Temporal Control of Mammalian Cortical Neurogenesis by m6A Methylation.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A), installed by the Mettl3/Mettl14 methyltransferase complex, is the most prevalent internal mRNA modification. Whether m6A regulates mammalian brain development is unknown. Here, we show that m6A depletion by Mettl14 knockout in embryonic mouse brains prolongs the cell cycle of radial glia cells and extends cortical neurogenesis into postnatal stages. m6A depletion by Mettl3 knockdown also leads to a prolonged cell cycle and maintenance of radial glia cells. m6A sequencing of embryonic mouse cortex reveals enrichment of mRNAs related to transcription factors, neurogenesis, the cell cycle, and neuronal differentiation, and m6A tagging promotes their decay. Further analysis uncovers previously unappreciated transcriptional prepatterning in cortical neural stem cells. m6A signaling also regulates human cortical neurogenesis in forebrain organoids. Comparison of m6A-mRNA landscapes between mouse and human cortical neurogenesis reveals enrichment of human-specific m6A tagging of transcripts related to brain-disorder risk genes. Our study identifies an epitranscriptomic mechanism in heightened transcriptional coordination during mammalian cortical neurogenesis.

FMRP phosphorylation modulates neuronal translation through YTHDF1.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) control messenger RNA fate in neurons. Here, we report a mechanism that the stimuli-induced neuronal translation is mediated by phosphorylation of a YTHDF1-binding protein FMRP. Mechanistically, YTHDF1 can condense with ribosomal proteins to promote the translation of its mRNA targets. FMRP regulates this process by sequestering YTHDF1 away from the ribosome; upon neuronal stimulation, FMRP becomes phosphorylated and releases YTHDF1 for translation upregulation. We show that a new small molecule inhibitor of YTHDF1 can reverse fragile X syndrome (FXS) developmental defects associated with FMRP deficiency in an organoid model. Our study thus reveals that FMRP and its phosphorylation are important regulators of activity-dependent translation during neuronal development and stimulation and identifies YTHDF1 as a potential therapeutic target for FXS in which developmental defects caused by FMRP depletion could be reversed through YTHDF1 inhibition.

m6A RNA methylation regulates mitochondrial function.

RNA methylation of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is emerging as a fundamental regulator of every aspect of RNA biology. RNA methylation directly impacts protein production to achieve quick modulation of dynamic biological processes. However, whether RNA methylation regulates mitochondrial function is not known, especially in neuronal cells which require a high energy supply and quick reactive responses. Here we show that m6A RNA methylation regulates mitochondrial function through promoting nuclear-encoded mitochondrial complex subunit RNA translation. Conditional genetic knockout of m6A RNA methyltransferase Mettl14 (Methyltransferase like 14) by Nestin-Cre together with metabolomic analysis reveals that Mettl14 knockout-induced m6A depletion significantly downregulates metabolites related to energy metabolism. Furthermore, transcriptome-wide RNA methylation profiling of wild type and Mettl14 knockout mouse brains by m6A-Seq shows enrichment of methylation on mitochondria-related RNA. Importantly, loss of m6A leads to a significant reduction in mitochondrial respiratory capacity and membrane potential. These functional defects are paralleled by the reduced expression of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes, as well as decreased mitochondrial super-complex assembly and activity. Mechanistically, m6A depletion decreases the translational efficiency of methylated RNA encoding mitochondrial complex subunits through reducing their association with polysomes, while not affecting RNA stability. Together, these findings reveal a novel role for RNA methylation in regulating mitochondrial function. Given that mitochondrial dysfunction and RNA methylation have been increasingly implicate in neurodegenerative disorders, our findings not only provide insights into fundamental mechanisms regulating mitochondrial function, but also open up new avenues for understanding the pathogenesis of neurological diseases.

Learning critically drives parkinsonian motor deficits through imbalanced striatal pathway recruitment.

Dopamine (DA) loss in Parkinson's disease (PD) causes debilitating motor deficits. However, dopamine is also widely linked to reward prediction and learning, and the contribution of dopamine-dependent learning to movements that are impaired in PD-which often do not lead to explicit rewards-is unclear. Here, we used two distinct motor tasks to dissociate dopamine's acute motoric effects vs. its long-lasting, learning-mediated effects. In dopamine-depleted mice, motor task performance gradually worsened with task exposure. Task experience was critical, as mice that remained in the home cage during the same period were relatively unimpaired when subsequently probed on the task. Repeated dopamine replacement treatments acutely rescued deficits and gradually induced long-term rescue that persisted despite treatment withdrawal. Surprisingly, both long-term rescue and parkinsonian performance decline were task specific, implicating dopamine-dependent learning. D1R activation potently induced acute rescue that gradually consolidated into long-term rescue. Conversely, reduced D2R activation potently induced parkinsonian decline. In dopamine-depleted mice, either D1R activation or D2R activation prevented parkinsonian decline, and both restored balanced activation of direct vs. indirect striatal pathways. These findings suggest that reinforcement and maintenance of movements-even movements not leading to explicit rewards-are fundamental functions of dopamine and provide potential mechanisms for the hitherto unexplained "long-duration response" by dopaminergic therapies in PD.

Drosophila carrying epilepsy-associated variants in the vitamin B6 metabolism gene PNPO display allele- and diet-dependent phenotypes.

Pyridox(am)ine 5 ' -phosphate oxidase (PNPO) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of pyridoxal 5 ' -phosphate (PLP), the active form of vitamin B6 required for the synthesis of neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the monoamines. Pathogenic variants in PNPO have been increasingly identified in patients with neonatal epileptic encephalopathy and early-onset epilepsy. These patients often exhibit different types of seizures and variable comorbidities. Recently, the PNPO gene has also been implicated in epilepsy in adults. It is unclear how these phenotypic variations are linked to specific PNPO alleles and to what degree diet can modify their expression. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we generated four knock-in Drosophila alleles, hWT , hR116Q , hD33V , and hR95H , in which the endogenous Drosophila PNPO was replaced by wild-type human PNPO complementary DNA (cDNA) and three epilepsy-associated variants. We found that these knock-in flies exhibited a wide range of phenotypes, including developmental impairments, abnormal locomotor activities, spontaneous seizures, and shortened life span. These phenotypes are allele dependent, varying with the known biochemical severity of these mutations and our characterized molecular defects. We also showed that diet treatments further diversified the phenotypes among alleles, and PLP supplementation at larval and adult stages prevented developmental impairments and seizures in adult flies, respectively. Furthermore, we found that hR95H had a significant dominant-negative effect, rendering heterozygous flies susceptible to seizures and premature death. Together, these results provide biological bases for the various phenotypes resulting from multifunction of PNPO, specific molecular and/or genetic properties of each PNPO variant, and differential allele-diet interactions.

Trapping of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Ligands Assayed by In Vitro Cellular Studies and In Vivo PET Imaging.

A question relevant to nicotine addiction is how nicotine and other nicotinic receptor membrane-permeant ligands, such as the anti-smoking drug varenicline (Chantix), distribute in brain. Ligands, like varenicline, with high pKa and high affinity for α4ß2-type nicotinic receptors (α4ß2Rs) are trapped in intracellular acidic vesicles containing α4ß2Rs in vitro Nicotine, with lower pKa and α4ß2R affinity, is not trapped. Here, we extend our results by imaging nicotinic PET ligands in vivo in male and female mouse brain and identifying the trapping brain organelle in vitro as Golgi satellites (GSats). Two PET 18F-labeled imaging ligands were chosen: [18F]2-FA85380 (2-FA) with varenicline-like pKa and affinity and [18F]Nifene with nicotine-like pKa and affinity. [18F]2-FA PET-imaging kinetics were very slow consistent with 2-FA trapping in α4ß2R-containing GSats. In contrast, [18F]Nifene kinetics were rapid, consistent with its binding to α4ß2Rs but no trapping. Specific [18F]2-FA and [18F]Nifene signals were eliminated in ß2 subunit knock-out (KO) mice or by acute nicotine (AN) injections demonstrating binding to sites on ß2-containing receptors. Chloroquine (CQ), which dissipates GSat pH gradients, reduced [18F]2-FA distributions while having little effect on [18F]Nifene distributions in vivo consistent with only [18F]2-FA trapping in GSats. These results are further supported by in vitro findings where dissipation of GSat pH gradients blocks 2-FA trapping in GSats without affecting Nifene. By combining in vitro and in vivo imaging, we mapped both the brain-wide and subcellular distributions of weak-base nicotinic receptor ligands. We conclude that ligands, such as varenicline, are trapped in neurons in α4ß2R-containing GSats, which results in very slow release long after nicotine is gone after smoking.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mechanisms of nicotine addiction remain poorly understood. An earlier study using in vitro methods found that the anti-smoking nicotinic ligand, varenicline (Chantix) was trapped in α4ß2R-containing acidic vesicles. Using a fluorescent-labeled high-affinity nicotinic ligand, this study provided evidence that these intracellular acidic vesicles were α4ß2R-containing Golgi satellites (GSats). In vivo PET imaging with F-18-labeled nicotinic ligands provided additional evidence that differences in PET ligand trapping in acidic vesicles were the cause of differences in PET ligand kinetics and subcellular distributions. These findings combining in vitro and in vivo imaging revealed new mechanistic insights into the kinetics of weak base PET imaging ligands and the subcellular mechanisms underlying nicotine addiction.

Discovery of a potent and selective CBP bromodomain inhibitor (Y08262) for treating acute myeloid leukemia.

The bromodomain of CREB (cyclic-AMP response element binding protein) binding protein (CBP) is an epigenetic "reader" and plays a key role in transcriptional regulation. CBP bromodomain is considered to be a promising therapeutic target for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Herein, we report the discovery of a series of 1-(indolizin-3-yl)ethan-1-one derivatives as potent, and selective CBP bromodomain inhibitors focused on improving cellular potency. One of the most promising compounds, 7e (Y08262), inhibits the CBP bromodomain at the nanomolar level (IC50 = 73.1 nM) with remarkable selectivity. In addition, the new inhibitor also displays potent inhibitory activities in AML cell lines. Collectively, this study provides a new lead compound for further validation of CBP bromodomain as a molecular target for AML drug development.

m6A facilitates hippocampus-dependent learning and memory through YTHDF1.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevalent internal RNA modification on mammalian messenger RNAs, regulates the fates and functions of modified transcripts through m6A-specific binding proteins1-5. In the nervous system, m6A is abundant and modulates various neural functions6-11. Whereas m6A marks groups of mRNAs for coordinated degradation in various physiological processes12-15, the relevance of m6A for mRNA translation in vivo remains largely unknown. Here we show that, through its binding protein YTHDF1, m6A promotes protein translation of target transcripts in response to neuronal stimuli in the adult mouse hippocampus, thereby facilitating learning and memory. Mice with genetic deletion of Ythdf1 show learning and memory defects as well as impaired hippocampal synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation. Re-expression of YTHDF1 in the hippocampus of adult Ythdf1-knockout mice rescues the behavioural and synaptic defects, whereas hippocampus-specific acute knockdown of Ythdf1 or Mettl3, which encodes the catalytic component of the m6A methyltransferase complex, recapitulates the hippocampal deficiency. Transcriptome-wide mapping of YTHDF1-binding sites and m6A sites on hippocampal mRNAs identified key neuronal genes. Nascent protein labelling and tether reporter assays in hippocampal neurons showed that YTHDF1 enhances protein synthesis in a neuronal-stimulus-dependent manner. In summary, YTHDF1 facilitates translation of m6A-methylated neuronal mRNAs in response to neuronal stimulation, and this process contributes to learning and memory.

RNA-binding protein syncrip regulates starvation-induced hyperactivity in adult Drosophila.

How to respond to starvation determines fitness. One prominent behavioral response is increased locomotor activities upon starvation, also known as Starvation-Induced Hyperactivity (SIH). SIH is paradoxical as it promotes food seeking but also increases energy expenditure. Despite its importance in fitness, the genetic contributions to SIH as a behavioral trait remains unexplored. Here, we examined SIH in the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and performed genome-wide association studies. We identified 23 significant loci, corresponding to 14 genes, significantly associated with SIH in adult Drosophila. Gene enrichment analyses indicated that genes encoding ion channels and mRNA binding proteins (RBPs) were most enriched in SIH. We are especially interested in RBPs because they provide a potential mechanism to quickly change protein expression in response to environmental challenges. Using RNA interference, we validated the role of syp in regulating SIH. syp encodes Syncrip (Syp), an RBP. While ubiquitous knockdown of syp led to semi-lethality in adult flies, adult flies with neuron-specific syp knockdown were viable and exhibited decreased SIH. Using the Temporal and Regional Gene Expression Targeting (TARGET) system, we further confirmed the role of Syp in adult neurons in regulating SIH. To determine how syp is regulated by starvation, we performed RNA-seq using the heads of flies maintained under either food or starvation conditions. RNA-seq analyses revealed that syp was alternatively spliced under starvation while its expression level was unchanged. We further generated an alternatively-spliced-exon-specific knockout (KO) line and found that KO flies showed reduced SIH. Together, this study demonstrates a significant genetic contribution to SIH as a behavioral trait, identifies syp as a SIH gene, and highlights the significance of RBPs and post-transcriptional processes in the brain in regulating behavioral responses to starvation.

The METTL5-TRMT112 N6-methyladenosine methyltransferase complex regulates mRNA translation via 18S rRNA methylation.

Ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) have long been known to carry chemical modifications, including 2'O-methylation, pseudouridylation, N6-methyladenosine (m6A), and N6,6-dimethyladenosine. While the functions of many of these modifications are unclear, some are highly conserved and occur in regions of the ribosome critical for mRNA decoding. Both 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA carry single m6A sites, and while the methyltransferase ZCCHC4 has been identified as the enzyme responsible for the 28S rRNA m6A modification, the methyltransferase responsible for the 18S rRNA m6A modification has remained unclear. Here, we show that the METTL5-TRMT112 methyltransferase complex installs the m6A modification at position 1832 of human 18S rRNA. Our work supports findings that TRMT112 is required for METTL5 stability and reveals that human METTL5 mutations associated with microcephaly and intellectual disability disrupt this interaction. We show that loss of METTL5 in human cancer cell lines and in mice regulates gene expression at the translational level; additionally, Mettl5 knockout mice display reduced body size and evidence of metabolic defects. While recent work has focused heavily on m6A modifications in mRNA and their roles in mRNA processing and translation, we demonstrate here that deorphanizing putative methyltransferase enzymes can reveal previously unappreciated regulatory roles for m6A in noncoding RNAs.

Rational design, synthesis and biological evaluation of benzo[d]isoxazole derivatives as potent BET bivalent inhibitors for potential treatment of prostate cancer.

Multivalency is an attractive strategy for effective binding to target protein. Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family features two tandem bromodomains (BD1, BD2), which are considered to be potential new targets for prostate cancer. Herein, we report the rational design, optimization, and evaluation of a class of novel BET bivalent inhibitors based on our monovalent BET inhibitor 7 (Y06037). The representative bivalent inhibitor 17b effectively inhibited the cell growth of LNCaP, exhibiting 32 folds more potency than monovalent inhibitor 7. Besides, 17b induced 95.1 % PSA regression in LNCaP cell at 2 µM. Docking study was further carried out to reveal the potential binding mode of 17b with two BET bromodomains. Our study demonstrates that 17b (Y13021) is a promising BET bivalent inhibitor for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Pyridox (am) ine 5'-phosphate oxidase deficiency induces seizures in Drosophila melanogaster.

Pyridox (am) ine 5'-phosphate oxidase (PNPO) is a rate-limiting enzyme in converting dietary vitamin B6 (VB6) to pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), the biologically active form of VB6 and involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters including γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine, and serotonin. In humans, PNPO mutations have been increasingly identified in neonatal epileptic encephalopathy and more recently also in early-onset epilepsy. Till now, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms underlying PNPO-deficiency-induced seizures due to the lack of animal models. Previously, we identified a c.95 C>A missense mutation in sugarlethal (sgll)-the Drosophila homolog of human PNPO (hPNPO)-and found mutant (sgll95) flies exhibiting a lethal phenotype on a diet devoid of VB6. Here, we report the establishment of both sgll95 and ubiquitous sgll knockdown (KD) flies as valid animal models of PNPO-deficiency-induced epilepsy. Both sgll95 and sgll KD flies exhibit spontaneous seizures before they die. Electrophysiological recordings reveal that seizures caused by PNPO deficiency have characteristics similar to that in flies treated with the GABA antagonist picrotoxin. Both seizures and lethality are associated with low PLP levels and can be rescued by ubiquitous expression of wild-type sgll or hPNPO, suggesting the functional conservation of the PNPO enzyme between humans and flies. Results from cell type-specific sgll KD further demonstrate that PNPO in the brain is necessary for seizure prevention and survival. Our establishment of the first animal model of PNPO deficiency will lead to better understanding of VB6 biology, the PNPO gene and its mutations discovered in patients, and can be a cost-effective system to test therapeutic strategies.

Chronic Nicotine Mitigates Aberrant Inhibitory Motor Learning Induced by Motor Experience under Dopamine Deficiency.

UNLABELLED: Although dopamine receptor antagonism has long been associated with impairments in motor performance, more recent studies have shown that dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) antagonism, paired with a motor task, not only impairs motor performance concomitant with the pharmacodynamics of the drug, but also impairs future motor performance once antagonism has been relieved. We have termed this phenomenon "aberrant motor learning" and have suggested that it may contribute to motor symptoms in movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we show that chronic nicotine (cNIC), but not acute nicotine, treatment mitigates the acquisition of D2R-antagonist-induced aberrant motor learning in mice. Although cNIC mitigates D2R-mediated aberrant motor learning, cNIC has no effect on D1R-mediated motor learning. ß2-containing nicotinic receptors in dopamine neurons likely mediate the protective effect of cNIC against aberrant motor learning, because selective deletion of ß2 nicotinic subunits in dopamine neurons reduced D2R-mediated aberrant motor learning. Finally, both cNIC treatment and ß2 subunit deletion blunted postsynaptic responses to D2R antagonism. These results suggest that a chronic decrease in function or a downregulation of ß2-containing nicotinic receptors protects the striatal network against aberrant plasticity and aberrant motor learning induced by motor experience under dopamine deficiency. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Increasingly, aberrant plasticity and aberrant learning are recognized as contributing to the development and progression of movement disorders. Here, we show that chronic nicotine (cNIC) treatment or specific deletion of ß2 nicotinic receptor subunits in dopamine neurons mitigates aberrant motor learning induced by dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) blockade in mice. Moreover, both manipulations also reduced striatal dopamine release and blunt postsynaptic responses to D2R antagonists. These results suggest that chronic downregulation of function and/or receptor expression of ß2-containing nicotinic receptors alters presynaptic and postsynaptic striatal signaling to protect against aberrant motor learning. Moreover, these results suggest that cNIC treatment may alleviate motor symptoms and/or delay the deterioration of motor function in movement disorders by blocking aberrant motor learning.

A53T human α-synuclein overexpression in transgenic mice induces pervasive mitochondria macroautophagy defects preceding dopamine neuron degeneration.

In vitro evidence suggests that the inefficient removal of damaged mitochondria by macroautophagy contributes to Parkinson's disease (PD). Using a tissue-specific gene amplification strategy, we generated a transgenic mouse line with human α-synuclein A53T overexpression specifically in dopamine (DA) neurons. Transgenic mice showed profound early-onset mitochondria abnormalities, characterized by macroautophagy marker-positive cytoplasmic inclusions containing mainly mitochondrial remnants, which preceded the degeneration of DA neurons. Genetic deletion of either parkin or PINK1 in these transgenic mice significantly worsened mitochondrial pathologies, including drastically enlarged inclusions and loss of total mitochondria contents. These data suggest that mitochondria are the main targets of α-synuclein and their defective autophagic clearance plays a significant role during pathogenesis. Moreover, endogenous PINK1 or parkin is indispensable for the proper autophagic removal of damaged mitochondria. Our data for the first time establish an essential link between mitochondria macroautophagy impairments and DA neuron degeneration in an in vivo model based on known PD genetics. The model, its well-defined pathologies, and the demonstration of a main pathogenesis pathway in the present study have set the stage and direction of emphasis for future studies.

Cyclic AMP and afferent activity govern bidirectional synaptic plasticity in striatopallidal neurons.

Recent experimental evidence suggests that the low dopamine conditions in Parkinson's disease (PD) cause motor impairment through aberrant motor learning. Those data, along with computational models, suggest that this aberrant learning results from maladaptive corticostriatal plasticity and learned motor inhibition. Dopaminergic modulation of both corticostriatal long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP) is proposed to be critical for these processes; however, the regulatory mechanisms underlying bidirectional corticostriatal plasticity are not fully understood. Previously, we demonstrated a key role for cAMP signaling in corticostriatal LTD. In this study, mouse brain slices were used to perform a parametric experiment that tested the impact of varying both intracellular cAMP levels and the strength of excitatory inputs on corticostriatal plasticity. Using slice electrophysiology in the dorsolateral striatum, we demonstrate that both LTP and LTD can be sequentially induced in the same D2-expressing neuron and that LTP was strongest with high intracellular cAMP and LFS, whereas LTD required low intracellular cAMP and high-frequency stimulation. Our results provide a molecular and cellular basis for regulating bidirectional corticostriatal synaptic plasticity and may help to identify novel therapeutic targets for blocking or reversing the aberrant synaptic plasticity that likely contributes to motor deficits in PD.

Loss of PINK1 attenuates HIF-1α induction by preventing 4E-BP1-dependent switch in protein translation under hypoxia.

Parkinson's disease (PD) has multiple proposed etiologies with implication of abnormalities in cellular homeostasis ranging from proteostasis to mitochondrial dynamics to energy metabolism. PINK1 mutations are associated with familial PD and here we discover a novel PINK1 mechanism in cellular stress response. Using hypoxia as a physiological trigger of oxidative stress and disruption in energy metabolism, we demonstrate that PINK1(-/-) mouse cells exhibited significantly reduced induction of HIF-1α protein, HIF-1α transcriptional activity, and hypoxia-responsive gene upregulation. Loss of PINK1 impairs both hypoxia-induced 4E-BP1 dephosphorylation and increase in the ratio of internal ribosomal entry site (IRES)-dependent to cap-dependent translation. These data suggest that PINK1 mediates adaptive responses by activating IRES-dependent translation, and the impairments in translation and the HIF-1α pathway may contribute to PINK1-associated PD pathogenesis that manifests under cellular stress.

Hybrid pyrimidine alkynyls inhibit the clinically resistance related Bcr-Abl(T315I) mutant.

A series of pyrimidine alkynyl derivatives were designed and synthesized as new Bcr-Abl inhibitors by hybriding the structural moieties from GNF-7, ponatinib and nilotinib. One of the most potent compounds 4e strongly suppresses Bcr-Abl(WT) and Bcr-Abl(T315I) kinase with IC50 values of 5.0 and 9.0 nM, and inhibits the proliferation of K562 and murine Ba/F3 cells ectopically expressing Bcr-Abl(T315I) cells with IC50 values of 2 and 50 nM, respectively. It also displays good pharmacokinetics properties with an oral bioavailability of 35.3% and T(1/2) value of 48.7 h, and demonstrates significantly suppression on tumor growth in xenografted mice of K562 and Ba/F3 cells expressing Bcr-Abl(T315I). These inhibitors may serve as lead compounds for further developing new anticancer drugs overcoming the clinically acquired resistance against current Bcr-Abl inhibitors.

1-Benzyl-4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles improve the transcriptional functions of estrogen-related receptor γ and promote the browning of white adipose.

The estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ) is a potential molecular target for the development of small molecules to stimulate the adipose browning process, which may represent a novel attractive strategy to treat obesity related disorders. The receptor possesses a very small ligand binding cavity and therefore identification of small molecule ERRγ modulators is a considerable challenge. We have successfully designed and synthesized a series of 1-benzyl-4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles and demonstrated that they improve the transcriptional functions of ERRγ, potently elevating both the mRNA levels and the protein levels of ERRγ downstream targets. One of the most promising compounds, 4-(1-(4-iso-propylbenzyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)benzene-1,2-diol (2e) was further shown to directly bind with the ERRγ ligand binding domain (ERRγ-LBD) in an isothermal calorimetric (ITC) assay and to thermally stabilize ERRγ-LBD protein by increasing its melting temperature (Tm) as demonstrated by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Furthermore, 2e potently stimulates the adipocyte browning process and induces mitochondrial biogenesis both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting the considerable therapeutic potential of this compound for the treatment of obesity and related disorders.

Characterization of PINK1 (PTEN-induced putative kinase 1) mutations associated with Parkinson disease in mammalian cells and Drosophila.

Mutations in PINK1 (PTEN-induced putative kinase 1) are tightly linked to autosomal recessive Parkinson disease (PD). Although more than 50 mutations in PINK1 have been discovered, the role of these mutations in PD pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we characterized 17 representative PINK1 pathogenic mutations in both mammalian cells and Drosophila. These mutations did not affect the typical cleavage patterns and subcellular localization of PINK1 under both normal and damaged mitochondria conditions in mammalian cells. However, PINK1 mutations in the kinase domain failed to translocate Parkin to mitochondria and to induce mitochondrial aggregation. Consistent with the mammalian data, Drosophila PINK1 mutants with mutations in the kinase domain (G426D and L464P) did not genetically interact with Parkin. Furthermore, PINK1-null flies expressing the transgenic G426D mutant displayed defective phenotypes with increasing age, whereas L464P mutant-expressing flies exhibited the phenotypes at an earlier age. Collectively, these results strongly support the hypothesis that the kinase activity of PINK1 is essential for its function and for regulating downstream Parkin functions in mitochondria. We believe that this study provides the basis for understanding the molecular and physiological functions of various PINK1 mutations and provides insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of PINK1-linked PD.