Oil Body Formation in Marchantia polymorpha Is Controlled by MpC1HDZ and Serves as a Defense against Arthropod Herbivores.

The origin of a terrestrial flora in the Ordovician required adaptation to novel biotic and abiotic stressors. Oil bodies, a synapomorphy of liverworts, accumulate secondary metabolites, but their function and development are poorly understood. Oil bodies of Marchantia polymorpha develop within specialized cells as one single large organelle. Here, we show that a class I homeodomain leucine-zipper (C1HDZ) transcription factor controls the differentiation of oil body cells in two different ecotypes of the liverwort M. polymorpha, a model genetic system for early divergent land plants. In flowering plants, these transcription factors primarily modulate responses to abiotic stress, including drought. However, loss-of-function alleles of the single ortholog gene, MpC1HDZ, in M. polymorpha did not exhibit phenotypes associated with abiotic stress. Rather, Mpc1hdz mutant plants were more susceptible to herbivory, and total plant extracts of the mutant exhibited reduced antibacterial activity. Transcriptomic analysis of the mutant revealed a reduction in expression of genes related to secondary metabolism that was accompanied by a specific depletion of oil body terpenoid compounds. Through time-lapse imaging, we observed that MpC1HDZ expression maxima precede oil body formation, indicating that MpC1HDZ mediates differentiation of oil body cells. Our results indicate that M. polymorpha oil bodies, and MpC1HDZ, are critical for defense against herbivory, but not for abiotic stress tolerance. Thus, C1HDZ genes were co-opted to regulate separate responses to biotic and abiotic stressors in two distinct land plant lineages.

The ketone body ß-hydroxybutyric acid influences agouti-related peptide expression via AMP-activated protein kinase in hypothalamic GT1-7 cells.

ß-Hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) acts in the brain to influence feeding behaviour, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. GT1-7 hypothalamic cells expressing orexigenic agouti-related peptide (AGRP) were used to study the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway known to integrate dietary and hormonal signals for food intake regulation. In a 25 mM glucose culture medium, BHBA increased intracellular calcium concentrations and the expression of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1 (SLC16A1)). Phosphorylation of AMPK-α (PRKAA1 and PRKAA2) at Thr(172) was diminished after 2 h but increased after 4 h. Its downstream target, the mammalian target of rapamycin, was increasingly phosphorylated on Ser(2448) after 2 h but not changed after 4 h of BHBA treatment. After 4 h, BHBA treatment also increased Agrp mRNA expression. This increase was prevented by preincubation with the AMPK inhibitor Compound C. The inhibition of MCT1 activity by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate suppressed BHBA-stimulated AMPK phosphorylation but did not prevent BHBA-induced Agrp mRNA expression. This finding demonstrates that BHBA triggers the AMPK pathway resulting in orexigenic signalling under 25 mM glucose culture conditions. Under conditions of 5.5 mM glucose, however, BHBA marginally increased intracellular calcium but significantly decreased AMPK phosphorylation and Agrp mRNA expression, demonstrating that under physiological conditions BHBA reduces central orexigenic signalling.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors noncompetitively inhibit MCT8-mediated iodothyronine transport.

CONTEXT: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are used for the treatment of various cancers. Case reports and clinical trials have reported abnormal thyroid function tests (TFT) after treatment with sunitinib, imatinib, sorafenib, dasatinib, and nilotinib. An increased requirement for levothyroxine was reported in thyroidectomized patients during TKI treatment. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that abnormal TFT are compatible with inhibition of thyroid hormone (TH) transporters and subsequently reduced pituitary-TH feedback. Monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) is a TH transmembrane transporter in brain, pituitary, and other organs. MCT8 mutation leads to abnormal TFT in patients and respective mouse models. We tested whether TKI are able to inhibit MCT8-mediated TH uptake into cells. DESIGN: Madin-Darby-canine kidney (MDCK1) cells stably expressing human MCT8 were exposed in vitro to TKI at increasing concentrations, and MCT8-mediated [(125)I]T(3) uptake and efflux were measured. The mode of inhibition was determined. RESULTS: TKI exposure dose-dependently inhibited MCT8-dependent T(3) and T(4) uptake. IC(50) values for sunitinib, imatinib, dasatinib, and bosutinib ranged from 13-38 µm, i.e. similar to the Michaelis-Menten constant K(m) for T(3) and T(4), 4 and 8 µm, respectively. Kinetic experiments revealed a noncompetitive mode of inhibition for all TKI tested. CONCLUSIONS: Partial inhibition by TKI of pituitary or hypothalamic TH feedback may increase TSH or increase the levothyroxine requirement of thyroidectomized patients. It is still possible that other mechanisms contribute to TKI-mediated impairments of TFT, e.g. altered metabolism of TH. Bosutinib was not previously reported to alter TFT.

[Disorders in thyroid hormone metabolism].

The levels of the serum thyroid hormone (free T4 and free T3) are determined not only by thyroid hormone synthesis/secretion but also by their metabolism. Thyroid hormone metabolism is mediated by three selenoproteins, selenodeiodinase type 1, 2, and 3 (D1, D2, and D3), the expression and function of which are tightly regulated in a tissue-specific manner. Among them, D2 increases and D3 decreases the intracellular thyroid hormone levels, whereas D1 seems to play a role as a housekeeping/scavenger enzyme in general thyroid hormone metabolism. Although no mutation in either of the deiodinase enzyme genes has been reported, some related genes (SECISBP2, DEHAL1, and MCT8) can cause thyroid hormone-related inherited disorders. In addition, a variety of hormones, cytokines, and drugs can influence thyroid function through altered thyroid hormone metabolism.

Functional activity of a monocarboxylate transporter, MCT1, in the human retinal pigmented epithelium cell line, ARPE-19.

The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the functional activity of monocarboxylic acid transporter 1 (MCT1) on the human retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cell line, ARPE-19, and to evaluate whether the cell line can function as an in vitro screening tool for intravitreally administered drugs/prodrugs targeted to the MCT1 expressed in RPE. Uptake studies were carried out at 37 degrees C, for 30 s, with ARPE-19 cells. [(14)C]l-Lactic acid was selected as a substrate for this transporter. Uptake of [(14)C]L-lactic acid by ARPE-19 cells was found to exhibit saturable kinetics (K(m) = 3.1 +/- 0.6 mM and V(max) = 63.1 +/- 4.1 pmol/min/mg of protein). Monocarboxylic acids, such as benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and pyruvic acid, inhibited the uptake of [(14)C]L-lactic acid whereas di- and tricarboxylic acids, such as phthalic, succinic, and citric acids, did not demonstrate any inhibitory effect. Uptake was stereospecific where D-lactic acid was less effective in inhibiting [(14)C]L-lactic acid uptake than unlabeled L-lactic acid. ELISA indicated the expression of only MCT1, MCT4, and MCT8 isoforms by ARPE-19 cells. Increase in [(14)C]L-lactic acid uptake was observed as the uptake medium pH was lowered from 7.4 to 5.0. Moreover, inhibition of [(14)C]L-lactic acid uptake was observed in the presence of the protonophore 2,4-dinitrophenol. Uptake was significantly decreased in the presence of sodium azide, ouabain, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (pCMBA), N-ethylmaleamide, dithiothreitol, and p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate (pCMBS). However, 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) and L-thyroxine did not inhibit [(14)C]L-lactic acid. RT-PCR studies and sequence analysis of the PCR product confirmed the expression of MCT1 by ARPE-19 cells. Our results indicate that MCT1 is functionally active and is the only MCT isoform involved in the apical uptake of monocarboxylates by ARPE-19 cells. This cell line may thus be used as an effective screening tool for intravitreally administered drugs/prodrugs targeted toward MCT1 expressed on the RPE.