis.
The LPGAT1-deficient mice were born with lower body weight, although they gained a higher percentage of weight after birth. It is interesting to investigate the causative role of LPGAT1 deficiency on body weight gain because the role of PG remodeling on embryonic development is largely unknown.
LPGAT1 catalyzes the remodeling of PG, which plays an important role in maintaining mitochondrial function.
3Identification and characterization of a gene encoding human LPGAT1, an endoplasmic reticulum-associated lysophosphatidylglycerol acyltransferase.
Defective PG remodeling causes MEGDEL syndrome, as evidenced by genetic mutation of the
SERAC1 gene in human beings.
8- Wortmann S.B.
- Vaz F.M.
- Gardeitchik T.
- Vissers L.E.
- Renkema G.H.
- Schuurs-Hoeijmakers J.H.
- Kulik W.
- Lammens M.
- Christin C.
- Kluijtmans L.A.
- Rodenburg R.J.
- Nijtmans L.G.
- Grunewald A.
- Klein C.
- Gerhold J.M.
- Kozicz T.
- van Hasselt P.M.
- Harakalova M.
- Kloosterman W.
- Baric I.
- Pronicka E.
- Ucar S.K.
- Naess K.
- Singhal K.K.
- Krumina Z.
- Gilissen C.
- van Bokhoven H.
- Veltman J.A.
- Smeitink J.A.
- Lefeber D.J.
- Spelbrink J.N.
- Wevers R.A.
- Morava E.
- de Brouwer A.P.
Mutations in the phospholipid remodeling gene SERAC1 impair mitochondrial function and intracellular cholesterol trafficking and cause dystonia and deafness.
SERAC1 is a putative enzyme required for PG remodeling. SERAC1 mutations cause hepatopathy, encephalopathy, and hypotonia. In support of LPGAT1 as a key enzyme that regulates PG remodeling, we showed in this study that LPGAT1 deficiency led to abnormal acyl compositions of PG that were highly reminiscent of the defects in MEGDEL syndromes. Consistent with the findings, LPGAT1 deficiency also caused hepatopathy and abnormal cholesterol metabolism commonly associated with MEGDEL syndrome, including dilated hepatic venules, hepatofibrosis, decreased serum cholesterol level, and accumulation of cholesterol in hepatocytes.
8- Wortmann S.B.
- Vaz F.M.
- Gardeitchik T.
- Vissers L.E.
- Renkema G.H.
- Schuurs-Hoeijmakers J.H.
- Kulik W.
- Lammens M.
- Christin C.
- Kluijtmans L.A.
- Rodenburg R.J.
- Nijtmans L.G.
- Grunewald A.
- Klein C.
- Gerhold J.M.
- Kozicz T.
- van Hasselt P.M.
- Harakalova M.
- Kloosterman W.
- Baric I.
- Pronicka E.
- Ucar S.K.
- Naess K.
- Singhal K.K.
- Krumina Z.
- Gilissen C.
- van Bokhoven H.
- Veltman J.A.
- Smeitink J.A.
- Lefeber D.J.
- Spelbrink J.N.
- Wevers R.A.
- Morava E.
- de Brouwer A.P.
Mutations in the phospholipid remodeling gene SERAC1 impair mitochondrial function and intracellular cholesterol trafficking and cause dystonia and deafness.
Although a previous report implicated a role of LPGAT1 in triglyceride synthesis as a putative monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT),
12- Hiramine Y.
- Emoto H.
- Takasuga S.
- Hiramatsu R.
Novel acyl-coenzyme A:monoacylglycerol acyltransferase plays an important role in hepatic triacylglycerol secretion.
our data do not support the notion that hepatosteatosis in
LPGAT1-/- was caused by impaired MGAT activity because LPGAT1 deficiency promoted lipogenesis in the liver and in cultured primary hepatocytes. In addition, overexpression of LPGAT1 in CV-1 in Origin Simian-7 (COS-7) cells did not promote lipid droplet formation in response to oleic acid stimulation or monoacylglycerol incubation (data not shown), which further indicated that the hepatosteatosis caused by LPGAT1 deficiency was not caused by MGAT activity. Moreover, LPGAT1 deficiency specifically promoted lipid droplet biogenesis in cultured hepatocytes, but not in C2C12 cells, whereas overexpression of MGAT2 stimulated lipid droplet biogenesis.
20- Zhang J.
- Xu D.
- Nie J.
- Cao J.
- Zhai Y.
- Tong D.
- Shi Y.
Monoacylglycerol acyltransferase-2 is a tetrameric enzyme that selectively heterodimerizes with diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1.
PG is a precursor for the synthesis of CL, a mitochondrial signature phospholipid that plays a pivotal role in normal mitochondrial function, including mitochondrial membrane structure, respiration, mitochondrial fusion/fission, and mitophagy. The biological function of CL is determined by the composition of its 4 fatty acyl chains, which are dominated by linoleic acid (C18:2) in metabolic tissues, including liver, heart, and skeletal muscles.
21- Li J.
- Liu X.
- Wang H.
- Zhang W.
- Chan D.C.
- Shi Y.
Lysocardiolipin acyltransferase 1 (ALCAT1) controls mitochondrial DNA fidelity and biogenesis through modulation of MFN2 expression.
This unique CL structure, also known as TLCL, is believed to be required for mitochondrial architecture, function, and mitophagy, as evidenced by findings from research on Barth syndrome.
11Regulation of autophagy by mitochondrial phospholipids in health and diseases.
, 22Barth syndrome, a human disorder of cardiolipin metabolism.
, 23Emerging roles of cardiolipin remodeling in mitochondrial dysfunction associated with diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
, 24- Hsu P.
- Liu X.
- Zhang J.
- Wang H.G.
- Ye J.M.
- Shi Y.
Cardiolipin remodeling by TAZ/tafazzin is selectively required for the initiation of mitophagy.
Consequently, TLCL depletion leads to mitochondrial dysfunction in Barth syndrome, including ROS production, defective oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation, adenosine triphosphate production, and mitophagy.
10Disorders of phospholipid metabolism: an emerging class of mitochondrial disease due to defects in nuclear genes.
, 11Regulation of autophagy by mitochondrial phospholipids in health and diseases.
, 19- Li J.
- Romestaing C.
- Han X.
- Li Y.
- Hao X.
- Wu Y.
- Sun C.
- Liu X.
- Jefferson L.S.
- Xiong J.
- Lanoue K.F.
- Chang Z.
- Lynch C.J.
- Wang H.
- Shi Y.
Cardiolipin remodeling by ALCAT1 links oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction to obesity.
, 23Emerging roles of cardiolipin remodeling in mitochondrial dysfunction associated with diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
, 25- Han X.
- Yang J.
- Yang K.
- Zhao Z.
- Abendschein D.R.
- Gross R.W.
Alterations in myocardial cardiolipin content and composition occur at the very earliest stages of diabetes: a shotgun lipidomics study.
TLCL depletion also is implicated in mitochondrial dysfunction in obesity, NAFLD, and other aging-related diseases.
23Emerging roles of cardiolipin remodeling in mitochondrial dysfunction associated with diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
, 26- Paradies G.
- Petrosillo G.
- Paradies V.
- Ruggiero F.M.
Oxidative stress, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and cardiolipin in aging.
, 27- Shigenaga M.K.
- Hagen T.M.
- Ames B.N.
Oxidative damage and mitochondrial decay in aging.
Consistent with this notion, we showed that LPGAT1 deficiency leads to depletion of the TLCL level in the liver, further implicating an important role of PG remodeling by LPGAT1 in NAFLD.
One of the most striking features of the LPGAT1 knockout mice is severe hepatic insulin resistance in the absence of obesity and hyperinsulinemia. Although obesity is the primary cause of insulin resistance, LPGAT1 knockout mice are leaner and had a lower fasting insulin level when compared with WT control mice on a HFD. Then comes the question of how this could happen. The answer comes from the studies of the subcellular localization of LPGAT1. We showed that LPGAT1 is abundantly localized at MAM, the primary hub for insulin signaling, because both the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and Akt, the primary downstream targets of insulin signaling, are localized at MAM. Consequently, the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) deficiency disrupted MAM, causing mitochondrial defects that are dependent on Akt phosphorylation in MAM.
17- Betz C.
- Stracka D.
- Prescianotto-Baschong C.
- Frieden M.
- Demaurex N.
- Hall M.N.
Feature article: mTOR complex 2-Akt signaling at mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAM) regulates mitochondrial physiology.
Disruption of MAM integrity also impaired insulin signaling in mouse and human primary hepatocytes.
28- Tubbs E.
- Theurey P.
- Vial G.
- Bendridi N.
- Bravard A.
- Chauvin M.A.
- Ji-Cao J.
- Zoulim F.
- Bartosch B.
- Ovize M.
- Vidal H.
- Rieusset J.
Mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane (MAM) integrity is required for insulin signaling and is implicated in hepatic insulin resistance.
MAM earmarks the site for mitochondrial fission and mtDNA replication,
29- Lewis S.C.
- Uchiyama L.F.
- Nunnari J.
ER-mitochondria contacts couple mtDNA synthesis with mitochondrial division in human cells.
a key process required for mitochondrial quality control by eliminating ROS-damaged mitochondria through mitophagy.
30- Twig G.
- Elorza A.
- Molina A.J.
- Mohamed H.
- Wikstrom J.D.
- Walzer G.
- Stiles L.
- Haigh S.E.
- Katz S.
- Las G.
- Alroy J.
- Wu M.
- Py B.F.
- Yuan J.
- Deeney J.T.
- Corkey B.E.
- Shirihai O.S.
Fission and selective fusion govern mitochondrial segregation and elimination by autophagy.
Accordingly, we and others previously have shown that obesity and type 2 diabetes causes dilatation of MAM, leading to mitochondrial fragmentation, ROS production, and insulin resistance.
21- Li J.
- Liu X.
- Wang H.
- Zhang W.
- Chan D.C.
- Shi Y.
Lysocardiolipin acyltransferase 1 (ALCAT1) controls mitochondrial DNA fidelity and biogenesis through modulation of MFN2 expression.
, 31- Tubbs E.
- Chanon S.
- Robert M.
- Bendridi N.
- Bidaux G.
- Chauvin M.A.
- Ji-Cao J.
- Durand C.
- Gauvrit-Ramette D.
- Vidal H.
- Lefai E.
- Rieusset J.
Disruption of mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane (MAM) integrity contributes to muscle insulin resistance in mice and humans.
In support of a key role of LPGAT1 in regulating insulin signaling in MAM, we showed that LPGAT1 deficiency causes mitochondrial fragmentation, defective mitophagy, and severe insulin resistance. Taken together, our findings support a key role of LPGAT1 in the onset of NAFLD. More importantly, our work has identified LPGAT1 as a novel drug target for the treatment of NAFLD.
Materials and Methods
Reagents
Antibodies used in the present studies included polyclonal antibodies to phospho-Akt (Ser473, 9271), Akt (9272), phospho-glycogen synthase kinase-3α/β (phospho-Gsk-3α/β) (Ser21/9, 9331), and Gsk-3α/β (D75D3, 5676), all of which were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology (Danvers, MA). Rabbit anti–glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase antibody was from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (A5441; Santa Cruz, CA). Mouse anti–β-actin antibody (A2228) was from Sigma (St. Louis, MO). Horseradish-peroxidase–conjugated donkey anti-rabbit (31460) and donkey anti-mouse (31430) IgG antibodies were purchased from GE Healthcare (Piscataway, NJ). Rat/mouse insulin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (EZRMI-13K) was purchased from Millipore (Burlington, MA). The TBARS assay kit (10009055) was purchased from Cayman Chemical (Ann Arbor, MI). LabAssay triglyceride (290-63701) and LabAssay cholesterol (294-65801) assay kits were purchased from Wako (Richmond, VA). The Multisource Genomic DNA Miniprep Kit (AP-MN-MS-GDNA) was from Axygen (Union City, CA). Carbonyl cyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP; C2920), rotenone (R8875), antimycin (A8674), oligomycin (O4876), Oil red O (O0625), and sodium oleate (O7501) were from Sigma. Hoechst 33342 (62249), BODIPY 493/503 (D3922), and MitoTracker Red CMXRos (M7512) were purchased from Invitrogen (Carlsbad, CA). Collagenase IV (17104-019) was purchased from Gibco (Carlsbad, CA).
Generation of Mice With Targeted Deletion of the LPGAT1 Gene
CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing was used to generate LPGAT1 knockout mice. Briefly, guide RNAs targeting the protospacer adjacent motifs of exons of individual
LPGAT1 genomic DNA were designed, and 2 protospacer adjacent motifs were chosen for the
LPGAT1 gene on exon 3 (
Figure 1A). The complementary oligo DNAs were synthesized and then annealed and cloned into pUC-57 under the control of T7 RNA polymerase promoter. The correct constructs were digested by the enzyme DraI, and the purified products were used as the template for the in vitro transcription using T7 high-yield RNA synthesis kit (New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA). In parallel, the plasmid encoding Cas9, which is driven by the T7 RNA polymerase promoter, was digested by the enzyme PmeI, and the purified products were used as the templates for the in vitro transcription using the mMESSAGE mMACHINE T7 ULTRA kit (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA). Both guide RNAs targeting
LPGAT1 and Cas9 mRNA were purified using the MEGAclear kit (Life Technologies). A mixture of guide RNAs targeting
LPGAT1 (20 ng/μL) and Cas9 mRNA (200 ng/μL) were co-injected into the 1-cell fertilized embryos that were collected from the oviducts of superovulated 7- to 8-week-old B6 mice. The blastocysts were implanted into the uterus of pseudopregnant Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice. The peripheral blood was collected from the 4-week-old mice for flow cytometry–aided screening. We further confirmed the LPGAT1 deficiency through PCR amplification, DNA sequencing, RT-PCR, and Western blot analysis. All of the mutant mice were backcrossed with C57BL/6 mice for more than 3 generations.
Animal Care
LPGAT1-/- and age-matched WT mice (4 weeks old) were divided into 2 groups. One group was fed the HFD (D12492, 60 kcal% fat; Research Diets, Inc, New Brunswick, NJ) for 12 weeks, and the control group was fed normal chow diet (Teklad 5001 Laboratory Diet, Envigo, Huntingdon, UK). All animals were maintained in an environmentally controlled facility with a diurnal light cycle and free access to water. All experiments used littermate controls of age- and sex-matched mice, and, in accordance with the “Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Laboratory Animal Management” and the “Administrative Measures on Quality of Laboratory Animals,” used protocols according to National Institutes of Health guidelines.
Glucose Tolerance Test and Insulin Tolerance Test
The glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were performed in overnight food-deprived mice (n = 10). Glucose was delivered by oral gavage at 1.5 g/kg body weight after initial measurement of the fasting blood glucose level. Insulin was delivered by intraperitoneal injection (1 U/kg body weight; Novolin R, Novo Nordisk, Bagsværd, Denmark). Blood glucose was determined 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after the glucose or insulin load with a One Touch Ultra 2 glucometer (Lifescan, Milpitas, CA).
Primary Hepatocyte Isolation
Primary hepatocytes were isolated from male LPGAT1-/- mice and WT control mice (age, 6–10 wk). Mice were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, then perfused with 40 mL Krebs buffer (1 mol/L HEPES pH 7.45, 50 mmol/L ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid [EGTA] pH 7.4) from the inferior vena cava for 7 minutes, followed by 30 mL 0.2 mg/mL collagenase type IV (Sigma) in Krebs buffer (with 1 mol/L CaCl2) for 7 minutes. The perfused liver was excised, minced, and filtered through 100 mesh cell strainers (70 mm). The digestion was terminated by adding Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium (DMEM) (Gibco) containing 10% fetal bovine serum. Hepatocytes were collected by centrifuging at 500g for 2 minutes at 4°C. Percoll (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) solution (10× phosphate-buffered saline [PBS]: Percoll = 1:9, vol/vol) was added and then centrifuged to remove the dead cells. The cell pellet was washed with DMEM twice and the hepatocytes were cultured in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and penicillin/streptomycin for further experiments.
Quantitative Real-Time PCR Analysis
Total RNA from
LPGAT1-/- and WT mice liver tissues or primary hepatocytes were extracted using TRIzol (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) following the manufacturer's instructions. The purity and the concentration of RNA were detected by an automatic microplate spectrophotometer (OD-1000+ sepectrophotometer, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA). Total RNA (1 μg) was used for the preparation of complementary DNA using SuperScript II Reverse Transcriptase (18064014; Invitrogen). Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was performed using SYBR Green Master Mix (330501; Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). The relative gene expression was calculated as follows: Cycle threshold (Ct) sample = (Ct sample Gene of interest) - (Ct sample house keeping gene). Then, the relative gene expression = 2 power (Ct sample test - Ct sample control). Primer sequences used for quantitative analysis are shown in
Table 1.
Table 1Primers Used in Real-Time PCR
Subcellular Fractionation
Cos-7 cells stably overexpressing FLAG-tagged LPGAT1 were homogenized with a Dounce homogenizer in 10 volumes (wt/vol) of solution consisting of 225 mmol/L mannitol, 75 mmol/L sucrose, 0.1 mmol/L EGTA, and 30 mm Tris-HCl, pH 7.4. The homogenate was first centrifuged at 600g for 10 minutes to remove cell debris and nuclear fractions. The crude mitochondrial fraction was obtained by centrifuging the supernatant at 8000g for 10 minutes. The crude mitochondrial pellet was resuspended in mitochondrial suspension buffer consisting of 250 mmol/L mannitol, 5 mmol/L HEPES, pH 7.4, and 0.5 mmol/L EGTA, and then fractionated by Percoll gradient ultracentrifuge at 95,000g for 30 minutes to isolate the pure mitochondrial fraction and MAM. The microsomal fraction was prepared from the postmitochondrial supernatant by sedimentation at 100,000g for 1 hour. The mitochondrial, MAM, and microsomal fractions were resuspended in PBS buffer and analyzed by Western blot analysis using anti-LPGAT1 (1:1000 dilution in 5% bovine serum albumin/tris buffered saline with 0.1% Tween 20 (TBST), generated by our laboratory) and anti-calnexin (NB300-518; Novus Biologicals, Centennial, CO) antibodies, which were used as an endoplasmic reticulum biomarker.
Intracellular ROS Production Analysis
Intracellular ROS generation in primary hepatocytes were investigated using 2’,7’-dichlordehydrofluorescein-diacetate (D399; Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR) at a final concentration of 5 mmol/L. Cells were incubated with 2’,7’-dichlordehydrofluorescein-diacetate in culture medium for 30 minutes at 37°C and then resuspended in 0.5 mL PBS. The fluorescence was measured using a microplate reader (Victor3 plate reader; Perkin Elmer, Waltham, MA) set to 488-nm excitation and 525-nm emission wavelengths.
Lipid Peroxidation Assay
Lipid peroxidation was analyzed from tissue samples by measuring the production of TBARS. TBARS production was measured according to the manufacturer's instructions (TBARS assay kit, cat 10009055; Cayman Chemical). For the preparation of liver cytosol, 25 mg liver tissues were homogenized at 4°C in 250 μL RIPA lysis buffer and placed on ice for 15 minutes, and then centrifuged at 16,000g for 10 minutes. A total of 10 μL of supernatant and 10 μL of the sodium dodecyl sulfate solution were reacted with 400 μL thiobarbituric acid (TBA) buffer at 100°C for 1 hour. After centrifugation at 1600g for 10 minutes, 150 μL of each well was pipetted onto a 96-well plate. Samples were analyzed spectrophotometrically for TBARS at 535 nm in a microplate reader (Victor3 plate reader; Perkin Elmer) and normalized by tissue weight.
Oxygen Consumption Rate in Primary Hepatocytes
Primary hepatocytes were isolated and seeded in XF96 cell culture microplates (Seahorse Bioscience, Billerica, MA) at 5000 cells/well in 80 μL DMEM growth medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum and antibiotics, incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. Assays were initiated by removing the growth medium and replacing it with assay medium, incubated for 30 minutes in an ambient air incubator at 37°C. The mitochondria test compounds oligomycin (1.5 μmol/L), FCCP (1 μmol/L), and rotenone (1 μmol/L) were preloaded in the reagent delivery ports of A, B, and C of the O2 sensor cartridge, respectively. Oxygen consumption rate measurements then were performed according to the Seahorse Bioscience assay protocol.
Triglyceride and Cholesterol Assay
Triglyceride and cholesterol levels in serum and liver tissues were measured using the Triglyceride (290-63701; Wako) and Cholesterol (294-65801; Wako) Quantitative Assay Kits, respectively, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Confocal Imaging Analysis
For intracellular lipid droplet analysis, primary hepatocytes were cultured in completed medium in the presence or absence of 200 μmol/L oleic acid for 16 hours. Cells then were incubated with BODIPY493/503 (5 μg/mL; Life Technologies) for 20 minutes, and analyzed under confocal microscopy (FV1200; Olympus, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan). To visualize mitochondria, primary hepatocytes were stained with MitoTracker Red CMXRos (50 nmol/L) for 20 minutes in a 37°C incubator, and then washed with PBS 3 times, followed by confocal imaging analysis.
mtDNA Copy Number Assay
The total DNA of primary hepatocytes was extracted using the Multisource Genomic DNA Miniprep Kit (Axygen) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of mtDNA copy number in hepatocytes was performed using mitochondrion-encoded reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase 1 as the mtDNA marker and cyclophilin A as a genomic DNA marker. The primer pairs used in the PCR analysis are shown in
Table 1.
Lipidomics Analysis
For total lipids extraction, liver tissue was homogenized in a 2:1 chloroform:methanol (vol/vol) mixture and cell debris was removed by filtration. The homogenizer and collected cell debris were rinsed with fresh solvent mixture and the rinse was pooled with the previous filtrate before the addition of a 0.73% NaCl water solution, producing a final solvent system of 2:1:0.8 chloroform:methanol:water (vol/vol/vol). The lipid extracts were finally flushed with nitrogen, capped, and stored at -20°C (typically analyzed within 1 week, which is critical for CL analysis). Briefly, total lipids from LPGAT1-/- and WT mice liver tissues were analyzed by triple-quadruple mass spectrometer (Thermo Electron TSQ Quantum Ultra, Trzin, Slovenia) controlled by Xcalibur (Thermo Fisher Scientific) system software. All the mass spectrometer spectra and tandem mass spectrometer spectra were acquired automatically by a customized sequence subroutine operated under Xcalibur software.
Western Blot Analysis
The LPGAT1-/- and WT primary hepatocytes were treated with 0, 0.1, 1.0, or 10 nmol/L insulin for 15 minutes, and harvested in cell RIPA lysis buffer (20 mmol/L HEPES, 2 mmol/L EGTA, 50 mmol/L NaF, 100 mmol/L KCl, 0.2 mmol/L EDTA, 50 mmol/L β-glycerophosphate, 1.5 mmol/L Na3VO4, 10 mmol/L Na4VO7, 1 mmol/L benzamidine, 100 μL phosphatase inhibitor cocktail, 1% Triton X-100, 1.0 mmol/L phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride), followed by centrifugation at 16,000g for 15 minutes at 4°C. The supernatant was used for Western blot analyses of total Akt, phosphor-Akt, total Gsk-3α/β, phospho-Gsk-3α/β, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. For analysis of insulin signaling from tissue samples, LPGAT1-/- mice and WT controls were fasted overnight, followed by intraperitoneal injection of insulin (1 U/kg body weight) or PBS, and then were euthanized 15 minutes after the injection. Tissues rapidly were dissected and frozen in liquid nitrogen. The tissue samples then were pulverized in liquid nitrogen and homogenized in the RIPA buffer with a polytron. After 30 minutes of incubation on ice, the samples were centrifuged at 16,000g for 15 minutes at 4°C. The protein concentration was determined by the Pierce BCA Protein Assay (23225; Thermo Fisher, Waltham, MA). Equal amounts of protein (30 μg) were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, transferred to a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane (1620177; Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA), blocked in Tris-buffered saline with 5% milk, immunoblotted with primary antibodies (1:1000) overnight at 4°C, followed by secondary antibodies (1:5000) for 1 hour at room temperature, and developed with ECL Western Blotting Substrate (32106; Thermo Fisher).
Statistical Analysis
Statistical comparisons were performed using 2-tailed nonpaired t tests or 1-way analysis of variance to determine the difference between LPGAT1-/- and WT mice and primary hepatocytes. Values were considered statistically significant at P < .05. Data are represented as means ± SD. All authors had access to the study data and reviewed and approved the final manuscript.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 01, 2019
Accepted:
February 4,
2019
Received:
October 4,
2018
Footnotes
Author Contributions: Yuguang Shi conceived the project, formulated the research, and designed the experiments; Xiaoyang Zhang, Jun Zhang, and Haoran Sun performed the main experiments and collected the data; Xiaoyang Zhang, Jun Zhang, Haoran Sun, Xueling Liu, Dan Xu, Dandan Jia, and Jia Nie analyzed the data; Jianing Wang performed the lipidomic analysis; Yue Zheng, Xianlin Han, and Feng Liu provided critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content; and Yuguang Shi and Jun Zhang wrote the manuscript and all authors edited it.
Conflicts of interest The authors disclose no conflicts.
Funding This work was supported in part by grants from the American Diabetes Association (1-18-IBS-329), the National Institutes of Health (R01DK076685), the Joe and Teresa Long Endowment, the Barth Syndrome Foundation, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31771309) (all Y.S.).
Copyright
© 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the AGA Institute.