PubMed

Cell Mol Life Sci. 2023 Aug 2;80(8):237. doi: 10.1007/s00018-023-04889-3.ABSTRACTLipids in cell membranes and subcellular compartments play essential roles in numerous cellular processes, such as energy production, cell signaling and inflammation. A specific organelle lipidome is characterized by lipid synthesis and metabolism, intracellular trafficking, and lipid homeostasis in the organelle. Over the years, considerable effort has been directed to the identification of the lipid fingerprints of cellular organelles. However, these fingerprints are not fully characterized due to the large variety and structural complexity of lipids and the great variability in the abundance of different lipid species. The process becomes even more challenging when considering that the lipidome differs in health and disease contexts. This review summarizes the information available on the lipid composition of mammalian cell organelles, particularly the lipidome of the nucleus, mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, plasma membrane and organelles in the endocytic pathway. The lipid compositions of extracellular vesicles and lamellar bodies are also described. In addition, several examples of subcellular lipidome dynamics under physiological and pathological conditions are presented. Finally, challenges in mapping organelle lipidomes are discussed.PMID:37530856 | DOI:10.1007/s00018-023-04889-3

J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2023 Aug 3;14(1):97. doi: 10.1186/s40104-023-00900-w.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) is evidenced to be effective in the prevention and alleviation of metabolic disorders, including obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease. However, the role of GBE in alleviating fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) in laying hens and the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Here, we investigated the effects of GBE on relieving FLHS with an emphasis on the modulatory role of GBE in chicken gut microbiota.RESULTS: The results showed that GBE treatment ameliorated biochemical blood indicators in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced FLHS laying hen model by decreasing the levels of TG, TC, ALT and ALP. The lipid accumulation and pathological score of liver were also relieved after GBE treatment. Moreover, GBE treatment enhanced the antioxidant activity of liver and serum by increasing GSH, SOD, T-AOC, GSH-PX and reducing MDA, and downregulated the expression of genes related to lipid synthesis (FAS, LXRα, GPAT1, PPARγ and ChREBP1) and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, TLR4 and NF-κB) in the liver. Microbial profiling analysis revealed that GBE treatment reshaped the HFD-perturbed gut microbiota, particularly elevated the abundance of Megasphaera in the cecum. Meanwhile, targeted metabolomic analysis of SCFAs revealed that GBE treatment significantly promoted the production of total SCFAs, acetate and propionate, which were positively correlated with the GBE-enriched gut microbiota. Finally, we confirmed that the GBE-altered gut microbiota was sufficient to alleviate FLHS by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).CONCLUSIONS: We provided evidence that GBE alleviated FLHS in HFD-induced laying hens through reshaping the composition of gut microbiota. Our findings shed light on mechanism underlying the anti-FLHS efficacy of GBE and lay foundations for future use of GBE as additive to prevent and control FLHS in laying hen industry.PMID:37533076 | DOI:10.1186/s40104-023-00900-w

Sci Rep. 2023 Aug 2;13(1):12497. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-39514-7.ABSTRACTHashimoto thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease characterized by hypothyroidism and a high level of anti-thyroid autoantibodies. It has shown to negatively impact female fertility; however, the mechanisms are unclear. Ovarian follicular fluid appears to be the key to understanding how Hashimoto thyroiditis affecst fertility. Thus, we aimed to evaluated the metabolic profile of follicular fluid and antithyroid autoantibody levels in the context of Hashimoto thyroiditis. We collected follicular fluid from 61 patients, namely 38 women with thyroid autoantibody positivity and 23 women as negative controls, undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment. Follicular fluid samples were analyzed using metabolomics, and thyroid autoantibodies were measured. Fifteen metabolites with higher concentrations in the follicular fluid samples from Hashimoto thyroiditis were identified, comprising five possible affected pathways: the glycerophospholipid, arachidonic acid, linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and sphingolipid metabolism pathways. These pathways are known to regulate ovarian functions. In addition, antithyroglobulin antibody concentrations in both serum and follicular fluid were more than tenfold higher in women with Hashimoto thyroiditis than in controls. Our data showed that the metabolic profile of follicular fluid is altered in women with Hashimoto thyroiditis, suggesting a potential mechanistic explanation for the association of this disease with female infertility.PMID:37532758 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-39514-7

J Atheroscler Thromb. 2023 Aug 2. doi: 10.5551/jat.64135. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAIMS: MND-2119 is a novel once-daily dose self-emulsifying formulation of highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester (EPA-E) and is approved as an antihyperlipidemia agent in Japan. It has improved absorption and achieves higher plasma EPA concentrations at Cmax than conventional EPA-E. In the JELIS trial, concomitant use of EPA-E with statin therapy significantly reduced atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risks. As a potential mechanism of action of EPA, endogenous formation of EPA-derived anti-inflammatory metabolites is receiving greater attention. This study aims to investigate the endogenous formation of EPA-derived anti-inflammatory metabolites following single and multiple administrations of MND-2119.METHODS: Healthy adult male subjects were randomly assigned to a nonintervention (control) group, MND-2119 2-g/day group, MND-2119 4-g/day group, or EPA-E 1.8-g/day group for 7 days (N=8 per group). Plasma fatty acids and EPA-derived metabolites were evaluated. Peripheral blood neutrophils were isolated, and the production of EPA-derived metabolites from in vitro stimulated neutrophils was evaluated.RESULTS: After single and multiple administrations of MND-2119 2 g/day, there were significant increases in plasma EPA concentration, 18-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid (18-HEPE), and 17,18-epoxyeicosatetraenoic acid compared with those of EPA-E 1.8 g/day. They were further increased with MND-2119 4 g/day administration. In neutrophils, the EPA concentration in the MND-2119 2-g/day group was significantly higher compared with that in the EPA-E 1.8-g/day group after multiple administration, and 18-HEPE production was positively correlated with EPA concentration. No safety issues were noted.CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that MND-2119 increases the plasma and cellular concentrations of EPA and EPA-derived metabolites to a greater extent than conventional EPA-E formulations.PMID:37532570 | DOI:10.5551/jat.64135

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Jul 31:165974. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165974. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe abuse of psychoactive substances has led to their frequent detection in the environment, with unknown effects on the nervous system. In this study, zebrafish were exposed to benzodiazepine drug flunitrazepam (FLZ, 0.2 and 5 μg/L) for 30 days to assess its neurotoxicity. Results revealed that FLZ disrupted the balance of gut microbiota and caused an increase in pathogenic bacteria, such as Paracoccus and Aeromonas, leading to pathological damage to the intestine. The upregulation of intestinal pro-inflammatory factors, IL-1β and TNF-α, by 2.4 and 6.3 times, respectively, along with the downregulation of tight junction proteins, Occludin and zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1), by 80 % and 50 %, increased in intestinal permeability. Moreover, untargeted metabolomics demonstrated that FLZ interfered with intestinal nucleotide metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis. FLZ could also increase the levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the brain by 0.9 and 3.4 times, respectively, leading to pathological changes in brain tissue. Furthermore, FLZ significantly disturbed nucleotide metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism pathways in the brain. Correlation analysis between gut microbiota and neurochemicals confirmed that FLZ can induce neurotoxicity through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. These findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms of psychoactive drugs on microbiota-gut-brain axis and provide a theoretical basis for the ecological environmental risk assessment of various psychoactive substances.PMID:37532048 | DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165974

J Proteomics. 2023 Jul 31:104982. doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2023.104982. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTHigh growth rates and body weight are important traits of young dairy goats that can shorten generation intervals, improve animal performance, and increase economic benefits. In the present study, ninety-nine, 6-month-old, female goats were fed with the same diet and kept under the same management condition. The ten goats with highest average daily gain (ADG, HADG, 135.27 ± 4.59 g/d) and ten goats with lowest ADG (LADG, 87.74 ± 3.13 g/d) were selected to identify the key serum metabolites associated with ADG, and to investigate the relationships of serum metabolome profiles with digestive tract microbiota. The results showed that a total of 125 serum metabolites were significantly different between HADG and LADG. Of these, 43 serum metabolites were significantly higher levels in HADG, including D-ornithine, l-glutamine, L-histidine, carnosine, LysoPC (16:1(9Z)/0:0), DCTP and hydroxylysine, while, 82 serum metabolites were significantly higher levels in LADG, including P-salicylic acid and deoxycholic acid 3-glucuronide. Pathway analysis indicated that these different metabolites were mainly involved in amino acid and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed that these differential serum metabolites were correlated with ADG and ADG-related bacteria. Notably, serum hydroxylysine and L-histidine could be used as biomarkers for distinguishing HADG and LADG goats, with an accuracy of >92.0%. SIGNIFICANCE: Our study confirms that individual microbiota and metabolic differences contribute to the variations of growth rate in young goats. Some serum metabolites may be useful in improving the growth performance of young goats, which provides directions for developing further nutritional regulation in the goat industry to achieve healthy feeding and efficiency enhancement.PMID:37532014 | DOI:10.1016/j.jprot.2023.104982

Funct Plant Biol. 2023 Aug 3. doi: 10.1071/FP23049. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTSuaeda salsa is an important salt- and drought-tolerant plant with important ecological restoration roles. However, little is known about its underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, understanding the response mechanisms of plants to salt and drought stress is of great importance. In this study, metabolomics analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of salt and drought stress on S. salsa. The experiment consisted of three treatments: (1) control (CK); (2) salt stress (Ps); and (3) drought stress (Pd). The results showed that compared with the control group, S. salsa showed significant differences in phenotypes under salt and drought stress conditions. First, a total of 207 and 292 differential metabolites were identified in the Ps/CK and Pd/CK groups, respectively. Second, some soluble sugars and amino acids, such as raffinose, maltopentoses, D-altro-beptulose, D-proline, valine-proline, proline, tryptophan and glycine-L-leucine, showed increased activity under salt and drought stress conditions, suggesting that these metabolites may be responsible for salt and drought resistance in S. salsa. Third, the flavonoid biosynthetic and phenylalanine metabolic pathways were significantly enriched under both salt and drought stress conditions, indicating that these two metabolic pathways play important roles in salt and drought stress resistance in S. salsa. The findings of this study provide new insights into the salt and drought tolerance mechanisms of S. salsa.PMID:37531972 | DOI:10.1071/FP23049

J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2023 Jul 27;235:115605. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115605. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIon channels and transporters play key roles in various biological processes, including cell proliferation and programmed cell death. Recently, we reported that 2,4-dinitrobenzene-sulfonyl-protected N1,N3-dihexy-2-hydroxyisophthalamide (1) forms ion channels upon activation by glutathione (GSH) and results in the induction of apoptosis by depleting the intracellular GSH reservoir in cancer cells. However, the detailed molecular events leading to the induction of apoptosis by these synthetic transport systems in cancer cells still need to be uncovered. Along these lines, we investigated the alterations in cellular metabolites and the associated metabolic pathways by performing untargeted global metabolic profiling of breast cancer cells - MCF-7 - using 1H NMR-based metabolomics. The evaluation of spectral profiles from MCF-7 cells exposed to 1 and their comparison with those corresponding to untreated (control) cells identified 14 significantly perturbed signature metabolites. These metabolites belonged mostly to antioxidant defence, energy metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and lipid metabolism pathways and included GSH, o-phosphocholine, malate, and aspartate, to name a few. These results would help us gain deeper insights into the molecular mechanism underlying 1-mediated cytotoxicity of MCF-7 cells and eventually help identify potential novel therapeutic targets for more effective cancer management.PMID:37531734 | DOI:10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115605

Mar Environ Res. 2023 Jul 29;190:106120. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106120. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTToxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) at environmentally relevant concentrations has been received an increasing attention, and their influence on the bioavailability of personal care products has been seldom studied. Here, the toxicity of AgNPs in typical diatom Navicula sp. was explored, and their influence on the bioavailability of typical personal care products such as triclosan (TCS) and galaxolide (HHCB) was also investigated. The underlying toxicity mechanisms were explored using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics. Low concentrations of AgNPs (10 and 50 μg L-1) induced no observable responses of Navicula sp., in terms of growth rate, chlorophyll contents, and malondialdehyde accumulation. Furthermore, low doses of AgNPs could attenuate TCS or HHCB toxicity to Navicula sp., which was mainly attributed to the reduced oxidative stress. Metabolomics revealed that the disruption of DNA or RNA synthesis and instability of cytokinin-like substances may be also the reasons for the toxicity of AgNPs and TCS to Navicula sp. The damaged algal photosynthesis exposed to HHCB may be recovered by AgNPs, and the presence of signal chemicals (dehydrophytosphingosine and cardamonin) also showed a recovered algal growth. These results emphasize the potential of metabolomics to reveal toxicity mechanism, providing a new perspective on the aquatic risk assessment of nanoparticles and emerging organic pollutants.PMID:37531678 | DOI:10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106120

Biomacromolecules. 2023 Aug 2. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00276. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe treatment of posterior eye segment diseases through intravitreal injection requires repeated injections of an active molecule, which may be associated with serious side effects and poor patient compliance. One brilliant strategy to overcome these issues is the use of drug-loaded microparticles for sustained release, aiming at reducing the frequency of injections. Therefore, the aim of this work was to assess the safety features of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based, hyaluronic acid-decorated microparticles loaded with palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), citicoline (CIT), or glial-cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). Microparticles were prepared by double emulsion-solvent evaporation and fully characterized for their technological features. Microparticles possessed a satisfactory safety profile in vitro on human retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells. Interestingly, the administration of free GDNF led to a loss of cell viability, while GDNF sustained release displayed a positive effect in that regard. In vivo results confirmed the safety profile of both empty and loaded microparticles. Overall, the outcomes suggest that the produced microparticles are promising for improving the local administration of neuroprotective molecules. Further studies will be devoted to assess the therapeutic ability of microparticles.PMID:37531486 | DOI:10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00276

Sci Adv. 2023 Aug 2;9(31):eadh2073. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adh2073. Epub 2023 Aug 2.ABSTRACTUbiquitin and ubiquitin-like conjugation cascades consist of dedicated E1, E2, and E3 enzymes with E3s providing substrate specificity. Mass spectrometry-based approaches have enabled the identification of more than 6500 SUMO2/3 target proteins. The limited number of SUMO E3s provides the unique opportunity to systematically study E3 substrate wiring. We developed SUMO-activated target traps (SATTs) and systematically identified substrates for eight different SUMO E3s, PIAS1, PIAS2, PIAS3, PIAS4, NSMCE2, ZNF451, LAZSUL (ZNF451-3), and ZMIZ2. SATTs enabled us to identify 427 SUMO1 and 961 SUMO2/3 targets in an E3-specific manner. We found pronounced E3 substrate preference. Quantitative proteomics enabled us to measure substrate specificity of E3s, quantified using the SATT index. Furthermore, we developed the Polar SATTs web-based tool to browse the dataset in an interactive manner. Overall, we uncover E3-to-target wiring of 1388 SUMO substrates, highlighting unique and overlapping sets of substrates for eight different SUMO E3 ligases.PMID:37531430 | DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adh2073

Plant J. 2023 Aug 2. doi: 10.1111/tpj.16409. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAlthough primary metabolism is well conserved across species, it is useful to explore the specificity of its network to assess the extent to which some pathways may contribute to particular outcomes. Constraint-based metabolic modelling is an established framework for predicting metabolic fluxes and phenotypes and helps to explore how the plant metabolic network delivers specific outcomes from temporal series. After describing the main physiological traits during fruit development, we confirmed the correlations between fruit relative growth rate (RGR), protein content and time to maturity. Then a constraint-based method is applied to a panel of eight fruit species with a knowledge-based metabolic model of heterotrophic cells describing a generic metabolic network of primary metabolism. The metabolic fluxes are estimated by constraining the model using a large set of metabolites and compounds quantified throughout fruit development. Multivariate analyses showed a clear common pattern of flux distribution during fruit development with differences between fast- and slow-growing fruits. Only the latter fruits mobilise the tricarboxylic acid cycle in addition to glycolysis, leading to a higher rate of respiration. More surprisingly, to balance nitrogen, the model suggests, on the one hand, nitrogen uptake by nitrate reductase to support a high RGR at early stages of cucumber and, on the other hand, the accumulation of alkaloids during ripening of pepper and eggplant. Finally, building virtual fruits by combining 12 biomass compounds shows that the growth-defence trade-off is supported mainly by cell wall synthesis for fast-growing fruits and by total polyphenols accumulation for slow-growing fruits.PMID:37531405 | DOI:10.1111/tpj.16409

Cell Rep. 2023 Aug 1;42(8):112899. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112899. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTSmall cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the deadliest human cancers, with a 5-year survival rate of ∼7%. Here, we performed a targeted proteomics analysis of human SCLC samples and thereby identified hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT1) in the salvage purine synthesis pathway as a factor that contributes to SCLC malignancy by promoting cell survival in a glutamine-starved environment. Inhibition of HPRT1 by 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) in combination with methotrexate (MTX), which blocks the de novo purine synthesis pathway, attenuated the growth of SCLC in mouse xenograft models. Moreover, modulation of host glutamine anabolism with the glutamine synthetase inhibitor methionine sulfoximine (MSO) in combination with 6-MP and MTX treatment resulted in marked tumor suppression and prolongation of host survival. Our results thus suggest that modulation of host glutamine anabolism combined with simultaneous inhibition of the de novo and salvage purine synthesis pathways may be of therapeutic benefit for SCLC.PMID:37531252 | DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112899

Chem Res Toxicol. 2023 Aug 2. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00164. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPexidartinib (PEX, TURALIO), a selective and potent inhibitor of the macrophage colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor, has been approved for the treatment of tenosynovial giant cell tumor. However, frequent and severe adverse effects have been reported in the clinic, resulting in a boxed warning on PEX for its risk of liver injury. The mechanisms underlying PEX-related hepatotoxicity, particularly metabolism-related toxicity, remain unknown. In the current study, the metabolic activation of PEX was investigated in human/mouse liver microsomes (HLM/MLM) and primary human hepatocytes (PHH) using glutathione (GSH) and methoxyamine (NH2OMe) as trapping reagents. A total of 11 PEX-GSH and 7 PEX-NH2OMe adducts were identified in HLM/MLM using an LC-MS-based metabolomics approach. Additionally, 4 PEX-GSH adducts were detected in the PHH. CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 were identified as the primary enzymes responsible for the formation of these adducts using recombinant human P450s and CYP3A chemical inhibitor ketoconazole. Overall, our studies suggested that PEX metabolism can produce reactive metabolites mediated by CYP3A, and the association of the reactive metabolites with PEX hepatotoxicity needs to be further studied.PMID:37531179 | DOI:10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00164

Transl Stroke Res. 2023 Aug 2. doi: 10.1007/s12975-023-01181-1. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTApproximately one-quarter of strokes occur in individuals with prior stroke. Despite the advancement in secondary stroke prevention, the long-term risk of recurrent stroke has remained unchanged. The objective of this study was to identify metabolite risk markers that are associated with recurrent stroke. We performed targeted metabolomic profiling of 162 metabolites by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in baseline plasma in a stroke case-cohort study nested within the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, an observational cohort study of 30,239 individuals aged 45 and older enrolled in 2003-2007. Weighted Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify metabolites that had a differential effect on first-time versus recurrent stroke using an interaction term between metabolite and prior stroke at baseline (yes or no). The study included 1391 incident stroke cases identified during 7.1 ± 4.5 years of follow-up and 1050 participants in the random cohort sample. Among 162 metabolites, 13 candidates had a metabolite-by-prior stroke interaction at a p-value <0.05, with one metabolite, acetylglutamine, surpassing the Bonferroni adjusted p-value threshold (p for interaction = 5.78 × 10-5). In an adjusted model that included traditional stroke risk factors, acetylglutamine was associated with recurrent stroke (HR = 2.27 per SD increment, 95% CI = 1.60-3.20, p = 3.52 × 10-6) but not with first-time stroke (HR = 0.96 per SD increment, 95% CI = 0.87-1.06, p = 0.44). Acetylglutamine was associated with recurrent stroke but not first-time stroke, independent of traditional stroke risk factors. Future studies are warranted to elucidate the pathogenesis of acetylglutamine and recurrent stroke risk.PMID:37531033 | DOI:10.1007/s12975-023-01181-1

Metabolomics. 2023 Aug 2;19(8):69. doi: 10.1007/s11306-023-02034-6.ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: Metabolomics produces vast quantities of data but determining which metabolites are the most relevant to the disease or disorder of interest can be challenging.OBJECTIVES: This study sought to demonstrate how behavioral models of psychiatric disorders can be combined with metabolomics research to overcome this limitation.METHODS: We designed a preclinical, untargeted metabolomics procedure, that focuses on the determination of central metabolites relevant to substance use disorders that are (a) associated with changes in behavior produced by acute drug exposure and (b) impacted by repeated drug exposure. Untargeted metabolomics analysis was carried out on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry data obtained from 336 microdialysis samples. Samples were collected from the medial striatum of male Sprague-Dawley (N = 21) rats whilst behavioral data were simultaneously collected as part of a (±)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced behavioral sensitization experiment. Analysis was conducted by orthogonal partial least squares, where the Y variable was the behavioral data, and the X variables were the relative concentrations of the 737 detected features.RESULTS: MDMA and its derivatives, serotonin, and several dopamine/norepinephrine metabolites were the greatest predictors of acute MDMA-produced behavior. Subsequent univariate analyses showed that repeated MDMA exposure produced significant changes in MDMA metabolism, which may contribute to the increased abuse liability of the drug as a function of repeated exposure.CONCLUSION: These findings highlight how the inclusion of behavioral data can guide metabolomics data analysis and increase the relevance of the results to the phenotype of interest.PMID:37530897 | DOI:10.1007/s11306-023-02034-6

J Nat Prod. 2023 Aug 2. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c00371. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe roots of Fibraurea recisa are recognized as a rich source of protoberberine and aporphine alkaloids, but the non-alkaloidal metabolites in this plant are underexplored. The present study investigated the chemical composition of the plant roots using untargeted metabolomics-based molecular networking and MS2LDA motif annotation, revealing the presence of a characteristic fragment motif related to several sinapoyl-functionalized metabolites. Guided by the targeted motif, two new sinapic acid-ecdysteroid hybrids, named 3-O-sinapoyl makisterone A (1) and 2-O-sinapoyl makisterone A (2), were isolated. The structures of these compounds, including their absolute configuration, were elucidated by HR-ESIQTOFMS, MS2 fragmentation, NMR spectroscopy, and chemical degradation coupled with optical rotation measurements. Although neither compound inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production or inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression on lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264 cells, 2 significantly suppressed cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein expression at 1-30 μM. Additionally, decreased expression of COX-2 protein was barely observed after treatment with methyl sinapate or makisterone A, the steroid skeleton of 1 and 2. These results indicated that the presence of the sinapoyl moiety at C-2 on the C28-ecdysteroid skeleton played a key role in the selectivity for the suppression of the COX-2 protein expression.PMID:37530540 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c00371

mBio. 2023 Aug 2:e0319022. doi: 10.1128/mbio.03190-22. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis inserts a family of inclusion membrane (Inc) proteins into the membrane of its vacuole (the inclusion). The Inc CpoS is a critical suppressor of host cellular immune surveillance, but the underlying mechanism remained elusive. By complementing a cpoS mutant with various natural orthologs and variants of CpoS, we linked distinct molecular interactions of CpoS to distinct functions. Unexpectedly, we found CpoS to be essential for the formation of inclusion membrane microdomains that control the spatial organization of multiple Incs involved in signaling and modulation of the host cellular cytoskeleton. While the function of CpoS in microdomains was uncoupled from its role in the suppression of host cellular defenses, we found the ability of CpoS to interact with Rab GTPases to be required not only for the manipulation of membrane trafficking, such as to mediate transport of ceramide-derived lipids (sphingolipids) to the inclusion, but also for the inhibition of Stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-dependent type I interferon responses. Indeed, depletion of Rab35 phenocopied the exacerbated interferon responses observed during infection with CpoS-deficient mutants. Overall, our findings highlight the role of Inc-Inc interactions in shaping the inclusion microenvironment and the modulation of membrane trafficking as a pathogenic immune evasion strategy. IMPORTANCE Chlamydia trachomatis is a prevalent bacterial pathogen that causes blinding ocular scarring and urogenital infections that can lead to infertility and pregnancy complications. Because Chlamydia can only grow within its host cell, boosting the intrinsic defenses of human cells may represent a novel strategy to fight pathogen replication and survival. Hence, CpoS, a Chlamydia protein known to block host cellular defenses, or processes regulated by CpoS, could provide new opportunities for therapeutic intervention. By revealing CpoS as a multifunctional virulence factor and by linking its ability to block host cellular immune signaling to the modulation of membrane trafficking, the present work may provide a foundation for such rationale targeting and advances our understanding of how intracellular bacteria can shape and protect their growth niche.PMID:37530528 | DOI:10.1128/mbio.03190-22

Am J Chin Med. 2023 Aug 2:1-30. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X23500702. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTRhizoma coptidis (CR) is traditionally used for treating gastrointestinal diseases. Wine-processed CR (wCR), zingiber-processed CR (zCR), and evodia-processed CR (eCR) are its major processed products. However, the related study of their specific mechanisms is very limited, and they need to be further clarified. The aim of this study is to compare the intervening mechanism of wCR/zCR/eCR on rats via faecal metabolomics and 16S rDNA gene sequencing analysis. First, faecal samples were collected from the control and CR/wCR/zCR/eCR groups. Then, a metabolomics analysis was performed using UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS to obtain the metabolic profile and significantly altered metabolites. The 16S rDNA gene sequencing analysis was carried out to analyze the composition of gut microbiota and screen out the significantly altered microbiota at the genus level. Finally, a pathway enrichment analysis of the significantly altered metabolites via the KEGG database and a functional prediction of relevant gut microbes based on PICRUSt2 software were performed in combination. Together with the correlation analysis between metabolites and gut microbiota, the potential intervening mechanism of wCR/zCR/eCR was explored. The results suggested that wCR played a good role in maintaining immune homeostasis, promoting glycolysis, and reducing cholesterol; zCR had a better effect on protecting the integrity of the intestinal mucus barrier, preventing gastric ulcers, and reducing body cholesterol; eCR was good at protecting the integrity of the intestinal mucus barrier and promoting glycolysis. This study scientifically elucidated the intervening mechanism of wCR/zCR/eCR from the perspective of faecal metabolites and gut microbiota, providing a new insight into the processing mechanism research of Chinese herbs.PMID:37530506 | DOI:10.1142/S0192415X23500702

Food Funct. 2023 Aug 2. doi: 10.1039/d2fo03709b. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThis study investigated the molecular basis for differences in meat yield and quality between Duroc, Taoyuan black (TB), and Xiangcun black (XB) pigs. The results show that TB pigs have lower carcass weight, lean percentage, pH decline, and glycolytic potential but have higher fat percentage, water- holding capacity, intramuscular fat content, antioxidant capacity, and percentage of slow-twitch fibers than the Duroc pigs. Moreover, muscles of TB pigs have lower protein synthesis and lipolysis gene expression than the muscles of Duroc pigs. Targeted metabolome analysis indicates that 24 metabolites significantly differ among these three pig breeds. Correlation analysis suggests that L-malic acid and β-alanine contents in muscle are closely related to meat quality. These findings suggest that the excellent meat quality of TB pigs is closely related to muscle metabolism and fiber characteristics, while lower protein synthesis and lipolysis may contribute to less meat yield.PMID:37530176 | DOI:10.1039/d2fo03709b