PIMT Controls Insulin Synthesis and Secretion through PDX1.

Pancreatic beta cell function is an important component of glucose homeostasis. Here, we investigated the function of PIMT (PRIP-interacting protein with methyl transferase domain), a transcriptional co-activator binding protein, in the pancreatic beta cells. We observed that the protein levels of PIMT, along with key beta cell markers such as PDX1 (pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1) and MafA (MAF bZIP transcription factor A), were reduced in the beta cells exposed to hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic conditions. Consistently, PIMT levels were reduced in the pancreatic islets isolated from high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. The RNA sequencing analysis of PIMT knockdown beta cells identified that the expression of key genes involved in insulin secretory pathway, Ins1 (insulin 1), Ins2 (insulin 2), Kcnj11 (potassium inwardly-rectifying channel, subfamily J, member 11), Kcnn1 (potassium calcium-activated channel subfamily N member 1), Rab3a (member RAS oncogene family), Gnas (GNAS complex locus), Syt13 (synaptotagmin 13), Pax6 (paired box 6), Klf11 (Kruppel-Like Factor 11), and Nr4a1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 1) was attenuated due to PIMT depletion. PIMT ablation in the pancreatic beta cells and in the rat pancreatic islets led to decreased protein levels of PDX1 and MafA, resulting in the reduction in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). The results from the immunoprecipitation and ChIP experiments revealed the interaction of PIMT with PDX1 and MafA, and its recruitment to the insulin promoter, respectively. Importantly, PIMT ablation in beta cells resulted in the nuclear translocation of insulin. Surprisingly, forced expression of PIMT in beta cells abrogated GSIS, while Ins1 and Ins2 transcript levels were subtly enhanced. On the other hand, the expression of genes, PRIP/Asc2/Ncoa6 (nuclear receptor coactivator 6), Pax6, Kcnj11, Syt13, Stxbp1 (syntaxin binding protein 1), and Snap25 (synaptosome associated protein 25) associated with insulin secretion, was significantly reduced, providing an explanation for the decreased GSIS upon PIMT overexpression. Our findings highlight the importance of PIMT in the regulation of insulin synthesis and secretion in beta cells.

Wang resin catalysed sonochemical synthesis of pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidinones and 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones: Identification of chorismate mutase inhibitors having effects on Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell viability.

The enzyme chorismate mutase (or CM that is vital for the survival of bacteria) is an interesting pharmacological target for the identification of new anti-tubercular agents. The 5,5-disibstituted pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidinone derivatives containing the fragment based on 4-amino-1-methyl-3-propyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide were designed and explored as the potential inhibitors of chorismate mutase. Based on encouraging docking results of two representative molecules evaluated in silico against MtbCM (PDB: 2FP2) the Wang resin catalysed sonochemical synthesis of target N-heteroarenes were undertaken. The methodology involved the reaction of 4-amino-1-methyl-3-propyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide with the appropriate cyclic/acyclic ketones to afford the desired products in acceptable (51-94%) yields. The methodology was also extended successfully towards the synthesis of 2,2-disubstituted 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones in excellent (85-90%) yields. In vitro MTT assay against the RAW 264.7 cell line followed by enzymatic assay against MtbCM identified 3b and 3c as active compounds that showed two H-bonding via their NH (at position 6) and CO group with MtbCM in silico and encouraging (54-57%) inhibition at 30 µM in vitro. Notably, none of the 2,2-disubstituted 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones showed any significant inhibition of MtbCM suggesting the favourable role of the pyrazole moiety in case of pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidinones. The favourable role of cyclopentyl ring attached to the pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidinone moiety and that of two methyl groups in place of cyclopentyl ring was also indicated by the SAR study. Besides showing effects against MtbCM in the concentration response study, 3b and 3c showed little or no effects on mammalian cell viability up to 100 µM in an MTT assay but decreased the % Mtb cell viability at 10-30 µM with > 20% decrease at 30 µM in an Alamar Blue Assay. Moreover, no adverse effects were noted for these compounds when tested for teratogenicity and hepatotoxicity in zebrafish at various concentrations. Overall, being the only example of MtbCM inhibitors that showed effects on Mtb cell viability the compound 3b and 3c are of further interest form the view point of discovery and development of new anti-tubercular agents.

PIMT regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis in mice.

The physiological and metabolic functions of PIMT/TGS1, a third-generation transcriptional apparatus protein, in glucose homeostasis sustenance are unclear. Here, we observed that the expression of PIMT was upregulated in the livers of short-term fasted and obese mice. Lentiviruses expressing Tgs1-specific shRNA or cDNA were injected into wild-type mice. Gene expression, hepatic glucose output, glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity were evaluated in mice and primary hepatocytes. Genetic modulation of PIMT exerted a direct positive impact on the gluconeogenic gene expression program and hepatic glucose output. Molecular studies utilizing cultured cells, in vivo models, genetic manipulation, and PKA pharmacological inhibition establish that PKA regulates PIMT at post-transcriptional/translational and post-translational levels. PKA enhanced 3'UTR-mediated translation of TGS1 mRNA and phosphorylated PIMT at Ser656, increasing Ep300-mediated gluconeogenic transcriptional activity. The PKA-PIMT-Ep300 signaling module and associated PIMT regulation may serve as a key driver of gluconeogenesis, positioning PIMT as a critical hepatic glucose sensor.

De novo design of anti-tuberculosis agents using a structure-based deep learning method.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a pathogen of major concern due to its ability to withstand both first- and second-line antibiotics, leading to drug resistance. Thus, there is a critical need for identification of novel anti-tuberculosis agents targeting Mtb-specific proteins. The ceaseless search for novel antimicrobial agents to combat drug-resistant bacteria can be accelerated by the development of advanced deep learning methods, to explore both existing and uncharted regions of the chemical space. The adaptation of deep learning methods to under-explored pathogens such as Mtb is a challenging aspect, as most of the existing methods rely on the availability of sufficient target-specific ligand data to design novel small molecules with optimized bioactivity. In this work, we report the design of novel anti-tuberculosis agents targeting the Mtb chorismate mutase protein using a structure-based drug design algorithm. The structure-based deep learning method relies on the knowledge of the target protein's binding site structure alone for conditional generation of novel small molecules. The method eliminates the need for curation of a high-quality target-specific small molecule dataset, which remains a challenge even for many druggable targets, including Mtb chorismate mutase. Novel molecules are proposed, that show high complementarity to the target binding site. The graph attention model could identify the probable key binding site residues, which influenced the conditional molecule generator to design new molecules with pharmacophoric features similar to the known inhibitors.

Pd/Cu-catalyzed access to novel 3-(benzofuran-2-ylmethyl) substituted (pyrazolo/benzo)triazinone derivatives: their in silico/in vitro evaluation as inhibitors of chorismate mutase (CM).

In view of the reported chorismate mutase (CM or MtbCM) inhibitory activities of 3-indolylmethyl substituted (pyrazolo/benzo)triazinone derivatives the structurally similar 3-(benzofuran-2-ylmethyl) substituted (pyrazolo/benzo)triazinones were designed and evaluated in silico against CM. The docking of target molecules was performed at the interface site of MtbCM (PDB: 2FP2). All the best ranked molecules participated in a strong H-bonding with the ILE67 of the B chain at the backbone position in addition to several hydrophobic/van der Waals interactions with the hydrophobic residues. Based on encouraging docking results, the one-pot synthesis of newly designed benzofuran derivatives was carried out using tandem Pd/Cu-catalyzed Sonogashira cross-coupling followed by intramolecular cyclization of 2-iodophenols with appropriate terminal alkynes. A range of novel 3-(benzofuran-2-ylmethyl) substituted (pyrazolo/benzo)triazinone derivatives were prepared in high (>80%) yields. Three molecules i.e.3h, 3i and 3m that participated in good interaction with CM in silico showed encouraging (64-65%) inhibition at 30 µM in vitro. An SAR within this class of molecules suggested that the benzotriazinone series in general was better than the pyrazolotriazinone series. Based on molecular docking in silico, CM inhibition in vitro and computational ADME prediction the benzofuran derivatives 3i and 3m seemed to be of further medicinal interest in the context of discovery and development of new anti-tubercular agents.

Sonochemical synthesis and biological evaluation of isoquinolin-1(2H)-one/isoindolin-1-one derivatives: Discovery of a positive ago-allosteric modulator (PAAM) of 5HT2CR.

Efforts have been devoted for the discovery and development of positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of 5-HT2CR because of their potential advantages over the orthosteric agonist like Lorcaserin that was withdrawn from the market. On the other hand, pursuing a positive ago-allosteric modulator (PAAM) is considered as beneficial particularly when an agonist is not capable of affecting the potency of the endogenous agonist sufficiently. In search of a suitable PAAM of 5-HT2CR we adopted an in silico based approach that indicated the potential of the 3-(1-hydroxycycloalkyl) substituted isoquinolin-1-one derivatives against the 5-HT2CR as majority of these molecules interacted with the site other than that of Lorcaserin with superior docking scores. These compounds along with the regioisomeric 3-methyleneisoindolin-1-one derivatives were prepared via the Cu(OAc)2 catalyzed coupling of 2-iodobenzamide with 1-ethynylcycloalkanol under ultrasound irradiation. According to the in vitro studies, most of these compounds were not only found to be potent and selective agonists but also emerged as PAAM of 5-HT2CR whereas Lorcaserin did not show PAAM activities. According to the SAR study the isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones appeared as better PAAM than isoindolin-1-ones whereas the presence of hydroxyl group appeared to be crucial for the activity. With the potent PAAM activity for 5-HT2CR (EC50 = 1 nM) and 107 and 86-fold selectivity towards 5-HT2C over 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B the compound 4i was identified as a hit molecule. The compound showed good stability in male BALB/c mice brain homogenate (∼85 % remaining after 2 h), moderate stability in the presence of rat liver microsomes (42 % remaining after 1 h) and acceptable PK properties with fast reaching in the brain maintaining âˆ¼ 1:1 brain/plasma concentration ratio. The compound at a dose of 50 mg/kg exhibited decreased trend in the food intake starting from day 3 in S.D. rats, which reached significant by 5th day, and the effect was comparable to Lorcaserin (10 mg/kg) on day 5. Thus, being the first example of PAAM of 5-HT2CR the compound 4i is of further medicinal interest.

PHLPPs: Emerging players in metabolic disorders.

That reversible protein phosphorylation by kinases and phosphatases occurs in metabolic disorders is well known. Various studies have revealed that a multi-faceted and tightly regulated phosphatase, pleckstrin homology domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP)-1/2 displays robust effects in cardioprotection, ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R), and vascular remodelling. PHLPP1 promotes foamy macrophage development through ChREBP/AMPK-dependent pathways. Adipocyte-specific loss of PHLPP2 reduces adiposity, improves glucose tolerance,and attenuates fatty liver via the PHLPP2-HSL-PPARα axis. Discoveries of PHLPP1-mediated insulin resistance and pancreatic ß cell death via the PHLPP1/2-Mst1-mTORC1 triangular loop have shed light on its significance in diabetology. PHLPP1 downregulation attenuates diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) by restoring PI3K-Akt-mTOR signalling. In this review, we summarise the functional role of, and cellular signalling mediated by, PHLPPs in metabolic tissues and discuss their potential as therapeutic targets.

PIMT/TGS1: An evolving metabolic molecular switch with conserved methyl transferase activity.

Transcriptional coactivators play a crucial role in regulating gene expression. PRIP interacting protein with methyl transferase domain (PIMT)/trimethyl guanosine synthase 1 (TGS1) is a co-activator interacting protein with an RNA methyl transferase domain. PIMT serves as a bridge between HAT and non-HAT coactivators and differentially modulates gene expression. Disruption of PIMT is embryonic lethal. PIMT regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis and TNF-α-induced insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle. As a methyl transferase, PIMT controls post-transcriptional regulation of HIV-1 and is essential for human telomerase RNA biogenesis. This review comprehensively describes the dual role of PIMT, which promises to be a putative target in metabolic disorders.

Amberlyst-15 catalysed synthesis of novel indole derivatives under ultrasound irradiation: Their evaluation as serotonin 5-HT2C receptor agonists.

A series of indole based novel Schiff bases was designed as potential agonists of 5-HT2C receptor that was supported by docking studies in silico. These compounds were synthesized via Amberlyst-15 catalysed condensation of an appropriate pyrazole based primary amine with the corresponding indole-3-aldehyde under ultrasound irradiation at ambient temperature. A number of target Schiff bases were obtained in good yields (77-87%) under mild conditions within 1 h. Notably, the methodology afforded the corresponding pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidin-7(4H)-one derivatives when the primary amine was replaced by a secondary amine. Several Schiff bases showed agonist activity when tested against human 5-HT2C using luciferase assay in HEK293T cells in vitro. The SAR (Structure-Activity-Relationship) studies suggested that the imine moiety was more favorable over its cyclic form i.e. the corresponding pyrazolopyrimidinone ring. The Schiff bases 3b (EC50 1.8 nM) and 3i (EC50 5.7 nM) were identified as the most active compounds and were comparable with Lorcaserin (EC50 8.5 nM). Also like Lorcaserin, none of these compounds were found to be PAM of 5-HT2C. With ∼24 and ∼150 fold selectivity towards 5-HT2C over 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B respectively the compound 3i that reduced locomotor activity in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae model emerged as a promising hit molecule for further study.

Synthesis of 3-indolylmethyl substituted (pyrazolo/benzo)triazinone derivatives under Pd/Cu-catalysis: Identification of potent inhibitors of chorismate mutase (CM).

The chorismate mutase (CM) is considered as an attractive target for the identification of potential antitubercular agents due to its absence in animals but not in bacteria. A series of 3-indolylmethyl substituted pyrazolotriazinone derivatives were designed and docked into CM in silico as potential inhibitors. These compounds were efficiently synthesized using the Pd/Cu-catalyzed coupling-cyclization in a single pot involving the construction of indole ring. The methodology was later extended to the preparation of corresponding benzo analogs of pyrazolotriazinones i.e. 3-indolylmethyl substituted benzotriazinone derivatives. Several of these novel compounds showed significant inhibition of CM when tested in vitro at 30 µM. The SAR (Structure-Activity-Relationship) studies suggested that benzotriazinone moiety was more favorable over the pyrazolotriazinone ring. The two best active compounds showed IC50 ∼ 0.4-0.9 µM (better than the reference/known compounds used) and no toxicity till 30 µM in vitro.

Statins exacerbate glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia in a high sucrose fed rodent model.

Statins are first-line therapy drugs for cholesterol lowering. While they are highly effective at lowering cholesterol, they have propensity to induce hyperglycemia in patients. Only limited studies have been reported which studied the impact of statins on (a) whether they can worsen glucose tolerance in a high sucrose fed animal model and (b) if so, what could be the molecular mechanism. We designed studies using high sucrose fed animals to explore the above questions. The high sucrose fed animals were treated with atorvastatin and simvastatin, the two most prescribed statins. We examined the effects of statins on hyperglycemia, glucose tolerance, fatty acid accumulation and insulin signaling. We found that chronic treatment with atorvastatin made the animals hyperglycemic and glucose intolerant in comparison with diet alone. Treatment with both statins lead to fatty acid accumulation and inhibition of insulin signaling in the muscle tissue at multiple points in the pathway.

Novel isatin-indole derivatives as potential inhibitors of chorismate mutase (CM): their synthesis along with unexpected formation of 2-indolylmethylamino benzoate ester under Pd-Cu catalysis.

A series of novel isatin-indole derivatives has been designed as potential inhibitors of chorismate mutase (CM) that is known to be present in bacteria, fungi and higher plants but not in human. The design was supported by in silico docking studies that predicted strong interactions of these molecules with CM. The target compounds were synthesized via the one-pot coupling/cyclization method involving the reaction of an isatin based terminal alkyne with 2-iodosulfanilides under Pd-Cu catalysis. A number of isatin-indole derivatives were prepared using this method. A side product e.g. 2-indolylmethylamino benzoate ester derivative was obtained as a result of isatin ring opening (ethanolysis) of products in certain cases. Additionally, regioselective reduction of selected compounds afforded the corresponding C-3 hydroxy derivatives. All isatin-indole derivatives showed good to high inhibition of CM in vitro among which two compounds (3e and 3f) showed inhibition at nanomolar concentration.

2-[2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylamino)thiazol-4-yl]acetic acid (Activator-3) is a potent activator of AMPK.

AMPK is considered as a potential high value target for metabolic disorders. Here, we present the molecular modeling, in vitro and in vivo characterization of Activator-3, 2-[2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylamino)thiazol-4-yl]acetic acid, an AMP mimetic and a potent pan-AMPK activator. Activator-3 and AMP likely share common activation mode for AMPK activation. Activator-3 enhanced AMPK phosphorylation by upstream kinase LKB1 and protected AMPK complex against dephosphorylation by PP2C. Molecular modeling analyses followed by in vitro mutant AMPK enzyme assays demonstrate that Activator-3 interacts with R70 and R152 of the CBS1 domain on AMPK γ subunit near AMP binding site. Activator-3 and C2, a recently described AMPK mimetic, bind differently in the γ subunit of AMPK. Activator-3 unlike C2 does not show cooperativity of AMPK activity in the presence of physiological concentration of ATP (2 mM). Activator-3 displays good pharmacokinetic profile in rat blood plasma with minimal brain penetration property. Oral treatment of High Sucrose Diet (HSD) fed diabetic rats with 10 mg/kg dose of Activator-3 once in a day for 30 days significantly enhanced glucose utilization, improved lipid profiles and reduced body weight, demonstrating that Activator-3 is a potent AMPK activator that can alleviate the negative metabolic impact of high sucrose diet in rat model.

ERK1/2 activated PHLPP1 induces skeletal muscle ER stress through the inhibition of a novel substrate AMPK.

Nutritional abundance associated with chronic inflammation and dyslipidemia impairs the functioning of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) thereby hampering cellular responses to insulin. PHLPP1 was identified as a phosphatase which inactivates Akt, the master regulator of insulin mediated glucose homeostasis. Given the suggestive role of PHLPP1 phosphatase in terminating insulin signalling pathways, deeper insights into its functional role in inducing insulin resistance are warranted. Here, we show that PHLPP1 expression is enhanced in skeletal muscle of insulin resistant rodents which also displayed ER stress, an important mediator of insulin resistance. Using cultured cells and PHLPP1 knockdown mice, we demonstrate that PHLPP1 facilitates the development of ER stress. Importantly, shRNA mediated ablation of PHLPP1 significantly improved glucose clearance from systemic circulation with enhanced expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4) in skeletal muscle. Mechanistically, we show that endogenous PHLPP1 but not PP2Cα interacts with and directly dephosphorylates AMPK Thr172 in myoblasts without influencing its upstream kinase, LKB1. While the association between endogenous PHLPP1 and AMPK was enhanced in ER stressed cultured cells and soleus muscle of high fat diet fed mice, the basal interaction between PP2Ac and AMPK was minimally altered. Further, we show that PHLPP1α is phosphorylated by ERK1/2 at Ser932 under ER stress which is required for its ability to interact with and dephosphorylate AMPK and thereby induce ER stress. Taken together, our data position PHLPP1 as a key regulator of ER stress.

MicroRNA-712 restrains macrophage pro-inflammatory responses by targeting LRRK2 leading to restoration of insulin stimulated glucose uptake by myoblasts.

Chronic inflammatory diseases such as insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases etc., are shown to be caused due to imbalanced activation states of macrophages. MicroRNAs which are transcriptional/post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression drive several pathophysiological processes including macrophage polarization. However the functional role of microRNAs in regulating inflammation induced insulin resistance is ill defined. In our current study we observed that the expression of miR-712 was reduced in macrophages exposed to LPS and IFN-γ. Ectopic expression of miR-712 in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages impaired the expression of iNOS protein and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-ß which in turn led to improved insulin stimulated glucose uptake in co-cultured L6 myoblasts. Mechanistically, we identified that miR-712 targets the 3'UTR of a potent inflammatory gene LRRK2 and dampens the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2 kinases. Taken together, our data underscore the regulatory role of miR-712 in restoring insulin stimulated glucose uptake by myoblasts through down-regulating macrophage mediated inflammatory responses.

MicroRNA-16 modulates macrophage polarization leading to improved insulin sensitivity in myoblasts.

Uncontrolled inflammation leads to several diseases such as insulin resistance, T2D and several types of cancers. The functional role of microRNAs in inflammation induced insulin resistance is poorly studied. MicroRNAs are post-transcriptional regulatory molecules which mediate diverse biological processes. We here show that miR-16 expression levels are down-regulated in different inflammatory conditions such as LPS/IFNγ or palmitate treated macrophages, palmitate exposed myoblasts and insulin responsive tissues of high sucrose diet induced insulin resistant rats. Importantly, forced expression of miR-16 in macrophages impaired the production of TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-ß leading to enhanced insulin stimulated glucose uptake in co-cultured skeletal myoblasts. Further, ectopic expression of miR-16 enhanced insulin stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal myoblasts via the up-regulation of GLUT4 and MEF2A, two key players involved in insulin stimulated glucose uptake. Collectively, our data highlight the important role of miR-16 in ameliorating inflammation induced insulin resistance.

Co-activator binding protein PIMT mediates TNF-α induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle via the transcriptional down-regulation of MEF2A and GLUT4.

The mechanisms underlying inflammation induced insulin resistance are poorly understood. Here, we report that the expression of PIMT, a transcriptional co-activator binding protein, was up-regulated in the soleus muscle of high sucrose diet (HSD) induced insulin resistant rats and TNF-α exposed cultured myoblasts. Moreover, TNF-α induced phosphorylation of PIMT at the ERK1/2 target site Ser(298). Wild type (WT) PIMT or phospho-mimic Ser298Asp mutant but not phospho-deficient Ser298Ala PIMT mutant abrogated insulin stimulated glucose uptake by L6 myotubes and neonatal rat skeletal myoblasts. Whereas, PIMT knock down relieved TNF-α inhibited insulin signaling. Mechanistic analysis revealed that PIMT differentially regulated the expression of GLUT4, MEF2A, PGC-1α and HDAC5 in cultured cells and skeletal muscle of Wistar rats. Further characterization showed that PIMT was recruited to GLUT4, MEF2A and HDAC5 promoters and overexpression of PIMT abolished the activity of WT but not MEF2A binding defective mutant GLUT4 promoter. Collectively, we conclude that PIMT mediates TNF-α induced insulin resistance at the skeletal muscle via the transcriptional modulation of GLUT4, MEF2A, PGC-1α and HDAC5 genes.

Simvastatin may induce insulin resistance through a novel fatty acid mediated cholesterol independent mechanism.

Statins are a class of oral drugs that are widely used for treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Recent clinical data suggest that chronic use of these drugs increases the frequency of new onset diabetes. Studies to define the risks of statin-induced diabetes and its underlying mechanisms are clearly necessary. We explored the possible mechanism of statin induced insulin resistance using a well-established cell based model and simvastatin as a prototype statin. Our data show that simvastatin induces insulin resistance in a cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition independent fashion but does so by a fatty acid mediated effect on insulin signaling pathway. These data may help design strategies for prevention of statin induced insulin resistance and diabetes in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α activation and excess energy burning in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) modulates the activities of all three interlinked hepatic fatty acid oxidation systems, namely mitochondrial and peroxisomal ß-oxidation and microsomal ω-oxidation pathways. Hyperactivation of PPARα, by both exogenous and endogenous activators up-regulates hepatic fatty acid oxidation resulting in excess energy burning in liver contributing to the development of liver cancer in rodents. Sustained PPARα signaling disproportionately increases H2O2-generating fatty acid metabolizing enzymes as compared to H2O2-degrading enzymes in liver leading to enhanced generation of DNA damaging reactive oxygen species, progressive endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation. These alterations also contribute to increased liver cell proliferation with changes in apoptosis. Thus, reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress and hepatocellular proliferation are likely the main contributing factors in the pathogenesis of hepatocarcinogenesis, mediated by sustained PPARα activation-related energy burning in liver. Furthermore, the transcriptional co-activator Med1, a key subunit of the Mediator complex, is essential for PPARα signaling in that both PPARα-null and Med1-null hepatocytes are unresponsive to PPARα activators and fail to give rise to liver tumors when chronically exposed to PPARα activators.

ERK2-mediated phosphorylation of transcriptional coactivator binding protein PIMT/NCoA6IP at Ser298 augments hepatic gluconeogenesis.

PRIP-Interacting protein with methyl transferase domain (PIMT) serves as a molecular bridge between CREB-binding protein (CBP)/ E1A binding protein p300 (Ep300) -anchored histone acetyl transferase and the Mediator complex sub-unit1 (Med1) and modulates nuclear receptor transcription. Here, we report that ERK2 phosphorylates PIMT at Ser(298) and enhances its ability to activate PEPCK promoter. We observed that PIMT is recruited to PEPCK promoter and adenoviral-mediated over-expression of PIMT in rat primary hepatocytes up-regulated expression of gluconeogenic genes including PEPCK. Reporter experiments with phosphomimetic PIMT mutant (PIMT(S298D)) suggested that conformational change may play an important role in PIMT-dependent PEPCK promoter activity. Overexpression of PIMT and Med1 together augmented hepatic glucose output in an additive manner. Importantly, expression of gluconeogenic genes and hepatic glucose output were suppressed in isolated liver specific PIMT knockout mouse hepatocytes. Furthermore, consistent with reporter experiments, PIMT(S298D) but not PIMT(S298A) augmented hepatic glucose output via up-regulating the expression of gluconeogenic genes. Pharmacological blockade of MAPK/ERK pathway using U0126, abolished PIMT/Med1-dependent gluconeogenic program leading to reduced hepatic glucose output. Further, systemic administration of T4 hormone to rats activated ERK1/2 resulting in enhanced PIMT ser(298) phosphorylation. Phosphorylation of PIMT led to its increased binding to the PEPCK promoter, increased PEPCK expression and induction of gluconeogenesis in liver. Thus, ERK2-mediated phosphorylation of PIMT at Ser(298) is essential in hepatic gluconeogenesis, demonstrating an important role of PIMT in the pathogenesis of hyperglycemia.