Asc-1 regulates white versus beige adipocyte fate in a subcutaneous stromal cell population.

Adipose tissue expansion, as seen in obesity, is often metabolically detrimental causing insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome. However, white adipose tissue expansion at early ages is essential to establish a functional metabolism. To understand the differences between adolescent and adult adipose tissue expansion, we studied the cellular composition of the stromal vascular fraction of subcutaneous adipose tissue of two and eight weeks old mice using single cell RNA sequencing. We identified a subset of adolescent preadipocytes expressing the mature white adipocyte marker Asc-1 that showed a low ability to differentiate into beige adipocytes compared to Asc-1 negative cells in vitro. Loss of Asc-1 in subcutaneous preadipocytes resulted in spontaneous differentiation of beige adipocytes in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, this was mediated by a function of the amino acid transporter ASC-1 specifically in proliferating preadipocytes involving the intracellular accumulation of the ASC-1 cargo D-serine.

Chronic d-serine supplementation impairs insulin secretion.

OBJECTIVE: The metabolic role of d-serine, a non-proteinogenic NMDA receptor co-agonist, is poorly understood. Conversely, inhibition of pancreatic NMDA receptors as well as loss of the d-serine producing enzyme serine racemase have been shown to modulate insulin secretion. Thus, we aim to study the impact of chronic and acute d-serine supplementation on insulin secretion and other parameters of glucose homeostasis. METHODS: We apply MALDI FT-ICR mass spectrometry imaging, NMR based metabolomics, 16s rRNA gene sequencing of gut microbiota in combination with a detailed physiological characterization to unravel the metabolic action of d-serine in mice acutely and chronically treated with 1% d-serine in drinking water in combination with either chow or high fat diet feeding. Moreover, we identify SNPs in SRR, the enzyme converting L-to d-serine and two subunits of the NMDA receptor to associate with insulin secretion in humans, based on the analysis of 2760 non-diabetic Caucasian individuals. RESULTS: We show that chronic elevation of d-serine results in reduced high fat diet intake. In addition, d-serine leads to diet-independent hyperglycemia due to blunted insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. Inhibition of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors rapidly restores glycemia and glucose tolerance in d-serine supplemented mice. Moreover, we show that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SRR as well as in individual NMDAR subunits are associated with insulin secretion in humans. CONCLUSION: Thus, we identify a novel role of d-serine in regulating systemic glucose metabolism through modulating insulin secretion.