Zaitsev, A. V. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2025

Ulk1(S555) inhibition alters nutrient stress response by prioritizing amino acid metabolism

Metabolic flexibility, the capacity to adapt fuel utilization in response to nutrient availability, is essential for maintaining energy homeostasis and preventing metabolic disease. Here, we investigate the role of Ulk1 phosphorylation at serine 555 (S555), a site regulated by AMPK, in coordinating metabolic switching following short-term caloric restriction and fasting. Using Ulk1(S555A) global knock-in mice, we show loss of S555 phosphorylation impairs glucose oxidation in skeletal muscle and liver during short-term CR, despite improved glucose tolerance. Metabolomic, transcriptomic, and mitochondrial respiration analyses suggest a compensatory reliance on autophagy-derived amino acids in Ulk1(S555A) mice. These findings suggest Ulk1(S555) phosphorylation as a critical regulatory event linking nutrient stress to substrate switching. This work highlights an underappreciated role of Ulk1 in maintaining metabolic flexibility, with implications for metabolic dysfunction. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=179 SRC="FIGDIR/small/662412v3_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (22K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@33a57aorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@b518ccorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16f2693org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@4daac4_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

physiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Does PERM1 Regulate Systolic Cardiac Function? A Game of Numbers.

We and others demonstrated that PERM1 is a positive regulator of mitochondrial bioenergetics in the heart. However, discrepant results have emerged with regard to whether PERM1 loss-of-function affect cardiac contractility. In order to exclude the possibility that the reported negative results can be due to insufficient power of statistical test, we conducted a more robust echocardiography (Echo) analysis by increasing the sample size. We used Perm1-KO and their respective wildtype (WT) littermates, which were destined to tissue harvest. This yielded 84 WT mice and 88 Perm1-KO mice. We analyzed Echo-derived parameters of left ventricular (LV) systolic function. At the end of the study, ejection fraction (EF) was 65.43 {+/-} 7.13 in WT vs. 53.98 {+/-} 8.80 in Perm1-KO yielding p < 0.00000000000000004. Other parameters which reached statistically significant difference between WT and Perm1-KO (at p < 0.05) included LV fractional shortening (FS), LV diastolic and systolic diameters, LV anterior and posterior systolic wall thickness, LV posterior wall systolic thickening, stroke volume, and cardiac output (CO). Retrospectively, a p value < 0.05 was consistently achieved in assessment of EF only after average N per group reached 13. Larger minimal N per group were required for other parameters. Of interest, in both groups there were no correlation between EF% and CO. At the same time, in both groups EF strongly inversely correlated with LV diastolic diameter. This led us to a speculation that low EF may be in part compensated by an increased LV circumference, for the purpose of maintaining invariant CO. Indeed, the intergroup difference in CO (6%) was much smaller than the intergroup difference in EF (18%). We conclude that PERM1 does regulate cardiac mechanics. Changes caused by constitutive Perm1-KO can be conceptualized as reduced contractility partially compensated by increased LV circumference. This study underscores the importance of sufficiently large sample size for detecting significant differences in Echo data.

physiology↗