The role of adhesion molecules in osteocalcin-induced effects on glucose and lipid metabolism in adipocytes.

Recent findings suggest that uncarboxylated osteocalcin (GluOC) promotes glucose and lipid metabolism via its putative receptor GPRC6A; however, its direct effect on adipocytes remains elusive. In this study, we elucidated the effects of GluOC on adipocytes, with an emphasis on the role of cell adhesion molecules. We determined that GluOC promoted the expression of adipocyte adhesion molecule (ACAM) and its transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 4 and enhanced the cortical actin filament assembly, which ameliorated lipid droplet hypertrophy. Additionally, GluOC upregulated the expression of integrin αVß3 and activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and prevented insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) degradation by inhibiting the ubiquitin-proteasome system via the FAK-PLC-PKC axis, which activated IRS1-Akt-mediated glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) transport. Furthermore, we showed that GluOC elevated the expression of the insulin-independent glucose transporters GLUT1 and GLUT8, which facilitated insulin stimulation-independent glucose transport. The GluOC-induced activation of integrin αVß3 signaling promoted microtubule assembly, which improved glucose and lipid metabolism via its involvement in intracellular vesicular transport. GluOC treatment also suppressed collagen type 1 formation, which might prevent adipose tissue fibrosis in obese individuals. Overall, our results imply that GluOC promotes glucose and lipid metabolism via ACAM, integrin αVß3, and GLUT1 and 8 expression, directly affecting adipocytes.

JNK inhibition enhances cell-cell adhesion impaired by desmoglein 3 gene disruption in keratinocytes.

c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) and p38 are stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) that are phosphorylated by various stimuli. It has been reported that the loss of desmoglein (DSG) 3, a desmosomal transmembrane core molecule, in keratinocytes impairs cell-cell adhesion accompanied by p38 MAPK activation. To understand the biological role of DSG3 in desmosomes and its relationship with stress-activated MAPKs, we established DSG3 knockout keratinocytes (KO cells). Wild-type cells showed a linear localization of DSG1 to cell-cell contacts, whereas KO cells showed a remarkable reduction despite the increased protein levels of DSG1. Cell-cell adhesion in KO cells was impaired over time, as demonstrated by dispase-based dissociation assays. The linear localization of DSG1 to cell-cell contacts and the strength of cell-cell adhesion were promoted by the pharmacological inhibition of JNK. Conversely, pharmacological activation of JNK, but not p38 MAPK, in wild-type cells reduced the linear localization of DSG1 in cell-cell contacts. Our data indicate that DSG1 and DSG2 in KO cells cannot compensate for the attenuation of cell-cell adhesion strength caused by DSG3 deficiency and that JNK inhibition restores the strength of cell-cell adhesion by increasing the linear localization of DSG1 in cell-cell contacts in KO cells. Inhibition of JNK signaling may improve cell-cell adhesion in diseases in which DSG3 expression is impaired.

Structural and mutational analyses of decarboxylated osteocalcin provide insight into its adiponectin-inducing activity.

An acidic environment in bone is essential for bone metabolism and the production of decarboxylated osteocalcin, which functions as a regulatory hormone of glucose metabolism. Here, we describe the high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of decarboxylated osteocalcin under acidic conditions. Decarboxylated osteocalcin at pH 2.0 retains the α-helix structure of native osteocalcin with three γ-carboxyglutamic acid residues at neutral pH. This implies that decarboxylated osteocalcin is stable under an acidic environment in bone. In addition, site-directed mutagenesis revealed that Glu17 and Glu21 are important for the adiponectin-inducing activity of decarboxylated osteocalcin. These findings suggest that the receptor of decarboxylated osteocalcin responds to the negative charge in helix 1 of osteocalcin.

Inhibition of retinoid X receptor improved the morphology, localization of desmosomal proteins and paracellular permeability in three-dimensional cultures of mouse keratinocytes.

Retinoic acid (RA) plays an important role in epithelial homeostasis and influences the morphology, proliferation, differentiation and permeability of epithelial cells. Mouse keratinocytes, K38, reconstituted non-keratinized stratified epithelium in three-dimensional (3D) cultures with serum, which contains retinol (a source of RA), but the morphology was different from in vivo epithelium. The formed epithelium was thick, with loosened cell-cell contacts. Here, we investigated whether the inhibition of RA receptor (RAR)/retinoid X receptor (RXR)-mediated signaling by an RXR antagonist, HX 531, improved K38 3D cultures in terms of morphology and intercellular junctions. The epithelium formed by 0.5 µM HX531 was thin, and the intercellular space was narrowed because of the restoration of the layer-specific distribution of desmoglein (DSG)-1, DSG3 and plakoglobin (PG). Moreover, the levels of desmosomal proteins and tight junction proteins, including DSG1, DSG2, DSG3, PG, claudin (CLDN)-1 and CLDN4 increased, but the adherens junction protein, E-cadherin, did not show any change. Furthermore, CLDN1 was recruited to occludin-positive cell-cell contacts in the superficial cells and transepithelial electrical resistance was increased. Therefore, K38 3D cultures treated with 0.5 µM HX531 provides a useful in vitro model to study intercellular junctions in the non-keratinized epithelium.

Adipocyte-specific GPRC6A ablation promotes diet-induced obesity by inhibiting lipolysis.

The G protein-coupled receptor GPRC6A regulates various physiological processes in response to its interaction with multiple ligands, such as extracellular basic amino acids, divalent cations, testosterone, and the uncarboxylated form of osteocalcin (GluOC). Global ablation of GPRC6A increases the susceptibility of mice to diet-induced obesity and related metabolic disorders. However, given that GPRC6A is expressed in many tissues and responds to a variety of hormonal and nutritional signals, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the development of metabolic disorders in conventional knockout mice have remained unclear. On the basis of our previous observation that long-term oral administration of GluOC markedly reduced adipocyte size and improved glucose tolerance in WT mice, we examined whether GPRC6A signaling in adipose tissue might be responsible for prevention of metabolic disorders. We thus generated adipocyte-specific GPRC6A knockout mice, and we found that these animals manifested increased adipose tissue weight, adipocyte hypertrophy, and adipose tissue inflammation when fed a high-fat and high-sucrose diet compared with control mice. These effects were associated with reduced lipolytic activity because of downregulation of lipolytic enzymes such as adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase in adipose tissue of the conditional knockout mice. Given that, among GPR6CA ligands tested, GluOC and ornithine increased the expression of adipose triglyceride lipase in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes in a manner dependent on GPRC6A, our results suggest that the constitutive activation of GPRC6A signaling in adipocytes by GluOC or ornithine plays a key role in adipose lipid handling and the prevention of obesity and related metabolic disorders.

The roles of osteocalcin in lipid metabolism in adipose tissue and liver.

Bone provides skeletal support and functions as an endocrine organ by producing osteocalcin, whose uncarboxylated form (GluOC) increases the metabolism of glucose and lipid by activating its putative G protein-coupled receptor (family C group 6 subtype A). Low doses (≤10 ng/ml) of GluOC induce the expression of adiponectin, adipose triglyceride lipase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, and promote active phosphorylation of lipolytic enzymes such as perilipin and hormone-sensitive lipase via the cAMP-PKA-Src-Rap1-ERK-CREB signaling axis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Administration of high-dose (≥20 ng/ml) GluOC induces programmed necrosis (necroptosis) through a juxtacrine mechanism triggered by the binding of Fas ligand, whose expression is induced by forkhead box O1, to Fas that is expressed in adjacent adipocytes. Furthermore, expression of adiponectin and adipose triglyceride lipase in adipocytes is triggered in the same manner as following low-dose GluOC stimulation; these effects protect mice from diet-induced accumulation of triglycerides in hepatocytes and consequent liver injury through the upregulation of nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-E2-related factor-2, expression of antioxidant enzymes, and inhibition of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway. Evaluation of these molecular mechanisms leads us to consider that GluOC might have potential as a treatment for lipid metabolism disorders. Indeed, there have been many reports demonstrating the negative correlation between serum osteocalcin levels and obesity or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a common risk factor for which is dyslipidemia in humans. The present review summarizes the effects of GluOC on lipid metabolism as well as its possible therapeutic application for metabolic diseases including obesity and dyslipidemia.

The reduced susceptibility of mouse keratinocytes to retinoic acid may be involved in the keratinization of oral and esophageal mucosal epithelium.

Keratinocytes take up serum-derived retinol (vitamin A) and metabolize it to all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA), which binds to the nuclear retinoic acid receptor (RAR). We previously reported that serum-affected keratinocyte differentiation and function; namely, it inhibited keratinization, decreased loricrin (LOR) and claudin (CLDN) 1 expression, increased keratin (K) 4 and CLDN4 levels, and reduced paracellular permeability in three-dimensional (3D) cultures of mouse keratinocytes (COCA). Contrarily, RAR inhibition reversed these changes. Here, we aimed to examine whether atRA exerted the same effects as serum, and whether it was involved in the differential oral mucosa keratinization among animal species. Porcine oral mucosal keratinocytes, which form non-keratinized epithelium in vivo, established keratinized epithelium in 3D cultures. Both mouse and porcine sera induced non-keratinized epithelium at 0.1% in COCA 3D cultures. Although atRA caused the same changes as serum, its effective concentration differed. atRA inhibited keratinization at 0.1 nM and 1 nM in porcine or human keratinocytes and COCA, respectively. Furthermore, atRA upregulated CLDN7 in the cytoplasm but not in cell-cell contacts. These atRA-induced changes were reverted by RAR inhibition. The results indicate that serum-induced changes are probably due to the effect of serum-derived atRA, and that mouse keratinocytes require higher atRA concentrations to suppress keratinization than porcine and human keratinocytes. We propose that the lower susceptibility of mouse keratinocytes to atRA, rather than a lower retinol concentration, is a possible reason for the keratinization of mouse oral mucosal epithelium.

GLP-1 signaling is required for improvement of glucose tolerance by osteocalcin.

Osteocalcin is a bone-derived hormone that in its uncarboxylated form (GluOC) plays an important role in glucose and energy metabolism by stimulating insulin secretion and pancreatic ß-cell proliferation through its putative receptor GPRC6A. We previously showed that the effect of GluOC on insulin secretion is mediated predominantly by glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) released from intestinal endocrine cells in response to GluOC stimulation. Moreover, oral administration of GluOC was found to reduce the fasting blood glucose level, to improve glucose tolerance, and to increase the fasting serum insulin concentration and ß-cell area in the pancreas in wild-type mice. We have now examined the effects of oral GluOC administration for at least 4 weeks in GLP-1 receptor-knockout mice. Such administration of GluOC in the mutant mice triggered glucose intolerance, enhanced gluconeogenesis and promoted both lipid accumulation in the liver as well as adipocyte hypertrophy and inflammation in adipose tissue. Furthermore, inactivation of GLP-1 receptor signaling in association with GluOC administration induced activation of the transcription factor FoxO1 and expression of its transcriptional coactivator PGC1α in the liver, likely accounting for the observed upregulation of gluconeogenic gene expression. Our results thus indicate that the beneficial metabolic effects of GluOC are dependent on GLP-1 receptor signaling.

Anisomycin, a JNK and p38 activator, suppresses cell-cell junction formation in 2D cultures of K38 mouse keratinocyte cells and reduces claudin-7 expression, with an increase of paracellular permeability in 3D cultures.

Keratinocytes in the oral mucosal epithelium, which is a non-keratinized stratified epithelium, are exposed to various stimuli from the oral cavity. JNK and p38 are stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) that are phosphorylated by various stimuli and are involved in the assembly and disassembly of tight junctions (TJs) in keratinocytes. Therefore, we investigated the effects of stress-activated MAPKs on TJs in a mouse keratinocyte cell line during cell-cell junction formation in two-dimensional (2D) cultures or stratification to form non-keratinized epithelium in 3D cultures. In 2D cultures, calcium induced zipper-like staining for ZO-1 at 2 h and string-like staining for ZO-1 at 12 h, which indicated immature and mature cell-cell junctions, respectively. Anisomycin (AM), a JNK and p38 activator, inhibited formation of string-like staining for ZO-1, whereas inhibition of JNK, but not p38, after AM treatment restored string-like staining for ZO-1, although claudins (CLDNs) 4, 6, and 7 did not completely colocalize to ZO-1-positive sites. In 3D cultures, AM treatment for 2 weeks activated only p38, suppressed flattening of the superficial cells, removed CLDN7 from ZO-1-positive spots on the surface of 3D cultures, which represent TJs, and decreased transepithelial electrical resistance. Thus, short-term AM treatment inhibited maturation of cell-cell junctions by JNK, but not p38, activation. p38 activation by long-term AM treatment affected morphology of stratified structures and paracellular permeability, which was increased by CLDN7 removal from TJs. Various chronic stimuli that activate stress-activated MAPKs may weaken the keratinocyte barrier and be involved in TJ-related diseases.

Serum affects keratinization and tight junctions in three-dimensional cultures of the mouse keratinocyte cell line COCA through retinoic acid receptor-mediated signaling.

Vitamin A, which is found in serum, is known to affect keratinocyte proliferation, epidermal differentiation, and keratinization. In mice, stratified epithelia in the oral cavity, esophagus, and forestomach are keratinized; however, these epithelia are not keratinized in humans. Several studies have reported that three-dimensional (3D) cultures of human keratinocytes in serum-containing medium could form keratinized epithelia. Here, we evaluated the effects of serum on the morphology, expression, and localization of differentiation markers and tight junction proteins, and paracellular permeability in 3D cultures of mouse keratinocytes. We found that only 0.1% calcium-depleted serum inhibited keratinization and induced a change in the expression of differentiation marker proteins from loricrin to keratin 4; the inhibition of retinoic acid receptor-mediated signaling reversed these changes. Furthermore, the serum reduced claudin-1 protein expression and prevented its localization at occludin-positive spots on the surface of 3D cultures. On the other hand, the serum increased the protein expression of claudin-4, occludin, zonula occludens-1, and E-cadherin. These changes may contribute to the reduction of the transepithelial electrical resistance by approximately half. In conclusion, mouse keratinocytes derived from the epidermis formed non-keratinized structures in 3D cultures in response to vitamin A in serum. The results suggest that retinoic acid receptor-mediated signaling may be inhibited in the mouse epithelia in the oral cavity, esophagus, and forestomach as well as the epidermis, leading to the keratinization of these epithelia.

Nisin, a food preservative produced by Lactococcus lactis, affects the localization pattern of intermediate filament protein in HaCaT cells.

Nisin is a food preservative produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis. Previous blood biochemical research revealed that nisin has physiological effects in mammals; although the site of action has yet to be identified, keratinocytes have been proposed as a possible target. In this study, we investigated whether nisin affects keratinocytes by examining the effects on eukaryotic intermediate filaments in HaCaT human keratinocytes. Treatment with 93 µg/ml nisin for 24 h decreased the localization of the intermediate filament proteins cytokeratin (CK)5 and CK17 at the cell periphery, which were distributed in a limited area in a ring- or net-like shape. However, this was not observed upon treatment for 6 h. The results of a serial dilution assay revealed that the effect on CK17 localization depends on the nisin concentration and were observed at ≥47 µg/ml. Moreover, this effect was partially blocked by treatment with the calcium channel blocker bepridil. Thus, despite the long history of nisin as being safe for humans, it has measurable effects on the keratinocyte cytoskeleton. Our findings also indicate that CK5 and CK17 can serve as markers for evaluating the effects of nisin on keratinocytes.

Osteocalcin triggers Fas/FasL-mediated necroptosis in adipocytes via activation of p300.

The uncarboxylated form of osteocalcin (GluOC) regulates glucose and lipid metabolism in mice. We previously showed that low-dose (≤10 ng/ml) GluOC induces the expression of adiponectin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) via a cAMP-PKA-ERK-CREB signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We also noticed that high-dose (≥20 ng/ml) GluOC inhibits the expression of adiponectin and PPARγ in these cells. We have here explored the mechanism underlying these effects of high-dose GluOC. High-dose GluOC triggered morphological changes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes suggestive of the induction of cell death. It activated the putative GluOC receptor GPRC6A and thereby induced the production of cAMP and activation of protein kinase A (PKA), similar to signaling by low-dose GluOC with the exception that the catalytic subunit of PKA also entered the nucleus. Cytosolic PKA induced phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) at serine-133 via extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Nuclear PKA appeared to mediate the inhibitory phosphorylation of salt-inducible kinase 2 (SIK2) at serine-358 and thereby to alleviate the inhibitory phosphorylation of the CREB co-activator p300 at serine-89. The activation of CREB and p300 resulted in increased expression of the transcription factor FoxO1 and consequent upregulation of Fas ligand (FasL) at the plasma membrane. The interaction of FasL with Fas on neighboring adipocytes triggered the phosphorylation at threonine-357/serine-358 and homotrimerization of mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL), a key regulator of necroptosis, as well as Ca2+ influx via transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7), the generation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxides, and dephosphorylation of dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) at serine-637, resulting in mitochondrial fragmentation. Together, our results indicate that high-dose GluOC triggers necroptosis through upregulation of FasL at the plasma membrane in a manner dependent of activation of CREB-p300, followed by the activation of Fas signaling in neighboring adipocytes.

Ochratoxin A, citrinin and deoxynivalenol decrease claudin-2 expression in mouse rectum CMT93-II cells.

Intestinal epithelial cells are the first targets of ingested mycotoxins, such as ochratoxin A, citrinin and deoxynivalenol. It has been reported that paracellular permeability regulated by tight junctions is modulated by several mycotoxins by reducing the expression of specific claudins and integral membrane proteins in cell-cell contacts, accompanied by increase in phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, including extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) 1/2, p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase. Claudin-2 is expressed in the deep crypt cells, but not in the villus/surface cells in vivo. While Caco-2, T84 and IPEC-J2 cells, which are widely used intestinal epithelial cell lines to assess the influence of mycotoxins, do not express claudin-2, CMT93-II cells express claudin-2. We previously reported that inhibition of the ERK pathway reduced claudin-2 levels in cell-cell contacts in CMT93-II cells. In this study, we examined whether ochratoxin A, citrinin and deoxynivalenol affect claudin-2 expression and ERK1/2 phosphorylation in CMT93-II cells. We found that all mycotoxins reduced claudin-2 expression in cell-cell contacts, with reduction (by citrinin and deoxynivalenol) or no change (by ochratoxin A) in phosphorylated ERK1/2. All mycotoxins increased transepithelial electrical resistance, but did not affect flux of fluorescein. While ochratoxin A and citrinin are known to be nephrotoxic, only deoxynivalenol reduced claudin-2 expression in MDCK II cells derived from the renal tubule. These results suggest that claudin-2 expression is regulated not only by the ERK pathway, but also by other pathways in an organ-specific manner.

Tomosyn is a novel Akt substrate mediating insulin-dependent GLUT4 exocytosis.

Insulin triggers glucose uptake into skeletal muscle and adipose tissues by gaining the available number of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) on the cell surface. GLUT4-loaded vesicles are targeted to plasma membrane from the intracellular reservoir through multiple trafficking and fusion processes that are mainly regulated by Akt. However, it is still largely unknown how GLUT4 expression in the cell surface is promoted by insulin. In the present study, we identified tomosyn at Ser-783 as a possible Akt-substrate motif and examined whether the phosphorylation at Ser-783 is involved in the regulation of GLUT4 expression. Both Akt1 and Akt2 phosphorylated the wild-type tomosyn, but not the mutant tomosyn in which Ser-783 was replaced with Ala. Phosphorylation of tomosyn at Ser-783 was also observed in the intact cells by insulin stimulation, which was blocked by PI3K inhibitor, LY294002. In vitro pull-down assay showed that phosphorylation of tomosyn at Ser-783 by Akt inhibited the interaction with syntaxin 4. Insulin stimulation increased GLUT4 in the cell surface of CHO-K1 cells to promote glucose uptake, however exogenous expression of the mutant tomosyn attenuated the increase by insulin. These results suggest that Ser-783 of tomosyn is a target of Akt and is implicated in the interaction with syntaxin 4.

Signaling pathway for adiponectin expression in adipocytes by osteocalcin.

In addition to providing skeletal support, the bone is an endocrine organ that produces osteocalcin, whose uncarboxylated form (GluOC) increases insulin secretion either directly or indirectly by promoting incretin secretion. We have now investigated the signaling pathway by which GluOC increases expression of adiponectin in adipocytes. Activation of its putative receptor GPRC6A by GluOC induced the intracellular accumulation of cAMP and consequent activation of protein kinase A (PKA) in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. It also induced phosphorylation of CREB (cAMP response element binding protein), but this effect appeared to be mediated indirectly by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) rather than directly by PKA, given that it was attenuated by the ERK signaling inhibitor U0126. Activated PKA also induced activation of the tyrosine kinase Src, the small GTPase Rap1, an upstream of ERK and CREB phosphorylation. Activated CREB up-regulated the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), which in turn led to induction of adiponectin expression. Finally, intermittent oral administration of GluOC in mice reduced the size of gonadal white adipocytes as well as increased the expression of PPARγ and adiponectin in these cells. Our results have thus revealed the signaling pathway by which GluOC induces adiponectin expression in adipocytes.