Biology subjects

Berger, N.

Publications and source records attributed to Berger, N..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Inhibition of Mitochondrial Fission Protein Drp1 Ameliorates Myopathy in the D2-mdx Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Although current treatments for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) have proven to be effective in delaying myopathy, there remains a strong need to identify novel targets to develop additional therapies. Mitochondrial dysfunction is an early pathological feature of DMD. A fine balance of mitochondrial dynamics (fission and fusion) is crucial to maintain mitochondrial function and skeletal muscle health. Excessive activation of Dynamin-Related Protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial fission was reported in animal models of DMD. However, whether Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission is a viable target for treating myopathy in DMD remains unknown. Here, we treated a D2-mdx model of DMD (9-10 weeks old) with Mdivi-1, a selective Drp1 inhibitor, every other day (i.p. injection) for 5 weeks. We demonstrated that Mdivi-1 effectively improved skeletal muscle strength and reduced serum creatine kinase concentration. Mdivi-1 treatment also effectively inhibited mitochondrial fission regulatory protein markers, Drp1(Ser616) phosphorylation and Fis1 in skeletal muscles from D2-mdx mice, which resulted in reduced content of damaged and fragmented mitochondria. Furthermore, Mdivi-1 treatment attenuated lipid peroxidation product, 4-HNE, in skeletal muscle from D2-mdx mice, which was inversely correlated with muscle grip strength. Finally, we revealed that Mdivi-1 treatment downregulated Alpha 1 Type I Collagen (Col1a1) protein expression, a marker of fibrosis, and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA expression, a marker of inflammation. In summary, these results demonstrate that inhibition of Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission by Mdivi-1 is effective in improving muscle strength and alleviating muscle damage in D2-mdx mice. These improvements are associated with improved skeletal muscle mitochondrial integrity, leading to attenuated lipid peroxidation.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Voluntary Exercise Attenuates Tumor Growth in a Preclinical Model of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

PurposeTo examine the effects of voluntary exercise training on tumor growth and explore the underlying intratumoral molecular pathways and processes responsible for the beneficial effects of VWR on tumor initiation and progression in a mouse model of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC). MethodsMale immunodeficient mice (SCID) were castrated and subcutaneously inoculated with human CWR-22RV1 cancer cells to construct CRPC xenograft model before randomly assigned to either voluntary wheel running (VWR) or sedentary (SED) group (n=6/group). After three weeks, tumor tissues were collected. Tumor size was measured and calculated. mRNA expression of markers of DNA replication, Androgen Receptor (AR) signaling, and mitochondrial dynamics was determined by RT-PCR. Protein expression of mitochondrial content and dynamics was determined by western blotting. Finally, RNA-sequencing analysis was performed in the tumor tissues. ResultsVoluntary wheel running resulted in smaller tumor volume at the initial stage and attenuated tumor progression throughout the time course (P < 0.05). The reduction of tumor volume in VWR group was coincided with lower mRNA expression of DNA replication markers (MCM2, MCM6, and MCM7), AR signaling (ELOVL5 and FKBP5) and regulatory proteins of mitochondrial fission (Drp1 and Fis1) and fusion (MFN1 and OPA1) when compared to the SED group (P<0.05). More importantly, RNA sequencing data further revealed that pathways related to pathways related to angiogenesis, extracellular matrix formation and endothelial cell proliferation were downregulated. ConclusionsThree weeks of VWR was effective in delaying tumor initiation and progression, which coincided with reduced transcription of DNA replication, AR signaling targets and mitochondrial dynamics. We further identified reduced molecular pathways/processes related to angiogenesis that may be responsible for the delayed tumor initiation and progression by VWR.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Root membrane ubiquitinome under short-term osmotic stress

Osmotic stress can be detrimental to plants, whose survival relies heavily on proteomic plasticity. Protein ubiquitination is a central post-translational modification in osmotic mediated stress. Plants use the ubiquitin (Ub) proteasome system to modulate protein content, and a role for Ub in mediating endocytosis and trafficking plant plasma membrane proteins has recently emerged. In this study, we used the K-{varepsilon}-GG antibody enrichment method integrated with high-resolution mass spectrometry to compile a list of 719 ubiquitinated lysine (K-Ub) residues from 450 Arabidopsis root membrane proteins (58% of which are transmembrane proteins), thereby adding to the database of ubiquitinated substrates in plants. Although no Ub motifs could be identified, the presence of acidic residues close to K-Ub was revealed. Our ubiquitinome analysis pointed to a broad role of ubiquitination in the internalization and sorting of cargo proteins. Moreover, the simultaneous proteome and ubiquitinome quantification showed that ubiquitination is mostly not involved in membrane protein degradation in response to short osmotic treatment, but putatively in protein internalization as described for the aquaporin PIP2;1. Our in silico analysis of ubiquitinated proteins shows that two E2 Ub ligases, UBC32 and UBC34, putatively target membrane proteins under osmotic stress. Finally, we revealed a positive role for UBC32 and UBC34 in primary root growth under osmotic stress.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Fasting reverses drug-resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma through p53-dependent metabolic synergism

Cancer cells voraciously consume nutrients to support their growth, exposing a metabolic vulnerability that can be therapeutically exploited. Here we show in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, xenografts, and in patient-derived HCC organoids that fasting can synergistically sensitize resistant HCC to sorafenib. Mechanistically, sorafenib acts non-canonically as an inhibitor of mitochondrial respiration, causing resistant cells to depend on glycolysis for survival. Fasting, through reduction in glucose and impeded AKT/mTOR-signaling, prevents this Warburg shift. Regulating glucose transporter and pro-apoptotic protein expression, p53 is necessary and sufficient for the sorafenib-sensitizing effect of fasting. p53 is also crucial for fasting-mediated improvement of sorafenib efficacy in an orthotopic HCC mouse model. Together, our data suggest intermittent fasting and sorafenib as rational combination therapy for HCC with intact p53 signaling. As HCC therapy is currently severely limited by resistance, these results should instigate clinical studies aimed at improving therapy response in advanced-stage, and possibly even early-stage, HCC. HIGHLIGHTSO_LIFasting sensitizes resistant HCC xenografts and patient-derived organoids to sorafenib C_LIO_LISorafenib-mediated Warburg shift is prevented by glucose limitation upon fasting C_LIO_LIFasting synergistically improves sorafenib efficacy in non-resistant models C_LIO_LIp53 is required for synergism by regulating glucose uptake and apoptosis C_LI GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=167 SRC="FIGDIR/small/430545v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (40K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1c0bf9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@15638b4org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1a4b322org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ec863a_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

cancer biology↗