Role of Protein Phosphorylation and Tyrosine Phosphatases in the Adrenal Regulation of Steroid Synthesis and Mitochondrial Function.

In adrenocortical cells, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) promotes the activation of several protein kinases. The action of these kinases is linked to steroid production, mainly through steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), whose expression and activity are dependent on protein phosphorylation events at genomic and non-genomic levels. Hormone-dependent mitochondrial dynamics and cell proliferation are functions also associated with protein kinases. On the other hand, protein tyrosine dephosphorylation is an additional component of the ACTH signaling pathway, which involves the "classical" protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), such as Src homology domain (SH) 2-containing PTP (SHP2c), and members of the MAP kinase phosphatase (MKP) family, such as MKP-1. PTPs are rapidly activated by posttranslational mechanisms and participate in hormone-stimulated steroid production. In this process, the SHP2 tyrosine phosphatase plays a crucial role in a mechanism that includes an acyl-CoA synthetase-4 (Acsl4), arachidonic acid (AA) release and StAR induction. In contrast, MKPs in steroidogenic cells have a role in the turn-off of the hormonal signal in ERK-dependent processes such as steroid synthesis and, perhaps, cell proliferation. This review analyzes the participation of these tyrosine phosphates in the ACTH signaling pathway and the action of kinases and phosphatases in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and steroid production. In addition, the participation of kinases and phosphatases in the signal cascade triggered by different stimuli in other steroidogenic tissues is also compared to adrenocortical cell/ACTH and discussed.

Inactivation of SOCS3 in leptin receptor-expressing cells protects mice from diet-induced insulin resistance but does not prevent obesity.

Therapies that improve leptin sensitivity have potential as an alternative treatment approach against obesity and related comorbidities. We investigated the effects of Socs3 gene ablation in different mouse models to understand the role of SOCS3 in the regulation of leptin sensitivity, diet-induced obesity (DIO) and glucose homeostasis. Neuronal deletion of SOCS3 partially prevented DIO and improved glucose homeostasis. Inactivation of SOCS3 only in LepR-expressing cells protected against leptin resistance induced by HFD, but did not prevent DIO. However, inactivation of SOCS3 in LepR-expressing cells protected mice from diet-induced insulin resistance by increasing hypothalamic expression of Katp channel subunits and c-Fos expression in POMC neurons. In summary, the regulation of leptin signaling by SOCS3 orchestrates diet-induced changes on glycemic control. These findings help to understand the molecular mechanisms linking obesity and type 2 diabetes, and highlight the potential of SOCS3 inhibitors as a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of diabetes.