Biology subjects

Audano, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Audano, M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Prostaglandin D2 synthase controls Schwann cells metabolism

We previously reported that in the absence of Prostaglandin D2 synthase (L-PGDS) peripheral nerves are hypomyelinated in development and that with aging they present aberrant myelin sheaths. We now demonstrate that L-PGDS expressed in Schwann cells is part of a coordinated program aiming at preserving myelin integrity. In vivo and in vitro lipidomic, metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses confirmed that myelin lipids composition, Schwann cells energetic metabolism and key enzymes controlling these processes are altered in the absence of L-PGDS. Moreover, Schwann cells undergo a metabolic rewiring and turn to acetate as the main energetic source. Further, they produce ketone bodies to ensure glial cell and neuronal survival. Importantly, we demonstrate that all these changes correlate with morphological myelin alterations and describe the first physiological pathway implicated in preserving PNS myelin. Collectively, we posit that myelin lipids serve as a reservoir to provide ketone bodies, which together with acetate represent the adaptive substrates Schwann cells can rely on to sustain the axo-glial unit and preserve the integrity of the PNS.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Oxidative stress potentiates the therapeutic action of a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor in MYC-driven B-cell lymphoma

MYC is a key oncogenic driver and an adverse prognostic factor in multiple types of cancer, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Yet, MYC activation also endows cancer cells with a series of metabolic dependencies, which can provide strategic points for targeted pharmacological intervention. We recently reported that targeting the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex I with the small molecule inhibitor IACS-010759 selectively killed MYC-overexpressing lymphoid cells. Here, we unravel the mechanistic basis for this synthetic-lethal interaction and exploit it to improve the anti-tumoral effects of ETC inhibition. In a mouse B-cell line, MYC hyperactivation and IACS-010759 treatment added up to induce oxidative stress, with consequent depletion of reduced glutathione and lethal disruption of redox homeostasis. This effect could be enhanced by targeted pharmacological intervention, with either inhibitors of NADPH production through the pentose phosphate pathway, or with ascorbate (vitamin C), known to contribute pro-oxidant effects when administered at high doses. In these conditions, ascorbate synergized with IACS-010759 to kill MYC-overexpressing cells in vitro and reinforced its therapeutic action against human B-cell lymphoma xenografts. Hence, ETC inhibition and high-dose ascorbate might improve the outcome of patients affected by high-grade lymphomas and other MYC-driven cancers. Key point #1MYC and the ETC complex I inhibitor IACS-010759 elicit different reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cooperate to disrupt redox homeostasis. Key point #2Further boosting of oxidative stress with high doses of ascorbate increases the killing of MYC-driven lymphoma xenografts by IACS-010759.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Low-protein/high-carbohydrate diet induces AMPK-dependent canonical and non-canonical thermogenic response in subcutaneous adipose tissue

Low-protein/high-carbohydrate (LPHC) diet promotes metabolic health and longevity in adult humans and animal models. However, the complex molecular underpinnings of how LPHC diet leads to metabolic benefits remain elusive. Through a multi-layered approach, here we observed that LPHC diet promotes an energy-dissipating response consisting in the parallel recruitment of canonical and non-canonical (muscular) thermogenic systems in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT). In particular, we measured Ucp1 induction in association with up-regulation of actomyosin components and several Serca (Serca1, Serca2a, Serca2b) ATPases. In beige adipocytes, we observed that AMPK activation is responsible for transducing the amino acid lowering in an enhanced fat catabolism, which sustains both Ucp1- and Serca-dependent energy dissipation. Limiting AMPK activation counteracts the expression of brown fat and muscular genes, including Ucp1 and Serca, as well as mitochondrial oxidative genes. We observed that mitochondrial reactive oxygen species are the upstream molecules controlling AMPK-mediated metabolic rewiring in amino acid-restricted beige adipocytes. Our findings delineate a novel metabolic phenotype of responses to amino acid shortage, which recapitulates some of the benefits of cool temperature in sWAT. In conclusion, this highlights LPHC diet as a valuable and practicable strategy to prevent metabolic diseases through the enhancement of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and the recruitment of different energy dissipating routes in beige adipocytes.

physiology↗