The Map3k12 (Dlk)/JNK3 signaling pathway is required for pancreatic beta-cell proliferation during postnatal development.

Unveiling the key pathways underlying postnatal beta-cell proliferation can be instrumental to decipher the mechanisms of beta-cell mass plasticity to increased physiological demand of insulin during weight gain and pregnancy. Using transcriptome and global Serine Threonine Kinase activity (STK) analyses of islets from newborn (10 days old) and adult rats, we found that highly proliferative neonatal rat islet cells display a substantially elevated activity of the mitogen activated protein 3 kinase 12, also called dual leucine zipper-bearing kinase (Dlk). As a key upstream component of the c-Jun amino terminal kinase (Jnk) pathway, Dlk overexpression was associated with increased Jnk3 activity and was mainly localized in the beta-cell cytoplasm. We provide the evidence that Dlk associates with and activates Jnk3, and that this cascade stimulates the expression of Ccnd1 and Ccnd2, two essential cyclins controlling postnatal beta-cell replication. Silencing of Dlk or of Jnk3 in neonatal islet cells dramatically hampered primary beta-cell replication and the expression of the two cyclins. Moreover, the expression of Dlk, Jnk3, Ccnd1 and Ccnd2 was induced in high replicative islet beta cells from ob/ob mice during weight gain, and from pregnant female rats. In human islets from non-diabetic obese individuals, DLK expression was also cytoplasmic and the rise of the mRNA level was associated with an increase of JNK3, CCND1 and CCND2 mRNA levels, when compared to islets from lean and obese patients with diabetes. In conclusion, we find that activation of Jnk3 signalling by Dlk could be a key mechanism for adapting islet beta-cell mass during postnatal development and weight gain.

Generation of an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from a patient with maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 3 (MODY3) carrying a hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-alpha (HNF1A) mutation.

Heterozygous non-synonymous (p.S142F) mutation in HNF1A leads to maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) type 3, which is a subtype of dominant inherited young-onset non-autoimmune diabetes due to the defect of insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. We generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a patient with HNF1A p.S142F mutation. Cells from this patient, which were reprogrammed by non-integrative viral transduction had normal karyotype, harboured the HNF1A p.S142F mutation, expressed pluripotency hallmarks.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Links Oxidative Stress to Impaired Pancreatic Beta-Cell Function Caused by Human Oxidized LDL.

Elevated plasma concentration of the pro-atherogenic oxidized low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) triggers adverse effects in pancreatic beta-cells and is associated with type 2 diabetes. Here, we investigated whether the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a key player coupling oxidative stress to beta-cell dysfunction and death elicited by human oxidized LDL. We found that human oxidized LDL activates ER stress as evidenced by the activation of the inositol requiring 1α, and the elevated expression of both DDIT3 (also called CHOP) and DNAJC3 (also called P58IPK) ER stress markers in isolated human islets and the mouse insulin secreting MIN6 cells. Silencing of Chop and inhibition of ER stress markers by the chemical chaperone phenyl butyric acid (PBA) prevented cell death caused by oxidized LDL. Finally, we found that oxidative stress accounts for activation of ER stress markers induced by oxidized LDL. Induction of Chop/CHOP and p58IPK/P58IPK by oxidized LDL was mimicked by hydrogen peroxide and was blocked by co-treatment with the N-acetylcystein antioxidant. As a conclusion, the harmful effects of oxidized LDL in beta-cells requires ER stress activation in a manner that involves oxidative stress. This mechanism may account for impaired beta-cell function in diabetes and can be reversed by antioxidant treatment.

Islet Brain 1 Protects Insulin Producing Cells against Lipotoxicity.

Chronic intake of saturated free fatty acids is associated with diabetes and may contribute to the impairment of functional beta cell mass. Mitogen activated protein kinase 8 interacting protein 1 also called islet brain 1 (IB1) is a candidate gene for diabetes that is required for beta cell survival and glucose-induced insulin secretion (GSIS). In this study we investigated whether IB1 expression is required for preserving beta cell survival and function in response to palmitate. Chronic exposure of MIN6 and isolated rat islets cells to palmitate led to reduction of the IB1 mRNA and protein content. Diminution of IB1 mRNA and protein level relied on the inducible cAMP early repressor activity and proteasome-mediated degradation, respectively. Suppression of IB1 level mimicked the harmful effects of palmitate on the beta cell survival and GSIS. Conversely, ectopic expression of IB1 counteracted the deleterious effects of palmitate on the beta cell survival and insulin secretion. These findings highlight the importance in preserving the IB1 content for protecting beta cell against lipotoxicity in diabetes.

Influence of the cis-9, cis-12 and cis-15 double bond position in octadecenoic acid (18:1) isomers on the rat FADS2-catalyzed Δ6-desaturation.

Oleic (cis9-18:1), linoleic (cis9,cis12-18:2) and α-linolenic (cis9,cis12,cis15-18:3) acids are well described substrates of the Δ6-desaturase encoded by the mammalian fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2) gene. In addition, at least 9 other very structurally different fatty acids have been shown to be Δ6- or even Δ8-desaturated by the FADS2 protein. A better characterization of the substrate specificity of this enzyme is therefore needed. By using commercial cis9-18:1 and chemically synthesized cis12- and cis15-18:1 (sharing the n-6 double bond with 18:2 n-6 and the n-3 double bond with 18:3 n-3, respectively), we tried to decrypt the fatty acid structure driving the FADS2 substrate affinity. We first showed that both recombinant and native rat FADS2 were able to Δ6-desaturate not only the cis9- but also the cis12- and cis15-18:1 isomers. Next, the inhibitory effect of increasing concentrations of each 18:1 isomer was investigated in vitro on the Δ6-desaturation of α-linolenic acid. At equimolar inhibitor/substrate ratio (60 µM), the cis9-18:1 exhibited a significantly higher inhibition (25%) than the cis12- (8%) and cis15-18:1 (5%). This study shows that a single cis double bond in 12- or 15-position in 18:1 is enough to make them low Δ6-desaturable substrates. If a preexisting cis9-double bond is not absolutely required for the Δ6-desaturation of octadecenoic acids, its presence is however crucial to explain the higher enzyme affinity. Compared with oleic acid, the additional presence of a cis12-double bond in linoleic acid increased its inhibitory effect on the Δ6-desaturation of α-linolenic acid at low concentration (30 µM) but not at higher concentrations (60 and 120 µM). In this classification of the decreasing impact of the double bond when it comes closer to the methyl end of octadecenoic acids, the cis11-18:1 (cis-vaccenic acid) should be considered apart since it is itself not Δ6-desaturated but still a good competitive inhibitor of the α-linolenic acid Δ6-desaturation.

JNK3 is required for the cytoprotective effect of exendin 4.

Preservation of beta cell against apoptosis is one of the therapeutic benefits of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) antidiabetic mimetics for preserving the functional beta cell mass exposed to diabetogenic condition including proinflammatory cytokines. The mitogen activated protein kinase 10 also called c-jun amino-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) plays a protective role in insulin-secreting cells against death caused by cytokines. In this study, we investigated whether the JNK3 expression is associated with the protective effect elicited by the GLP1 mimetic exendin 4. We found an increase in the abundance of JNK3 in isolated human islets and INS-1E cells cultured with exendin 4. Induction of JNK3 by exendin 4 was associated with an increased survival of INS-1E cells. Silencing of JNK3 prevented the cytoprotective effect of exendin 4 against apoptosis elicited by culture condition and cytokines. These results emphasize the requirement of JNK3 in the antiapoptotic effects of exendin 4.

Myristic acid increases dihydroceramide Δ4-desaturase 1 (DES1) activity in cultured rat hepatocytes.

Dihydroceramide Δ4-desaturase 1 (DES1) catalyzes the last step of the de novo ceramide biosynthesis, which consists of the introduction of a trans Δ4-double bond in the carbon chain of the dihydroceramide. It was previously observed that myristic acid binds DES1 through N-myristoylation. This N-terminal modification significantly increased the activity of the recombinant DES1 in COS-7 cells and targeted part of the enzyme initially present in the endoplasmic reticulum to the mitochondrial outer membrane, leading to an increase in ceramide levels. Since these results were obtained in a recombinant COS-7 cell model with high expression of rat DES1, the purpose of the present study was to investigate if the native DES1 enzyme was really upregulated by its N-myristoylation in cultured rat hepatocytes. We first showed that DES1 was the main dihydroceramide desaturase isoform expressed in rat hepatocytes. In this model, the wild-type myristoylable recombinant form of rat DES1 was found in both the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria whereas the mutated non-myristoylable recombinant form (N-terminal glycine replaced by an alanine) was almost exclusively localized in the endoplasmic reticulum, which evidenced the importance of the myristoylation. Then, we showed that compared to other fatty acids, myristic acid was the only one to increase native DES1 activity, in both total cell lysates and mitochondrial fractions. The myristic acid-associated increase in DES1 activity was not linked to elevated mRNA or protein expression but more likely to its N-terminal myristoylation. Finally, the myristic acid-associated increase in DES1 activity slightly enhanced the number of apoptotic cells.