Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wenhui Mu, Si Li, Jingkai Xu, Xize Guo, Haoda Wu, Zhenhua Chen, Lianyong Qiao, Gisela Helfer, Falong Lu, Chong Liu, Qing-Feng Wu
Summary: Tanycytes in the median eminence are crucial for regulating endocrine output, energy balance, and blood-born molecule diffusion. This study reveals that Rax+ tanycytes in mice quickly enter the cell cycle for self-renewal and regeneration upon neural injury, with Igf1r signaling being essential for tissue repair, and Braf oncogenic activation leading to tumor formation. These findings highlight the regenerative and tumorigenic potential of tanycytes and suggest potential applications in manipulating hypothalamic functions and understanding clinically relevant tumors.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Ziqi Zhang, Guang Ji, Meng Li
Summary: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease affected by genetics and environment, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an independent risk factor that accelerates the progression of NAFLD. The glucokinase regulator gene (GCKR) has been associated with a lower risk of T2D but a higher risk of NAFLD. This review highlights the critical roles of the glucokinase regulatory protein (GKRP) in T2D and NAFLD.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Antoine Rohrbach, Emilie Caron, Rafik Dali, Maxime Brunner, Roxane Pasquettaz, Irina Kolotuev, Federico Santoni, Bernard Thorens, Fanny Langlet
Summary: This study investigated the role of GCK-expressing tanycytes in the regulation of energy balance in mice. The results showed that Gck deletion induced the death of tanycytes and affected adiposity in mice, as well as NPY neuron function.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Anne-Laure Barbotin, Nour El Houda Mimouni, Gregory Kuchcinski, Renaud Lopes, Romain Viard, Sowmyalakshmi Rasika, Daniele Mazur, Mauro S. B. Silva, Virginie Simon, Angele Boursier, Jean-Pierre Pruvo, Qiang Yu, Michael Candlish, Ulrich Boehm, Federica Dal Bello, Claudio Medana, Pascal Pigny, Didier Dewailly, Vincent Prevot, Sophie Catteau-Jonard, Paolo Giacobinia
Summary: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive-endocrine disorder. This study investigates the brain structure and function in PCOS patients and reveals the role of AMH in regulating fertility and neuroendocrine dysfunction.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Joe Eun Son, Zhengchao Dou, Kyoung-Han Kim, Siyi Wanggou, Vincent Su Bin Cha, Rong Mo, Xiaoyun Zhang, Xinyu Chen, Troy Ketela, Xuejun Li, Xi Huang, Chi-chung Hui
Summary: Irx3 and Irx5 are involved in regulating hypothalamic postnatal neurogenesis and leptin response, with reduced gene dosage promoting neurogenesis and increasing the number of leptin-sensing arcuate neurons. Deletion of Irx3 in these cells also results in similar food intake and hypothalamic phenotype in mice.
Article
Biology
Helen E. Chmura, Cassandra Duncan, Ben Saer, Jeanette T. Moore, Brian M. Barnes, C. Loren Buck, Helen C. Christian, Andrew S. Loudon, Cory T. Williams
Summary: This study demonstrates that arctic ground squirrels hibernating in darkness activate the thyroid hormone signaling pathway in the hypothalamus, remodel hypothalamic tanycytes, and activate the reproductive axis. Periodic arousals during hibernation may allow for transient activation of thyroid hormone signaling, cellular remodeling, and re-programming of brain circuits in preparation for the short Arctic summer.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lu She, Wei Li, Yan Guo, Jia Zhou, Jianqiong Liu, Wenpei Zheng, Anna Dai, Xiaohong Chen, Ping Wang, Hua He, Pei Zhang, Jing Zeng, Bing Xiang, Shiyu Li, Liang Wang, Qiong Dai, Mei Yang
Summary: This study revealed a significant association between GCK rs1799884 mutation and higher odds of GDM in the Chinese population, while other gene polymorphisms did not show significant correlations. Additionally, pregnant women with a certain genotype may have higher levels of fasting blood glucose. Further large-scale studies are needed to explore the relationship between GCK and GCKR polymorphisms and susceptibility to GDM.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Richard W. Clayton, Robin Lovell-Badge, Christophe Galichet
Summary: The median eminence acts as a vital interface between the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, and contains various non-neuronal cell types that may play a role in regulating neuroendocrine system function.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Education, Scientific Disciplines
Yutian Yu, Xun He, Jinling Zhang, Chunzhi Tang, Peijing Rong
Summary: This study found that transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) can attenuate weight gain in ZDF rats without affecting food intake, possibly by suppressing the expression of hypothalamic P2Y1 receptors.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yixin Ren, Li Li, Li Wan, Yan Huang, Shuang Cao
Summary: Type 2 diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder that is often difficult to manage with mono-target therapy. Glucokinase (GK), a glucose sensor, has gained attention as a potential target for anti-diabetes drugs. GK agonists (GKA) activate GK and promote glucose metabolism to reduce blood glucose levels. This article provides a review of the mechanism and potential use of GKA in the treatment of diabetes.
JOURNAL OF ENZYME INHIBITION AND MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alejandra Herrera-Morande, Gabriel Vallejos-Baccelliere, Pablo A. Cea, Ricardo A. Zamora, Dixon Cid, Pablo Maturana, Felipe Gonzalez-Ordenes, Victor Castro-Fernandez, Victoria Guixe
Summary: Although ADP-dependent sugar kinases were first described in archaea, there is also an ADP-dependent glucokinase (ADP-GK) in mammals. This study characterized the human ADP-dependent glucokinase (hADP-GK) and found that a truncated form had little impact on its kinetic parameters. It was also found that hADP-GK has an ordered sequential kinetic mechanism and substrate inhibition by glucose. Phylogenetic analysis showed that ADP-GK is present in various eukaryotic organisms, but not ubiquitous. Mutagenesis experiments suggested a role for a conserved cysteine residue in the catalytic process.
ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Tsutomu Miwata, Hidetaka Suga, Yohei Kawaguchi, Mayu Sakakibara, Mayuko Kano, Shiori Taga, Mika Soen, Hajime Ozaki, Tomoyoshi Asano, Hiroo Sasaki, Takashi Miyata, Yoshinori Yasuda, Tomoko Kobayashi, Mariko Sugiyama, Takeshi Onoue, Hiroshi Takagi, Daisuke Hagiwara, Shintaro Iwama, Hiroshi Arima
Summary: Restoring the function of the hypothalamus is currently impossible when damaged, and the existence of neural stem cells in the hypothalamus is unclear. However, studies have shown that rodent tanycytes around the third ventricle function as hypothalamic neural stem cell-like cells. Therefore, this study aimed to generate hypothalamic neural stem cell-like cells from human embryonic stem cells.
Article
Neurosciences
Roxane Pasquettaz, Irina Kolotuev, Antoine Rohrbach, Cathy Gouelle, Luc Pellerin, Fanny Langlet
Summary: The study investigates the neuroanatomical associations between tanycytes and neural cells, particularly in the arcuate nucleus. Tanycytes were found to have subcellular protrusions contacting different neural cells, including NPY and POMC neurons in the arcuate nucleus. The protrusions were observed to contain ribosomes, mitochondria, vesicles, and transporters, indicating dense communications between tanycytes, neurons, and blood vessels.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Seongjin Park, Karine Prevost, Emily M. Heideman, Marie-Claude Carrier, Muhammad S. Azam, Matthew A. Reyer, Wei Liu, Eric Masse, Jingyi Fei
Summary: RNA-binding protein Hfq plays a crucial role in post-transcriptional gene regulation in bacteria, with widespread mRNA-binding activity. Short RNAs can either form a ternary complex with mRNA on Hfq or displace mRNA from Hfq in a binding face-dependent manner. Hfq binding to certain mRNAs through its distal face can recruit RNase E to promote mRNA turnover.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Chong Li, Qi Li, Jing Li, Na Zhang, Yuanfang Li, Yijie Li, Hong Li, Fengbin Yan, Xiangtao Kang, Xiaojun Liu, Kui Li, Yadong Tian
Summary: The study found that adiponectin and its receptors are widely expressed in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis of laying hens, with high expression in the hypothalamus. Adiponectin and AdipoR2 were localized in major hypothalamic nuclei regulating food intake and energy balance, while AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 were localized in basal cells in the ovaries.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Magdiel Salgado, Roberto Elizondo-Vega, Pablo S. Villar, Macarena Konar, Scarlet Gallegos, Estefania Tarifeno-Saldivia, Patricia Luz-Crawford, Luis G. Aguayo, Ricardo C. Araneda, Elena Uribe, Maria Angeles Garcia-Robles
Summary: This study investigates the role of glucokinase regulatory protein (GKRP) in metabolic regulation and feeding behavior. The results suggest that GKRP can modulate tanycyte-neuron metabolic communication to regulate feeding behavior, and it may serve as a therapeutic target for enhancing satiety in patients with obesity.
Article
Biology
Claudio Andres Carril Pardo, Laura Massoz, Marie A. Dupont, David Bergemann, Jordane Bourdouxhe, Arnaud Lavergne, Estefania Tarifeno-Saldivia, Christian S. M. Helker, Didier Y. R. Stainier, Bernard Peers, Marianne M. Voz, Isabelle Manfroid
Summary: Studying zebrafish, which have a high regenerative capacity, researchers found that most new insulin cells formed after beta-cell destruction differ from the original beta-cells as they coexpress Somatostatin and Insulin. These abundant and functional bihormonal cells were able to normalize glycemia and contribute to diabetes recovery.
Article
Cell Biology
Tamara Marin, Andres E. Dulcey, Fabian Campos, Catalina de la Fuente, Mariana Acuna, Juan Castro, Claudio Pinto, Maria Jose Yanez, Cristian Cortez, David W. McGrath, Pablo J. Saez, Kirill Gorshkov, Wei Zheng, Noel Southall, Maria Carmo-Fonseca, Juan Marugan, Alejandra R. Alvarez, Silvana Zanlungo
Summary: Niemann-Pick type A (NPA) disease is a fatal lysosomal neurodegenerative disorder. Recent studies have shown that c-Abl tyrosine kinase activity plays a role in neuronal damage and death in NPA disease. There is potential for the use of c-Abl inhibitors in the clinical treatment of NPA patients.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Jose Yanez, Andrea Leiva
Summary: The placenta plays a crucial role in cholesterol biosynthesis, metabolism, and exchange between the maternal and fetal compartments. The mechanisms of cholesterol uptake and intracellular traffic in placental cells are not fully understood. Proteins such as LDLR, SR-BI, ABCA1, and ABCG1 are involved in the transport of cholesterol. The role of proteins related to intracellular cholesterol traffic in placental cells during normal and pathological pregnancies is still largely unknown. Oxidative stress induced by ROS has been implicated in lysosomal and mitochondrial dysfunction in hypercholesterolemic pregnancies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria-Soledad Orellana, Gonzalo A. Jana, Maximiliano Figueroa, Jose Martinez-Oyanedel, Fabiola E. Medina, Estefania Tarifeno-Saldivia, Marcell Gatica, Maria Angeles Garcia-Robles, Nelson Carvajal, Elena Uribe
Summary: Arginase and agmatinase have similarities, but show different specificities for their substrates, with loop A and loop B playing crucial roles in the specificity of arginase.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Karina Oyarce, Maria Yamila Cepeda, Raul Lagos, Camila Garrido, Ana Maria Vega-Letter, Maria Garcia-Robles, Patricia Luz-Crawford, Roberto Elizondo-Vega
Summary: This article reviews the effects of exosomes derived from glial cells on neurons and other glia in the context of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation, as well as how specific stress stimuli and pathological conditions can alter exosome secretion levels and properties.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Antonia Recabal, Sergio Lopez, Magdiel Salgado, Alejandra Palma, Ana M. Obregon, Roberto Elizondo-Vega, Juan C. Saez, Maria A. Garcia-Robles
Summary: Radial glia-like cells in the hypothalamus and dorsal vagal complex are neural precursors that can detect blood-borne nutrients and hormones and increase their proliferation in response to a high-fat diet. This study found that a short-term high sucrose diet can also increase the proliferation of these precursors, while fructose alone does not have the same effect as glucose.
Review
Neurosciences
Nohela B. Arevalo, Cristian M. Lamaizon, Viviana A. Cavieres, Patricia V. Burgos, Alejandra R. alvarez, Maria J. Yanez, Silvana Zanlungo
Summary: Gaucher disease (GD) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the GBA1 gene, leading to GluCer accumulation in lysosomes. Previous studies have focused on lysosomal dysfunction, but recent evidence suggests alterations in other organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. This review collects evidence of organelle dysfunction beyond lysosomes in neuronopathic Gaucher disease (nGD).
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. J. Barahona, F. Langlet, G. Labouebe, S. Croizier, A. Picard, Bernard Thorens, Maria A. Garcia-Robles
Summary: This study found that a GLUT2-dependent glucose-sensing mechanism in GFAP-positive tanycytes is crucial for the normal regulation of feeding behavior. Inactivation of GLUT2 in GFAP-positive tanycytes led to delayed meal initiation and decreased food intake after fasting. The loss of glucose sensing also resulted in an increase in c-Fos-positive cells in the ventromedial nucleus and deregulation of Pomc expression in the fasting-to-refeeding transition.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Daniela A. Gutierrez, America Chandia-Cristi, Maria Jose Yanez, Silvana Zanlungo, Alejandra R. Alvarez
Summary: This review focuses on the role of the non-receptor tyrosine kinase c-Abl in synaptic and neuronal functions. It has been found that the activation of c-Abl can be detrimental to neurons and may promote the development of neurodegenerative diseases. However, c-Abl activity plays a pivotal role in healthy synaptic plasticity, dendritic spine remodeling, and gene expression regulation after cognitive training.
NEURAL REGENERATION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roberto Amigo, Fernanda Raiqueo, Estefania Tarifeno, Carlos Farkas, Jose L. Gutierrez
Summary: The establishment and maintenance of nucleosome-free regions (NFRs) are essential processes in chromatin dynamics. This study investigates the role of transcription factors, chromatin remodeling complexes, and DNA sequences, particularly poly(dA:dT) tracts, in nucleosome remodeling. The results show that poly(dA:dT) tracts have differential effects on the activity of chromatin remodeling complexes and affect the directionality of nucleosome sliding. These findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying asymmetrical chromatin opening around poly(dA:dT) tracts.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Carolina Pradenas, Noymar Luque-Campos, Karina Oyarce, Rafael Contreras-Lopez, Felipe A. Bustamante-Barrientos, Andres Bustos, Felipe Galvez-Jiron, Maria Jesus Araya, Catalina Asencio, Raul Lagos, Yeimi Herrera-Luna, Daouda Abba Moussa, Charlotte Nicole Hill, Eliana Lara-Barba, Claudia Altamirano, Alexander Ortloff, Yessia Hidalgo-Fadic, Ana Maria Vega-Letter, Maria de los angeles Garcia-Robles, Farida Djouad, Patricia Luz-Crawford, Roberto Elizondo-Vega
Summary: This study reveals that lactate can act as a functional suppressive molecule and contributes to the enhanced immunosuppressive properties of glycolytic MSCs.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Ana M. Obregon, Karina Oyarce, Maria A. Garcia-Robles, Macarena Valladares, Paulina Pettinelli, Gary S. Goldfield
Summary: The study found an association between the DRD2 polymorphism (rs1800497) and eating behavior, food reinforcement, and food addiction in Chilean adults, with obese women carrying the A1 allele at higher risk.
EATING AND WEIGHT DISORDERS-STUDIES ON ANOREXIA BULIMIA AND OBESITY
(2022)