GPAT3 deficiency alleviates insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in a mouse model of severe congenital generalized lipodystrophy.

Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy type 2 (BSCL2) is the most severe form of human lipodystrophy and is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the BSCL2/seipin gene. Exactly how seipin may regulate adipogenesis remains unclear. A recent study in vitro suggested that seipin may function to inhibit the activity of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPATs), and increased GPAT activity may be responsible for the defective adipogenesis under seipin deficiency. Here we generated Seipin-/-Gpat3-/- mice, which had mild but significant recovery of white adipose tissue mass over Seipin-/- mice. The mass of brown adipose tissue (BAT) of the Seipin-/-Gpat3-/- mice was almost completely restored to normal level. Importantly, the Seipin-/-Gpat3-/- mice showed significant improvement in liver steatosis and insulin sensitivity over Seipin-/- mice, which is attributable to the increased BAT mass and to the enhanced browning of the subcutaneous fat of the Seipin-/-Gpat3-/- mice. Together, our results establish a functional link between seipin and GPAT3 in vivo and suggest that GPAT inhibitors may have beneficial effects on BSCL2 patients.

ATGL/CGI-58-Dependent Hydrolysis of a Lipid Storage Pool in Murine Enterocytes.

As circulating lipid levels are balanced by the rate of lipoprotein release and clearance from the plasma, lipid absorption in the small intestine critically contributes to the maintenance of whole-body lipid homeostasis. Within enterocytes, excessive triglycerides are transiently stored as cytosolic lipid droplets (cLDs), and their mobilization sustains lipid supply during interprandial periods. Using mice lacking adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and its coactivator comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) exclusively in the intestine (intestine-specific double KO [iDKO]), we show that ATGL/CGI-58 are not involved in providing substrates for chylomicron synthesis. Massive intestinal cLD accumulation in iDKO mice independent of dietary lipids together with inefficient lipid incorporation into cLDs in the early absorption phase demonstrate the existence of a secretion/re-uptake cycle, corroborating the availability of two diverse cLD pools. This study identified ATGL/CGI-58 as critical players in the catabolism of basolaterally (blood) derived lipids and highlights the necessity to modify the current model of intestinal lipid metabolism.

Lpaatδ/Agpat4 deficiency impairs maximal force contractility in soleus and alters fibre type in extensor digitorum longus muscle.

Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT) δ/acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase 4 is a mitochondrial enzyme and one of five homologues that catalyze the acyl-CoA-dependent synthesis of phosphatidic acid (PA) from lysophosphatidic acid. We studied skeletal muscle LPAATδ and found highest levels in soleus, a red oxidative fibre-type that is rich in mitochondria, and lower levels in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) (white glycolytic) and gastrocnemius (mixed fibre-type). Using Lpaatδ-deficient mice, we found no change in soleus or EDL mass, or in treadmill time-to-exhaustion compared to wildtype littermates. There was, however, a significant reduction in the proportion of type I and type IIA fibres in EDL but, surprisingly, not soleus, where these fibre-types predominate. Also unexpectedly, there was no impairment in force generation by EDL, but a significant reduction by soleus. Oxidative phosphorylation and activity of complexes I, I + II, III, and IV in soleus mitochondria was unchanged and therefore could not explain this effect. However, pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was significantly reduced in Lpaatδ-/- soleus and EDL. Analysis of cellular lipids indicated no difference in soleus triacylglycerol, but specific elevations in soleus PA and phosphatidylethanolamine levels, likely due to a compensatory upregulation of Lpaatß and Lpaatε in Lpaatδ-/- mice. An anabolic effect for PA as an activator of skeletal muscle mTOR has been reported, but we found no change in serine 2448 phosphorylation, indicating reduced soleus force generation is unlikely due to the loss of mTOR activation by a specific pool of LPAATδ-derived PA. Our results identify an important role for LPAATδ in soleus and EDL.

The acyltransferase LYCAT controls specific phosphoinositides and related membrane traffic.

Phosphoinositides (PIPs) are key regulators of membrane traffic and signaling. The interconversion of PIPs by lipid kinases and phosphatases regulates their functionality. Phosphatidylinositol (PI) and PIPs have a unique enrichment of 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonyl acyl species; however, the regulation and function of this specific acyl profile remains poorly understood. We examined the role of the PI acyltransferase LYCAT in control of PIPs and PIP-dependent membrane traffic. LYCAT silencing selectively perturbed the levels and localization of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] and phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate and the membrane traffic dependent on these specific PIPs but was without effect on phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate or biosynthetic membrane traffic. The acyl profile of PI(4,5)P2 was selectively altered in LYCAT-deficient cells, whereas LYCAT localized with phosphatidylinositol synthase. We propose that LYCAT remodels the acyl chains of PI, which is then channeled into PI(4,5)P2 Our observations suggest that the PIP acyl chain profile may exert broad control of cell physiology.

Skin Barrier Development Depends on CGI-58 Protein Expression during Late-Stage Keratinocyte Differentiation.

Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and its coactivator comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) are limiting in cellular triglyceride catabolism. Although ATGL deficiency is compatible with normal skin development, mice globally lacking CGI-58 die postnatally and exhibit a severe epidermal permeability barrier defect, which may originate from epidermal and/or peripheral changes in lipid and energy metabolism. Here, we show that epidermis-specific disruption of CGI-58 is sufficient to provoke a defect in the formation of a functional corneocyte lipid envelope linked to impaired ω-O-acylceramide synthesis. As a result, epidermis-specific CGI-58-deficient mice show severe skin dysfunction, arguing for a tissue autonomous cause of disease development. Defective skin permeability barrier formation in global CGI-58-deficient mice could be reversed via transgenic restoration of CGI-58 expression in differentiated but not basal keratinocytes suggesting that CGI-58 is essential for lipid metabolism in suprabasal epidermal layers. The compatibility of ATGL deficiency with normal epidermal function indicated that CGI-58 may stimulate an epidermal triglyceride lipase beyond ATGL required for the adequate provision of fatty acids as a substrate for ω-O-acylceramide synthesis. Pharmacological inhibition of ATGL enzyme activity similarly reduced triglyceride-hydrolytic activities in wild-type and CGI-58 overexpressing epidermis implicating that CGI-58 participates in ω-O-acylceramide biogenesis independent of its role as a coactivator of epidermal triglyceride catabolism.

Accumulated phosphatidylcholine (16:0/16:1) in human colorectal cancer; possible involvement of LPCAT4.

The identification of cancer biomarkers is critical for target-linked cancer therapy. The overall level of phosphatidylcholine (PC) is elevated in colorectal cancer (CRC). To investigate which species of PC is overexpressed in colorectal cancer, an imaging mass spectrometry was performed using a panel of non-neoplastic mucosal and CRC tissues. In the present study, we identified a novel biomarker, PC(16:0/16:1), in CRC using imaging mass spectrometry. Specifically, elevated levels of PC(16:0/16:1) expression were observed in the more advanced stage of CRC. Our data further showed that PC(16:0/16:1) was specifically localized in the cancer region when examined using imaging mass spectrometry. Notably, because the ratio of PC(16:0/16:1) to lyso-PC(16:0) was higher in CRC, we postulated that lyso-PC acyltransferase (LPCAT) activity is elevated in CRC. In an in vitro analysis, we showed that LPCAT4 is involved in the deregulation of PC(16:0/16:1) in CRC. In an immunohistochemical analysis, LPCAT4 was shown to be overexpressed in CRC. These data indicate the potential usefulness of PC(16:0/16:1) for the clinical diagnosis of CRC and implicate LPCAT4 in the elevated expression of PC(16:0/16:1) in CRC.

Distinct mechanisms regulate ATGL-mediated adipocyte lipolysis by lipid droplet coat proteins.

Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) is the key triacylglycerol hydrolase in adipocytes. The precise mechanisms by which ATGL action is regulated by lipid droplet (LD) coat proteins and responds to hormonal stimulation are incompletely defined. By combining usage of loss- and gain-of-function approaches, we sought to determine the respective roles of perilipin 1 and fat-specific protein 27 (FSP27) in the control of ATGL-mediated lipolysis in adipocytes. Knockdown of endogenous perilipin 1 expression resulted in elevated basal lipolysis that was less responsive to ß-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. In comparison, depletion of FSP27 protein increased both basal and stimulated lipolysis with no significant impact on the overall response of cells to isoproterenol. In vitro assays showed that perilipin but not FSP27 was able to inhibit the triacylglycerol hydrolase activity of ATGL. Perilipin 1 also attenuated dose-dependent activation of ATGL by its Coactivator Comparative Gene identification-58. Accordingly, depletion of perilipin 1 and CGI-58 in adipocytes inversely affected basal lipolysis specifically mediated by overexpressed ATGL. Moreover, although depletion of perilipin 1 abolished the LD translocation of ATGL stimulated by isoproterenol, absence of FSP27 resulted in multilocularization of LDs along with increased LD presence of ATGL under both basal and stimulated conditions. Interestingly, knockdown of ATGL expression increased LD size and decreased LD number in FSP27-depeleted cells. Together, our results demonstrate that although FSP27 acts to constitutively limit the LD presence of ATGL, perilipin 1 plays an essential role in mediating the response of ATGL action to ß-adrenergic hormones.

CGI-58/ABHD5-derived signaling lipids regulate systemic inflammation and insulin action.

Mutations of comparative gene identification 58 (CGI-58) in humans cause Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome, a rare autosomal recessive disease in which excess triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulates in multiple tissues. CGI-58 recently has been ascribed two distinct biochemical activities, including coactivation of adipose triglyceride lipase and acylation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). It is noteworthy that both the substrate (LPA) and the product (phosphatidic acid) of the LPA acyltransferase reaction are well-known signaling lipids. Therefore, we hypothesized that CGI-58 is involved in generating lipid mediators that regulate TAG metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Here, we show that CGI-58 is required for the generation of signaling lipids in response to inflammatory stimuli and that lipid second messengers generated by CGI-58 play a critical role in maintaining the balance between inflammation and insulin action. Furthermore, we show that CGI-58 is necessary for maximal TH1 cytokine signaling in the liver. This novel role for CGI-58 in cytokine signaling may explain why diminished CGI-58 expression causes severe hepatic lipid accumulation yet paradoxically improves hepatic insulin action. Collectively, these findings establish that CGI-58 provides a novel source of signaling lipids. These findings contribute insight into the basic mechanisms linking TH1 cytokine signaling to nutrient metabolism.

The minimal domain of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) ranges until leucine 254 and can be activated and inhibited by CGI-58 and G0S2, respectively.

Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) is the rate-limiting enzyme of lipolysis. ATGL specifically hydrolyzes triacylglycerols (TGs), thereby generating diacylglycerols and free fatty acids. ATGL's enzymatic activity is co-activated by the protein comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) and inhibited by the protein G0/G1 switch gene 2 (G0S2). The enzyme is predicted to act through a catalytic dyad (Ser47, Asp166) located within the conserved patatin domain (Ile10-Leu178). Yet, neither an experimentally determined 3D structure nor a model of ATGL is currently available, which would help to understand how CGI-58 and G0S2 modulate ATGL's activity. In this study we determined the minimal active domain of ATGL. This minimal fragment of ATGL could still be activated and inhibited by CGI-58 and G0S2, respectively. Furthermore, we show that this minimal domain is sufficient for protein-protein interaction of ATGL with its regulatory proteins. Based on these data, we generated a 3D homology model for the minimal domain. It strengthens our experimental finding that amino acids between Leu178 and Leu254 are essential for the formation of a stable protein domain related to the patatin fold. Our data provide insights into the structure-function relationship of ATGL and indicate higher structural similarities in the N-terminal halves of mammalian patatin-like phospholipase domain containing proteins, (PNPLA1, -2,- 3 and -5) than originally anticipated.

Adipose triglyceride lipase expression in human adipose tissue and muscle. Role in insulin resistance and response to training and pioglitazone.

Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) catalyzes the first step in adipocyte and muscle triglyceride hydrolysis, and comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) is an essential cofactor. We studied the expression of ATGL and CGI-58 in human adipose and muscle and examined correlations with markers of muscle fatty acid oxidation. Nondiabetic volunteers were studied. Subjects with impaired glucose tolerance were treated with pioglitazone or metformin for 10 weeks. Subjects with normal glucose tolerance underwent a 12-week training program. We examined changes in ATGL and CGI-58 with obesity and insulin resistance, and effects of exercise and pioglitazone. Adipose triglyceride lipase messenger RNA (mRNA) expression showed no correlation with either body mass index or insulin sensitivity index in either adipose or muscle. However, adipose ATGL protein levels were inversely correlated with body mass index (r = -0.64, P < .02) and positively correlated with insulin sensitivity index (r = 0.67, P < .02). In muscle, ATGL mRNA demonstrated a strong positive relationship with carnitine palmitoyltransferase I mRNA (r = 0.82, P < .0001) and the adiponectin receptors AdipoR1 mRNA (r = 0.71, P < .0001) and AdipoR2 mRNA (r = 0.74, P < .0001). Muscle CGI-58 mRNA was inversely correlated with intramyocellular triglyceride in both type 1 (r = -0.35, P < .05) and type 2 (r = -0.40, P < .05) fibers. Exercise training resulted in increased muscle ATGL, and pioglitazone increased adipose ATGL by 31% (P < .05). Pioglitazone also increased ATGL in adipocytes. Adipose ATGL protein is decreased with insulin resistance and obesity; and muscle ATGL mRNA is associated with markers of fatty acid oxidation in muscle, as is CGI-58. The regulation of ATGL and CGI-58 has important implications for the control of lipotoxicity.

A role for 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate-O-acyltransferase-1 in myoblast differentiation.

AGPAT isoforms catalyze the acylation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) to form phosphatidic acid (PA). AGPAT2 mutations are associated with defective adipogenesis. Muscle and adipose tissue share common precursor cells. We investigated the role of AGPAT isoforms in skeletal muscle development. We demonstrate that small interference RNA-mediated knockdown of AGPAT1 expression prevents the induction of myogenin, a key transcriptional activator of the myogenic program, and inhibits the expression of myosin heavy chain. This effect is rescued by transfection with AGPAT1 but not AGPAT2. Knockdown of AGPAT2 has no effect. The regulation of myogenesis by AGPAT1 is associated with alterations on actin cytoskeleton. The role of AGPAT1 on actin cytoskeleton is further supported by colocalization of AGPAT1 to areas of active actin polymerization. AGPAT1 overexpression was not associated with an increase in PA levels. Our observations strongly implicate AGPAT1 in the development of skeletal muscle, specifically to terminal differentiation. These findings are linked to the regulation of actin cytoskeleton.

Deposition and localization of lipid polyester in developing seeds of Brassica napus and Arabidopsis thaliana.

Mature seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus contain complex mixtures of aliphatic monomers derived from non-extractable lipid polyesters. Most of the monomers are deposited in the seed coat, and their compositions suggest the presence of both cutin and suberin layers. The location of these polyesters within the seed coat, and their contributions to permeability of the seed coat and other functional properties are unknown. Polyester deposition was followed over Brassica seed development and distinct temporal patterns of monomer accumulation were observed. Octadecadiene-1,18-dioate, the major leaf cutin monomer, was transiently deposited. In contrast, the saturated dicarboxylates maintained a constant level during seed desiccation, whereas the fatty alcohols and saturated omega-hydroxy fatty acids continually increased. Dissection and analysis of Brassica seed coats showed that suberization is not specific to the chalaza. Analysis of the Arabidopsis ap2-7 mutant suggested that suberin monomers are preferentially associated with the outer integument. Several Arabidopsis knockout mutant lines for genes involved in polyester biosynthesis (att1, fatB and gpat5) were examined for seed monomer load and composition. The variance in polyester monomers of these mutants is correlated with dye penetration assays. Furthermore, stable transgenic plants expressing promoter::YFP fusions showed ATT1 promoter activity in the inner integument, whereas GPAT5 promoter is active in the outer integument. Together, the Arabidopsis data indicated that there is a suberized layer associated with the outer integument and a cutin-like polyester layer associated with the inner seed coat.

The acyltransferase GPAT5 is required for the synthesis of suberin in seed coat and root of Arabidopsis.

Suberin and cutin are fatty acid- and glycerol-based plant polymers that act as pathogen barriers and function in the control of water and solute transport. However, despite important physiological roles, their biosynthetic pathways, including the acyl transfer reactions, remain hypothetical. We report the characterization of two suberin mutants (gpat5-1 and gpat5-2) of Arabidopsis thaliana GPAT5, encoding a protein with acyl-CoA:glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase activity. RT-PCR and beta-glucuronidase-promoter fusion analyses demonstrated GPAT5 expression in seed coat, root, hypocotyl, and anther. The gpat5 plants showed a 50% decrease in aliphatic suberin in young roots and produced seed coats with a severalfold reduction in very long chain dicarboxylic acid and omega-hydroxy fatty acids typical of suberin but no change in the composition or content of membrane or storage glycerolipids or surface waxes. Consistent with their altered suberin, seed coats of gpat5 mutants had a steep increase in permeability to tetrazolium salts compared with wild-type seed coats. Furthermore, the germination rate of gpat5 seeds under high salt was reduced, and gpat5 seedlings had lower tolerance to salt stress. These results provide evidence for a critical role of GPAT5 in polyester biogenesis in seed coats and roots and for the importance of lipid polymer structures in the normal function of these organs.

A regulatory role for 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate-O-acyltransferase 2 in adipocyte differentiation.

Mutations in the 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate-O-acyltransferase 2 (AGPAT2) gene have been identified in individuals affected with congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL). AGPAT2 catalyzes acylation of lysophosphatidic acid to phosphatidic acid, a precursor for both triacylglycerol (TAG) and phospholipid synthesis. Recent studies suggest that reduced AGPAT2 enzymatic activity may underlie the CGL clinical phenotype. To gain insight into how altered AGPAT2 activity causes lipodystrophy, we examined the effect of knockdown of AGPAT2 expression in preadipocytes on TAG synthesis and storage, and on adipocyte differentiation. We show that AGPAT2 mRNA expression is induced 30-fold during adipocyte differentiation and that AGPAT2 enzymatic activity is required for TAG mass accumulation in mature adipocytes. We demonstrate that small interference RNA-mediated knockdown of AGPAT2 expression prevents appropriate early induction of C/EBPbeta and PPARgamma, key transcriptional activators of the adipogenic program, and delays expression of multiple adipocyte-related genes. The unexpected finding, that levels of several phospholipid species, including phosphatidic acid (PA), are elevated in TAG-depleted adipocytes with AGPAT2 knockdown, suggests that impaired AGPAT2 activity affects availability of PA for TAG synthesis but not overall PA synthesis nor utilization of PA for phospholipid synthesis. These findings underscore the importance of an AGPAT2-mediated metabolic pathway in adipocyte differentiation.