Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiuying Liang, Jingwen Sun, Haijing Guan, Qingyu Zhu, Wenjuan Yao
Summary: This study reveals the important role of CtBP1 in the inhibitory effect of Ang II on adipogenesis and the regulation of mature adipocyte function, including promoting adipocyte browning, mitochondrial respiration, and ROS generation.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Hwa-Young Lee, Geum-Hwa Lee, Hwa-Jin Kim, Young Jae Lim, Bo Mi Ko, Do-Sung Kim, Tae Won Kim, Hye Kyung Kim, Tae Young Kim, Dae Il Hwang, Ha Kyoung Choi, Seon Min Ju, Kyung Hyun Min, Han-Jung Chae
Summary: Activating brown adipose tissue and stimulating white adipose tissue browning is a potential method for obesity treatment. Plant-derived dietary components are the most effective approach to achieve this in rodents. This study found that a combination of Panax ginseng and Diospyros kaki leaf extract can inhibit adipogenesis and induce browning in adipocytes through the AMPK/SIRT1 axis. These findings suggest that the use of Panax ginseng and Diospyros kaki leaf extract may be an important strategy for obesity management.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Luis Felipe Galvao Valdivia, Erique Castro, Rosangela Aparecida dos Santos Eichler, Mayara Franzoi Moreno, Erica de Sousa, Giovanna Freitas Rodrigues Jardim, Albert Souza Peixoto, Maria Nathalia Moraes, Ana Maria de Lauro Castrucci, Jan Nedergaard, Natasa Petrovic, William T. Festuccia, Patricia Reckziegel
Summary: This study found that cold acclimation and PPARγ agonism combined have additive effects in increasing UCP1 content and thermogenic capacity in brown and beige adipocytes, but do not increase basal energy expenditure.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Chien-Hsieh Chiang, Ching-Yuan Cheng, Yi-Ting Lien, Kuo-Chin Huang, Wan-Wan Lin
Summary: This study demonstrates that P2X7 enhances lipid accumulation during adipogenesis by suppressing the expression of sirtuin-3/5 and the browning genes.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
D. Halbgebauer, J. Roos, J. B. Funcke, H. Neubauer, B. S. Hamilton, E. Simon, E. Z. Amri, K. M. Debatin, M. Wabitsch, P. Fischer-Posovszky, D. Tews
Summary: This study provides evidence that LTBP3, through TGFI32, plays an important role in promoting brown adipogenesis by modulating UCP1 expression and mitochondrial oxygen consumption. Furthermore, the LTBP3-TGFI32 axis is also implicated in regulating the browning of white adipose tissue.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Girolamo Di Maio, Nicola Alessio, Ibrahim Halil Demirsoy, Gianfranco Peluso, Silverio Perrotta, Marcellino Monda, Giovanni Di Bernardo
Summary: The study identified rosiglitazone and sildenafil as potentially effective drugs for browning treatment in white adipocyte differentiation, but their use may lead to severe side effects.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Hye-Young Joung, Jung-Mi Oh, Min-Suk Song, Young-Bae Kwon, Sungkun Chun
Summary: Obesity is a serious health problem associated with various chronic diseases. Increased MAO activity has been found in the adipose tissue of obese individuals. In this study, the anti-obesity effect of selegiline, a selective MAO-B inhibitor, was investigated using animal models. The results showed that selegiline reduced body weight and fat accumulation, improved glucose metabolism, and increased energy expenditure by promoting browning of white adipose tissue. These findings suggest that selegiline has the potential to be an anti-obesity treatment by inhibiting MAO-B activity.
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Elizabeth Murphy, Julia Liu
Summary: Cardiomyocytes have a high density of mitochondria, which play a crucial role in energy production and cellular functions. The regulation of mitochondrial calcium and reactive oxygen species is important in the development of cardiovascular disease.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Girolamo Di Maio, Nicola Alessio, Gianfranco Peluso, Silverio Perrotta, Marcellino Monda, Giovanni Di Bernardo
Summary: There are two types of fat tissues in mammals: white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). WAT stores excess energy, while BAT uses energy and glucose consumption to maintain body temperature. Under specific stimuli, white adipocytes can transdifferentiate into brown-like cells, called beige adipocytes, through a process known as "browning". Drugs and a muscle protein called IRISIN can induce the browning of white adipocytes. These browning agents have potential therapeutic implications for metabolic diseases and obesity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Yanli Miao, Haojie Qin, Yi Zhong, Kai Huang, Caijun Rao
Summary: This study revealed that the novel adipokine asprosin negatively regulates browning and promotes lipid deposition in adipose tissue through a Nrf2-mediated mechanism. These findings suggest that asprosin may be a promising target for the prevention and treatment of obesity and other metabolic diseases.
JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Danielle L. Avila, Nubia A. M. Nunes, Paulo H. R. F. Almeida, Juliana A. S. Gomes, Carla O. B. Rosa, Jacqueline Alvarez-Leite
Summary: Capsaicin shows promise as an anti-obesity agent, potentially acting through TRPV1 activation and involvement of PPAR pathways. Studies have demonstrated various beneficial effects in obesity models, but further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of action.
ADVANCES IN NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shoma Oki, Sou Kageyama, Yuki Morioka, Takushi Namba
Summary: This study discovers that malonate, a modulator of mitochondrial function, promotes browning of white adipocytes and improves insulin resistance in obesity. By increasing oxygen consumption and inducing the expression of key transcription factors, malonate stimulates the formation of beige and brown adipose tissue, leading to weight loss and improved metabolic health in obese mice. These findings suggest that manipulating mitochondrial function with malonate could be a promising therapeutic approach for obesity.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yupeng Zhu, Zhengtang Qi, Shuzhe Ding
Summary: The effects of exercise on adipose tissue thermogenesis and browning are controversial. This review discusses factors contributing to conflicting experimental results and explains the impact of cellular redox state on thermogenesis. Furthermore, it proposes a network model in which exercise coordinates adipose tissue browning and thermogenesis through multiple pathways and organs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Francesca Pacifici, Gina Malatesta, Caterina Mammi, Donatella Pastore, Vincenzo Marzolla, Camillo Ricordi, Francesca Chiereghin, Marco Infante, Giulia Donadel, Francesco Curcio, Annalisa Noce, Valentina Rovella, Davide Lauro, Manfredi Tesauro, Nicola Di Daniele, Enrico Garaci, Massimiliano Caprio, David Della-Morte
Summary: This study investigated the effects of a natural mixture of polyphenols and micronutrients (A5(+)) on counteracting white adipogenesis and promoting fat browning. The results showed that A5(+) significantly reduced lipids accumulation, inhibited cellular proliferation, and decreased the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, A5(+) promoted fat browning and fatty acid oxidation by increasing the expression of genes related to brown adipose tissue.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manon Delcourt, Virginie Delsinne, Jean-Marie Colet, Anne-Emilie Decleves, Vanessa Tagliatti
Summary: Different carbohydrate supplies induce significant changes in mitochondrial metabolism and function, leading to overall remodeling of adipocyte function and profile during adipogenesis. This study highlights the importance of considering non-carbohydrate related pathways in understanding mitochondrial metabolic function for healthier cellular and mitochondrial adaptations.
Article
Oncology
Shiva Bamezai, Deniz Demir, Alex Jose Pulikkottil, Fabio Ciccarone, Elena Fischbein, Amit Sinha, Chiara Borga, Geertruy te Kronnie, Lueder-Hinrich Meyer, Fabian Mohr, Maria Goetze, Paola Caiafa, Klaus-Michael Debatin, Konstanze Doehner, Hartmut Doehner, Irene Gonzalez-Menendez, Leticia Quintanilla-Fend, Tobias Herold, Irmela Jeremias, Michaela Feuring-Buske, Christian Buske, Vijay P. S. Rawat
Summary: TET1 is highly expressed in T-ALL and plays a crucial role in promoting leukemic growth by maintaining global 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) marks to regulate cell cycle, DNA repair genes, and oncogenes. PARP enzymes participate in establishing H3K4me3 marks at the TET1 promoter and PARP inhibitor Olaparib can antagonize the growth-promoting role of TET1 in T-ALL by inducing loss of 5hmC marks.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Giada Bianchetti, Fabio Ciccarone, Maria Rosa Ciriolo, Marco De Spirito, Giovambattista Pani, Giuseppe Maulucci
Summary: Autofluorescence microscopy can characterize NADH and FAD metabolites in live cells, and an artificial intelligence-based analysis can help detect and classify metabolic clusters at a pixel level, providing insights into metabolic changes and activation state. This approach has been applied to study metabolic changes in breast cancer cells and shows potential for understanding cellular metabolism alterations at a microscale level.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Serena Castelli, Fabio Ciccarone, Daniela Tavian, Maria Rosa Ciriolo
Summary: Boosting lipid catabolism by over-expressing ATGL has been shown to promote tumor growth in cervical cancer cells through ROS production and HIF1 alpha induction. This suggests that ATGL could be a potential prognostic marker for cervical cancer and may lead to the development of personalized therapies targeting ROS content and ATGL activity.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Maria Giulia Bacalini, Anna Reale, Marco Malavolta, Fabio Ciccarone, Maria Moreno-Villanueva, Martijn E. T. Dolle, Eugene Jansen, Tilman Grune, Efstathios S. Gonos, Christiane Schoen, Juergen Bernhardt, Beatrix Grubeck-Loebenstein, Ewa Sikora, Olivier Toussaint, Florence Debacq-Chainiaux, Miriam Capri, Antti Hervonen, Mikko Hurme, P. Eline Slagboom, Nicolle Breusing, Valentina Aversano, Stefano Tagliatesta, Claudio Franceschi, Maria A. Blasco, Alexander Buerkle, Paola Caiafa, Michele Zampieri
Summary: The study found that changes in subtelomeric DNA methylation correlate with ageing progression, with linear changes observed in the general population, slower changes in the offspring of centenarians, and accelerated changes in Down syndrome individuals. These findings suggest that subtelomeric DNA methylation changes are a typical sign of ageing. Additionally, the effects of age on subtelomeric DNA methylation are mostly independent of other variables evaluated, including demographics and dietary/health habits.
Article
Cell Biology
Sara Baldelli, Dolores Limongi, Cristiana Coni, Fabio Ciccarone, Marco Ciotti, Paola Checconi, Anna Teresa Palamara, Maria Rosa Ciriolo
Summary: This study investigated the carcinogenic potential and molecular mechanism of BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) in human embryonic kidney 293 (Hek293) cells. The results showed that the HSF1-Hsp27 signaling pathway participates in BKPyV infection and cell replication, potentially contributing to cellular transformation.
OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Serena Castelli, Pamela De Falco, Fabio Ciccarone, Enrico Desideri, Maria Rosa Ciriolo
Summary: The Warburg effect is a major hallmark of cancer, where glycolysis is utilized as a source of ATP under normoxia. Fatty acid oxidation is efficient in energy supply but harmful due to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The heterogeneity in cancer's metabolic adaptations partly comes from the ability to cope with pro-oxidant compounds, like ROS.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Serena Castelli, Enrico Desideri, Maria Rosa Ciriolo
Summary: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common and deadly cancer. This study demonstrates that a compound called glycyl-l-phenylalanine 2-naphthylamide (GPN) can induce cell death in HCC cell lines through a caspase-independent mechanism. The MAPK p38 is identified as a novel mediator of the lysosomal stress response. Inhibition of p38 increases cell death caused by GPN. These findings suggest that targeting p38 may enhance the cytotoxic effects of lysosomal damage and induce caspase-independent cell death in HCC cells, providing a potential strategy for combination therapy.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Francesco Ravaioli, Michele Zampieri, Luca Morandi, Chiara Pirazzini, Camilla Pellegrini, Sara De Fanti, Noemie Gensous, Gian Luca Pirazzoli, Luisa Sambati, Alessandro Ghezzo, Fabio Ciccarone, Anna Reale, Daniela Monti, Stefano Salvioli, Paola Caiafa, Miriam Capri, Alexander Buerkle, Maria Moreno-Villanueva, Paolo Garagnani, Claudio Franceschi, Maria Giulia Bacalini
Summary: This study investigated the DNA methylation and RNA expression levels of rDNA genes in adults with Down syndrome (DS). The results showed that the promoter region of rDNA tends to be hypermethylated in DS, leading to lower intra-individual diversity and lower RNA expression levels. These findings suggest a rearrangement of the epigenetic profile of rDNA in DS to compensate for the excess rDNA copies.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Sara Iachettini, Fabio Ciccarone, Carmen Maresca, Carmen D' Angelo, Eleonora Petti, Serena Di Vito, Maria Rosa Ciriolo, Pasquale Zizza, Annamaria Biroccio
Summary: TERF2 is a telomeric protein that plays a crucial role in tumor formation and progression. This study uncovers a novel function of TERF2 in regulating the autophagic process and reveals its interaction with HMGB1 as functional for protein localization.
Article
Oncology
Serena Castelli, Fabio Ciccarone, Pamela De Falco, Maria Rosa Ciriolo
Summary: Alterations in lipid catabolism have specific effects on cancer cell proliferation and survival. This study found that the antioxidant adaptation of cancer cells to increased fatty acid oxidation is predictive of their proliferative outcome. Mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation has antitumor effects in cancer cells with efficient ROS buffering, while increased ROS levels promote proliferation in cells with an imbalanced antioxidant response.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paola Checconi, Cristiana Coni, Dolores Limongi, Sara Baldelli, Fabio Ciccarone, Marta De Angelis, Manuela Mengozzi, Pietro Ghezzi, Maria Rosa Ciriolo, Lucia Nencioni, Anna Teresa Palamara
Summary: Redox modifications, including glutathionylation, play important roles during viral infection. The study reveals that influenza virus infection induces protein glutathionylation and that glutaredoxin-mediated deglutathionylation is crucial for the viral life cycle. These findings contribute to the understanding of redox regulation in influenza virus replication and may help identify new targets for controlling respiratory viral infections.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pamela De Falco, Giacomo Lazzarino, Federica Felice, Enrico Desideri, Serena Castelli, Illari Salvatori, Fabio Ciccarone, Maria Rosa Ciriolo
Summary: N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is synthesized by the mitochondrial enzyme NAT8L using acetyl-CoA and aspartate as substrates. The modulation of NAT8L expression has been found to affect the metabolic adaptations and proliferative capability of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. NAT8L downregulation increases cell proliferation, while over-expression decreases cell growth. Mechanistically, NAT8L downregulation promotes aspartate outflow from mitochondria to enhance glucose flux into the pentose phosphate pathway, resulting in increased purine biosynthesis. These findings suggest that NAT8L plays a critical role in regulating cell proliferation through metabolic rewiring.
Review
Oncology
Giulia Pinton, Sara Boumya, Maria Rosa Ciriolo, Fabio Ciccarone
Summary: This review article explores the role of PARP-1 and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in gene expression, DNA repair pathways, and genomic stability, including their impact on chromatin remodelling. The article specifically focuses on how PARP-1 directly modifies histone proteins and enzymes involved in DNA/histone epigenetic modifications to shape chromatin structure during transcription and DNA damage response. Understanding the role of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in regulating chromatin organization could provide insights into resistance mechanisms to PARP inhibitors and the clinical relevance of combining epigenetic drugs.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fabio Ciccarone, Serena Castelli, Giacomo Lazzarino, Silvia Scaricamazza, Renata Mangione, Sergio Bernardini, Savina Apolloni, Nadia D'Ambrosi, Alberto Ferri, Maria Rosa Ciriolo
Article
Cell Biology
Alessandra Dominicis, Alice Del Giovane, Matteo Torreggiani, Antonella Damiana Recchia, Fabio Ciccarone, Maria Rosa Ciriolo, Antonella Ragnini-Wilson
Summary: An unmet clinical goal in demyelinating pathologies is to restore the myelin sheath prior to neural degeneration. Our study investigated the effects of different concentrations of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) on the remyelination properties of oligodendroglial (OL) cells. We found that OL cells respond to decreasing levels of NAA by stimulating differentiation and promoting gene expression of myelin proteins.