The Link between Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease and Chromosomal Instability: Exploring the Relationship.

In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) with germline mutations in a PKD1 or PKD2 gene, innumerable cysts develop from tubules, and renal function deteriorates. Second-hit somatic mutations and renal tubular epithelial (RTE) cell death are crucial features of cyst initiation and disease progression. Here, we use established RTE lines and primary ADPKD cells with disease-associated PKD1 mutations to investigate genomic instability and DNA damage responses. We found that ADPKD cells suffer severe chromosome breakage, aneuploidy, heightened susceptibility to DNA damage, and delayed checkpoint activation. Immunohistochemical analyses of human kidneys corroborated observations in cultured cells. DNA damage sensors (ATM/ATR) were activated but did not localize at nuclear sites of damaged DNA and did not properly activate downstream transducers (CHK1/CHK2). ADPKD cells also had the ability to transform, as they achieved high saturation density and formed colonies in soft agar. Our studies indicate that defective DNA damage repair pathways and the somatic mutagenesis they cause contribute fundamentally to the pathogenesis of ADPKD. Acquired mutations may alternatively confer proliferative advantages to the clonally expanded cell populations or lead to apoptosis. Further understanding of the molecular details of aberrant DNA damage responses in ADPKD is ongoing and holds promise for targeted therapies.

Dual roles of myocardial mitochondrial AKT on diabetic cardiomyopathy and whole body metabolism.

BACKGROUND: The PI3K/AKT pathway transduces the majority of the metabolic actions of insulin. In addition to cytosolic targets, insulin-stimulated phospho-AKT also translocates to mitochondria in the myocardium. Mouse models of diabetes exhibit impaired mitochondrial AKT signaling but the implications of this on cardiac structure and function is unknown. We hypothesized that loss of mitochondrial AKT signaling is a critical step in cardiomyopathy and reduces cardiac oxidative phosphorylation. METHODS: To focus our investigation on the pathophysiological consequences of this mitochondrial signaling pathway, we generated transgenic mouse models of cardiac-specific, mitochondria-targeting, dominant negative AKT1 (CAMDAKT) and constitutively active AKT1 expression (CAMCAKT). Myocardial structure and function were examined using echocardiography, histology, and biochemical assays. We further investigated the underlying effects of mitochondrial AKT1 on mitochondrial structure and function, its interaction with ATP synthase, and explored in vivo metabolism beyond the heart. RESULTS: Upon induction of dominant negative mitochondrial AKT1, CAMDAKT mice developed cardiac fibrosis accompanied by left ventricular hypertrophy and dysfunction. Cardiac mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation efficiency and ATP content were reduced, mitochondrial cristae structure was lost, and ATP synthase structure was compromised. Conversely, CAMCAKT mice were protected against development of diabetic cardiomyopathy when challenged with a high calorie diet. Activation of mitochondrial AKT1 protected cardiac function and increased fatty acid uptake in myocardium. In addition, total energy expenditure was increased in CAMCAKT mice, accompanied by reduced adiposity and reduced development of fatty liver. CONCLUSION: CAMDAKT mice modeled the effects of impaired mitochondrial signaling which occurs in the diabetic myocardium. Disruption of this pathway is a key step in the development of cardiomyopathy. Activation of mitochondrial AKT1 in CAMCAKT had a protective role against diabetic cardiomyopathy as well as improved metabolism beyond the heart.

BRCA1 the Versatile Defender: Molecular to Environmental Perspectives.

The evolving history of BRCA1 research demonstrates the profound interconnectedness of a single protein within the web of crucial functions in human cells. Mutations in BRCA1, a tumor suppressor gene, have been linked to heightened breast and ovarian cancer risks. However, despite decades of extensive research, the mechanisms underlying BRCA1's contribution to tissue-specific tumor development remain elusive. Nevertheless, much of the BRCA1 protein's structure, function, and interactions has been elucidated. Individual regions of BRCA1 interact with numerous proteins to play roles in ubiquitination, transcription, cell checkpoints, and DNA damage repair. At a cellular scale, these BRCA1 functions coordinate tumor suppression, R-loop prevention, and cellular differentiation, all of which may contribute to BRCA1's role in cancer tissue specificity. As research on BRCA1 and breast cancer continues to evolve, it will become increasingly evident that modern materials such as Bisphenol A should be examined for their relationship with DNA stability, cancer incidence, and chemotherapy. Overall, this review offers a comprehensive understanding of BRCA1's many roles at a molecular, cellular, organismal, and environmental scale. We hope that the knowledge gathered here highlights both the necessity of BRCA1 research and the potential for novel strategies to prevent and treat cancer in individuals carrying BRCA1 mutations.

NAD+ consumption by PARP1 in response to DNA damage triggers metabolic shift critical for damaged cell survival.

DNA damage signaling is critical for the maintenance of genome integrity and cell fate decision. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is a DNA damage sensor rapidly activated in a damage dose- and complexity-dependent manner playing a critical role in the initial chromatin organization and DNA repair pathway choice at damage sites. However, our understanding of a cell-wide consequence of its activation in damaged cells is still limited. Using the phasor approach to fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and fluorescence-based biosensors in combination with laser microirradiation, we found a rapid cell-wide increase of the bound NADH fraction in response to nuclear DNA damage, which is triggered by PARP-dependent NAD+ depletion. This change is linked to the metabolic balance shift to oxidative phosphorylation (oxphos) over glycolysis. Inhibition of oxphos, but not glycolysis, resulted in parthanatos due to rapid PARP-dependent ATP deprivation, indicating that oxphos becomes critical for damaged cell survival. The results reveal the novel prosurvival response to PARP activation through a change in cellular metabolism and demonstrate how unique applications of advanced fluorescence imaging and laser microirradiation-induced DNA damage can be a powerful tool to interrogate damage-induced metabolic changes at high spatiotemporal resolution in a live cell.

Mitochondrial Akt Signaling Modulated Reprogramming of Somatic Cells.

The signaling mechanisms controlling somatic cell reprogramming are not fully understood. In this study, we report a novel role for mitochondrial Akt1 signaling that enhanced somatic cell reprogramming efficiency. The role of mitochondrial Akt1 in somatic cell reprogramming was investigated by transducing fibroblasts with the four reprogramming factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc) in conjunction with Mito-Akt1, Mito-dnAkt1, or control virus. Mito-Akt1 enhanced reprogramming efficiency whereas Mito-dnAkt1 inhibited reprogramming. The resulting iPSCs formed embryoid bodies in vitro and teratomas in vivo. Moreover, Oct4 and Nanog promoter methylation was reduced in the iPSCs generated in the presence of Mito-Akt1. Akt1 was activated and translocated into mitochondria after growth factor stimulation in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). To study the effect of mitochondrial Akt in ESCs, a mitochondria-targeting constitutively active Akt1 (Mito-Akt1) was expressed in ESCs. Gene expression profiling showed upregulation of genes that promote stem cell proliferation and survival and down-regulation of genes that promote differentiation. Analysis of cellular respiration indicated similar metabolic profile in the resulting iPSCs and ESCs, suggesting comparable bioenergetics. These findings showed that activation of mitochondrial Akt1 signaling was required during somatic cell reprogramming.

Aberrant DNA damage response and DNA repair pathway in high glucose conditions.

BACKGROUND: Higher cancer rates and more aggressive behavior of certain cancers have been reported in populations with diabetes mellitus. This association has been attributed in part to the excessive reactive oxygen species generated in diabetic conditions and to the resulting oxidative DNA damage. It is not known, however, whether oxidative stress is the only contributing factor to genomic instability in patients with diabetes or whether high glucose directly also affects DNA damage and repair pathways. RESULTS: Normal renal epithelial cells and renal cell carcinoma cells are more chemo- and radiation resistant when cultured in high concentrations of glucose. In high glucose conditions, the CHK1-mediated DNA damage response is not activated properly. Cells in high glucose also have slower DNA repair rates and accumulate more mutations than cells grown in normal glucose concentrations. Ultimately, these cells develop a transforming phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: In high glucose conditions, defective DNA damage responses most likely contribute to the higher mutation rate in renal epithelial cells, in addition to oxidative DNA damage. The DNA damage and repair are normal enzyme dependent mechanisms requiring euglycemic environments. Aberrant DNA damage response and repair in cells grown in high glucose conditions underscore the importance of maintaining good glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus and cancer.

Tracking Functional Tumor Cell Subpopulations of Malignant Glioma by Phasor Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy of NADH.

Intra-tumoral heterogeneity is associated with therapeutic resistance of cancer and there exists a need to non-invasively identify functional tumor subpopulations responsible for tumor recurrence. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) is a metabolic coenzyme essential in cellular respiration. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) of NADH has been demonstrated to be a powerful label-free indicator for inferring metabolic states of living cells. Using FLIM, we identified a significant shift towards longer NADH fluorescence lifetimes, suggesting an increase in the fraction of protein-bound NADH, in the invasive stem-like tumor-initiating cell (STIC) subpopulation relative to the tumor mass-forming cell (TMC) subpopulation of malignant gliomas. By applying our previously studied model to transition glioma from a majority of STIC to a majority of TMC in serum-adherent culture conditions following serial passages, we compared changes in NADH states, cellular respirations (oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis), EGFR expression, and cell-growth speed over passages. We identified a significant positive correlation between free-NADH fraction and cell growth, which was related to an increase of TMC fraction. In comparison, the increase of EGFR and cellular respirations preceded all these changes. In conclusion, FLIM of NADH provides a non-invasive method to monitor the dynamics of tumor heterogeneity before and after treatment.

The role of EGFR double minutes in modulating the response of malignant gliomas to radiotherapy.

EGFR amplification in cells having double minute chromosomes (DM) is commonly found in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM); however, how much it contributes to the current failure to treat GBM successfully is unknown. We studied two syngeneic primary cultures derived from a GBM with and without cells carrying DM, for their differential molecular and metabolic profiles, in vivo growth patterns, and responses to irradiation (IR). Each cell line has a distinct molecular profile consistent with an invasive "go" (with DM) or angiogenic "grow" phenotype (without DM) demonstrated in vitro and in intracranial xenograft models. Cells with DM were relatively radio-resistant and used higher glycolytic respiration and lower oxidative phosphorylation in comparison to cells without them. The DM-containing cell was able to restore tumor heterogeneity by mis-segregation of the DM-chromosomes, giving rise to cell subpopulations without them. As a response to IR, DM-containing cells switched their respiration from glycolic metabolism to oxidative phosphorylation and shifted molecular profiles towards that of cells without DM. Irradiated cells with DM showed the capacity to alter their extracellular microenvironment to not only promote invasiveness of the surrounding cells, regardless of DM status, but also to create a pro-angiogenic tumor microenvironment. IR of cells without DM was found primarily to increase extracellular MMP2 activity. Overall, our data suggest that the DM-containing cells of GBM are responsible for tumor recurrence due to their high invasiveness and radio-resistance and the mis-segregation of their DM chromosomes, to give rise to fast-growing cells lacking DM chromosomes.

Metabolic changes associated with methionine stress sensitivity in MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: The majority of cancer cells have a unique metabolic requirement for methionine that is not observed in normal, non-tumorigenic cells. This phenotype is described as "methionine dependence" or "methionine stress sensitivity" in which cancer cells are unable to proliferate when methionine has been replaced with its metabolic precursor, homocysteine, in cell culture growth media. We focus on the metabolic response to methionine stress in the triple negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468 and its methionine insensitive derivative cell line MDA-MB-468res-R8. RESULTS: Using a variety of techniques including fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and extracellular flux assays, we identified a metabolic down-regulation of oxidative phosphorylation in both MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-468res-R8 cell types when cultured in homocysteine media. Untargeted metabolomics was performed by way of gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry on both cell types cultured in homocysteine media over a period of 2 to 24 h. We determined unique metabolic responses between the two cell lines in specific pathways including methionine salvage, purine/pyrimidine synthesis, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Stable isotope tracer studies using deuterium-labeled homocysteine indicated a redirection of homocysteine metabolism toward the transsulfuration pathway and glutathione synthesis. This data corroborates with increased glutathione levels concomitant with increased levels of oxidized glutathione. Redirection of homocysteine flux resulted in reduced generation of methionine from homocysteine particularly in MDA-MB-468 cells. Consequently, synthesis of the important one-carbon donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) was decreased, perturbing the SAM to S-adenosylhomocysteine ratio in MDA-MB-468 cells, which is an indicator of the cellular methylation potential. CONCLUSION: This study indicates a differential metabolic response between the methionine sensitive MDA-MB-468 cells and the methionine insensitive derivative cell line MDA-MB-468res-R8. Both cell lines appear to experience oxidative stress when methionine was replaced with its metabolic precursor homocysteine, forcing cells to redirect homocysteine metabolism toward the transsulfuration pathway to increase glutathione synthesis. The methionine stress resistant MDA-MB-468res-R8 cells responded to this cellular stress earlier than the methionine stress sensitive MDA-MB468 cells and coped better with metabolic demands. Additionally, it is evident that S-adenosylmethionine metabolism is dependent on methionine availability in cancer cells, which cannot be sufficiently supplied by homocysteine metabolism under these conditions.

Cell context-dependent dual effects of EFEMP1 stabilizes subpopulation equilibrium in responding to changes of in vivo growth environment.

Conflicting functions of EFEMP1 in cancer have been reported. Using two syngeneic glioma cell lines (U251 and U251-NS) carrying two different principal cell subpopulations that express high or low EGFR, and that are able to interconvert via mis-segregation of chromosome 7 (Chr7), we studied EFEMP1's cell-context-dependent functions in regulating subpopulation equilibrium, here defined by the percentage of cells carrying different copies of Chr7. We found that EFEMP1 attenuated levels of EGFR and cellular respiration in high-EGFR-expressing cells, but increased levels of NOTCH1, MMP2, cell invasiveness, and both oxidative phosphorylation and glycolytic respiration in low-EGFR-expressing cells. Consistently, EFEMP1 suppressed intracranial xenograft formation in U251 and promoted its formation in U251-NS. Interestingly, subpopulation equilibria in xenografts of U251-NS without EFEMP1 overexpression were responsive to inoculum size (1, 10 and 100 thousand cells), which may change the tumor-onset environment. It was not observed in xenografts of U251-NS with EFEMP1 overexpression. The anti-EGFR function of EFEMP1 suppressed acceleration of growth of U251-NS, but not the subpopulation equilibrium, when serially passed under a different (serum-containing adherent) culture condition. Overall, the data suggest that the orthotopic environment of the brain tumor supports EFEMP1 in carrying out both its anti-EGFR and pro-invasive/cancer stem cell-transforming functions in the two glioma cell subpopulations during formation of a single tumor, where EFEMP1 stabilizes the subpopulation equilibrium in response to alterations of the growth environment. This finding implies that EFEMP1 may restrain cancer plasticity in coping with ever-changing tumor microenvironments and/or therapeutic-intervention stresses.

Increasing Nucleosome Occupancy Is Correlated with an Increasing Mutation Rate so Long as DNA Repair Machinery Is Intact.

Deciphering the multitude of epigenomic and genomic factors that influence the mutation rate is an area of great interest in modern biology. Recently, chromatin has been shown to play a part in this process. To elucidate this relationship further, we integrated our own ultra-deep sequenced human nucleosomal DNA data set with a host of published human genomic and cancer genomic data sets. Our results revealed, that differences in nucleosome occupancy are associated with changes in base-specific mutation rates. Increasing nucleosome occupancy is associated with an increasing transition to transversion ratio and an increased germline mutation rate within the human genome. Additionally, cancer single nucleotide variants and microindels are enriched within nucleosomes and both the coding and non-coding cancer mutation rate increases with increasing nucleosome occupancy. There is an enrichment of cancer indels at the theoretical start (74 bp) and end (115 bp) of linker DNA between two nucleosomes. We then hypothesized that increasing nucleosome occupancy decreases access to DNA by DNA repair machinery and could account for the increasing mutation rate. Such a relationship should not exist in DNA repair knockouts, and we thus repeated our analysis in DNA repair machinery knockouts to test our hypothesis. Indeed, our results revealed no correlation between increasing nucleosome occupancy and increasing mutation rate in DNA repair knockouts. Our findings emphasize the linkage of the genome and epigenome through the nucleosome whose properties can affect genome evolution and genetic aberrations such as cancer.

Pemphigus vulgaris antibodies target the mitochondrial nicotinic acetylcholine receptors that protect keratinocytes from apoptolysis.

The mechanism of detachment and death of keratinocytes in pemphigus vulgaris (PV) involves pro-apoptotic action of constellations of autoantibodies determining disease severity and response to treatment. The presence of antibodies to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and the therapeutic efficacy of cholinomimetics in PV is well-established. Recently, adsorption of anti-mitochondrial antibodies abolished the ability of PVIgGs to cause acantholysis, demonstrating their pathophysiological significance. Since, in addition to cell membrane, nAChRs are also present on the mitochondrial outer membrane, wherein they act to prevent activation of intrinsic (mitochondrial apoptosis), we hypothesized that mitochondrial (mt)-nAChRs might be targeted by PVIgGs. To test this hypothesis, we employed the immunoprecipitation-western blot assay of keratinocyte mitochondrial proteins that visualized the α3, α5, α7, α9, α10, ß2 and ß4 mt-nAChR subunits precipitated by PV IgGs, suggesting that functions of mt-nAChRs are compromised in PV. To pharmacologically counteract the pro-apoptotic action of anti-mitochondrial antibodies in PV, we exposed naked keratinocyte mitochondria to PVIgGs in the presence of the nicotinic agonist nicotine ± antagonists, and measured cytochrome c (CytC) release. Nicotine abolished PVIgG-dependent CytC release, showing a dose-dependent effect, suggesting that protection of mitochondria can be a novel mechanism of therapeutic action of nicotinic agonists in PV. The obtained results indicated that the mt-nAChRs targeted by anti-mitochondrial antibodies produced by PV patients are coupled to inhibition of CytC release, and that nicotinergic stimulation can abolish PVIgG-dependent activation of intrinsic apoptosis in KCs. Future studies should determine if and how the distinct anti-mt-nAChR antibodies penetrate KCs and correlate with disease severity.

4-Hydroxytamoxifen probes for light-dependent spatiotemporal control of Cre-ER mediated reporter gene expression.

The tamoxifen inducible Cre-ER/loxP system provides tissue specific temporal control of gene recombination events, and can be used to induce expression of reporter genes (e.g. GFP, LacZ) for lineage tracing studies. Cre enzyme fused with estrogen receptor (Cre-ER) is released upon tamoxifen binding, resulting in permanent activation of reporter genes within cells and their progeny. Tamoxifen and its active metabolite, hydroxytamoxifen (4OHT) diffuses rapidly in vivo, making it difficult to restrict labeling to specific locations. In this study, we developed a photocaged 4OHT molecule by covalently attaching 4OHT to an ortho-nitrobenzyl (ONB1) group, rendering 4OHT inactive. Exposure to UV radiation cleaves the bond between ONB1 and 4OHT, freeing the 4OHT to bind Cre-ER to result in downstream genetic recombination and reporter activation. We show that caged ONB1-4OHT crosses the cell membrane and uncages after short UV exposure, resulting in Cre-driven genetic recombination that can be localized to specific regions or tissues. ONB1-4OHT can provide spatial control of reporter activation and be adapted with any existing Cre-ER/loxP based system.

Expression of Nek1 during kidney development and cyst formation in multiple nephron segments in the Nek1-deficient kat2J mouse model of polycystic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Neks, mammalian orthologs of the fungal protein kinase never-in-mitosis A, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of polycystic kidney disease. Among them, Nek1 is the primary protein inactivated in kat2J mouse models of PKD. RESULT: We report the expression pattern of Nek1 and characterize the renal cysts that develop in kat2J mice. Nek1 is detectable in all murine tissues but its expression in wild type and kat2J heterozygous kidneys decrease as the kidneys mature, especially in tubular epithelial cells. In the embryonic kidney, Nek1 expression is most prominent in cells that will become podocytes and proximal tubules. Kidney development in kat2J homozygous mice is aberrant early, before the appearance of gross cysts: developing cortical zones are thin, populated by immature glomeruli, and characterized by excessive apoptosis of several cell types. Cysts in kat2J homozygous mice form postnatally in Bowman's space as well as different tubular subtypes. Late in life, kat2J heterozygous mice form renal cysts and the cells lining these cysts lack staining for Nek1. The primary cilia of cells lining cysts in kat2J homozygous mice are morphologically diverse: in some cells they are unusually long and in others there are multiple cilia of varying lengths. CONCLUSION: Our studies indicate that Nek1 deficiency leads to disordered kidney maturation, and cysts throughout the nephron.

Increased Nek1 expression in renal cell carcinoma cells is associated with decreased sensitivity to DNA-damaging treatment.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a heterogeneous disease with resistance to systemic chemotherapy. Elevated expression of multiple drug resistance (MDR) has been suggested to be one of the mechanisms for this resistance. Here, we provide an alternative mechanism to explain RCC's resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Never-in mitosis A-related protein kinase 1 (Nek1) plays an important role in DNA damage response and proper checkpoint activation. The association of Nek1 with the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC1) is a critical determinant of cell survival following DNA-damaging treatment. We report here that Nek1 is highly expressed in RCC tumor and cultured RCC cells compared to that of normal renal tubular epithelial cells (RTE). The association between Nek1 and VDAC1 is genotoxic dependent: prolonged Nek1/VDAC1 dissociation will lead to VDAC1 dephosphorylation and initiate apoptosis. Down-regulation of Nek1 expression in RCC cells enhanced their sensitivity to DNA-damaging treatment. Collectively, these results suggest that the increased Nek1 expression in RCC cells maintain persistent VDAC1 phosphorylation, closing its channel and preventing the onset of apoptosis under genotoxic insults. Based on these results, we believe that Nek1 can serve as a potential therapeutic target for drug development in the treatment of RCC.

Linking differential radiation responses to glioma heterogeneity.

The phenotypic and genetic diversity that define tumor subpopulations within high-grade glioma can lead to therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence. Given that cranial irradiation is a frontline treatment for malignant glioma, understanding how irradiation selectively effects different cellular subpopulations within these heterogeneous cancers should help identify interventions targeted to better combat this deadly disease. To analyze the radiation response of distinct glioma subpopulations, 2 glioma cells lines (U251, A172) were cultured under conditions that promoted either adherence or non-adherent spheroids. Past work has demonstrated that subpopulations derived from defined culture conditions exhibit differences in karyotype, proliferation, gene expression and tumorigenicity. Spheroid cultures from each of the glioma cell lines were found to be more radiosensitive, which was consistent with higher levels of oxidative stress and lower levels of both oxidative phosphorylation and glycolytic metabolism 1 week following irradiation. In contrast, radioresistant non-spheroid parental cultures showed increased glycolytic activity in response to irradiation, while oxidative phosphorylation was affected to a lesser extent. Overall these data suggest that prolonged radiation-induced oxidative stress can compromise the metabolic state of certain glioma subpopulations thereby altering their sensitivity to an important therapeutic intervention used routinely for the control of glioma.

Protein kinase B (PKB/AKT1) formed signaling complexes with mitochondrial proteins and prevented glycolytic energy dysfunction in cultured cardiomyocytes during ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Our previous studies showed that insulin stimulated AKT1 translocation into mitochondria and modulated oxidative phosphorylation complex V in cardiac muscle. This raised the possibility that mitochondrial AKT1 may regulate glycolytic oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial function in cardiac muscle cells. The aims of this project were to study the effects of mitochondrial AKT1 signaling on cell survival in stressed cardiomyocytes, to define the effect of mitochondrial AKT1 signaling on glycolytic bioenergetics, and to identify mitochondrial targets of AKT1 signaling in cardiomyocytes. Mitochondrial AKT1 signaling played a protective role against apoptosis and necrosis during ischemia-reperfusion stress, suppressed mitochondrial calcium overload, and alleviated mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Activation of AKT1 signaling in mitochondria increased glucose uptake, enhanced respiration efficiency, reduced superoxide generation, and increased ATP production in the cardiomyocytes. Inhibition of mitochondrial AKT attenuated insulin response, indicating that insulin regulation of ATP production required mitochondrial AKT1 signaling. A proteomic approach was used to reveal 15 novel targets of AKT1 signaling in mitochondria, including pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). We have confirmed and characterized the association of AKT1 and PDC subunits and verified a stimulatory effect of mitochondrial AKT1 on the enzymatic activity of PDC. These findings suggested that AKT1 formed protein complexes with multiple mitochondrial proteins and improved mitochondrial function in stressed cardiomyocytes. The novel AKT1 signaling targets in mitochondria may become a resource for future metabolism research.

Impaired translocation and activation of mitochondrial Akt1 mitigated mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation Complex V activity in diabetic myocardium.

Insulin can translocate Akt to mitochondria in cardiac muscle. The goals of this study were to define sub-mitochondrial localization of the translocated Akt, to dissect the effects of insulin on Akt isoform translocation, and to determine the direct effect of mitochondrial Akt activation on Complex V activity in normal and diabetic myocardium. The translocated Akt sequentially localized to the mitochondrial intermembrane space, inner membrane, and matrix. To confirm Akt translocation, in vitro import assay showed rapid entry of Akt into mitochondria. Akt isoforms were differentially regulated by insulin stimulation, only Akt1 translocated into mitochondria. In the insulin-resistant Type 2 diabetes model, Akt1 translocation was blunted. Mitochondrial activation of Akt1 increased Complex V activity by 24% in normal myocardium in vivo and restored Complex V activity in diabetic myocardium. Basal mitochondrial Complex V activity was lower by 22% in the Akt1(-/-) myocardium. Insulin-stimulated Complex V activity was not impaired in the Akt1(-/-) myocardium, due to compensatory translocation of Akt2 to mitochondria. Akt1 is the primary isoform that relayed insulin signaling to mitochondria and modulated mitochondrial Complex V activity. Activation of mitochondrial Akt1 enhanced ATP production and increased phosphocreatine in cardiac muscle cells. Dysregulation of this signal pathway might impair mitochondrial bioenergetics in diabetic myocardium.

Mitochondrial Akt-regulated mitochondrial apoptosis signaling in cardiac muscle cells.

We recently reported translocation and activation of Akt in cardiac mitochondria. This study was to determine whether activation of Akt in mitochondria could inhibit apoptosis of cardiac muscle cells. Insulin stimulation induced translocation of phosphorylated Akt to the mitochondria in primary cardiomyocytes. A mitochondria-targeted constitutively active Akt was overexpressed via adenoviral vector and inhibited efflux of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor from mitochondria to cytosol and partially prevented loss of mitochondria cross-membrane electrochemical gradient. Activation of caspase 3 was suppressed in the cardiomyocytes transduced with mitochondria-targeted active Akt, whereas a mitochondria-targeted dominant negative Akt enhanced activation of caspase 3. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP-mediated nick-end labeling assay showed that mitochondrial activation of Akt significantly reduced the number of apoptotic cells. When the endogenous Akt was abolished by LY294002, the antiapoptotic actions of mitochondrial Akt remained effective. These experiments suggested that mitochondrial Akt suppressed apoptosis signaling independent of cytosolic Akt in cardiac muscle cells.

Mutation of NIMA-related kinase 1 (NEK1) leads to chromosome instability.

BACKGROUND: NEK1, the first mammalian ortholog of the fungal protein kinase never-in-mitosis A (NIMA), is involved early in the DNA damage sensing/repair pathway. A defect in DNA repair in NEK1-deficient cells is suggested by persistence of DNA double strand breaks after low dose ionizing radiation (IR). NEK1-deficient cells also fail to activate the checkpoint kinases CHK1 and CHK2, and fail to arrest properly at G1/S or G2/M-phase checkpoints after DNA damage. RESULTS: We show here that NEK1-deficient cells suffer major errors in mitotic chromosome segregation and cytokinesis, and become aneuploid. These NEK1-deficient cells transform, acquire the ability to grow in anchorage-independent conditions, and form tumors when injected into syngeneic mice. Genomic instability is also manifest in NEK1 +/- mice, which late in life develop lymphomas with a much higher incidence than wild type littermates. CONCLUSION: NEK1 is required for the maintenance of genome stability by acting at multiple junctures, including control of chromosome stability.