Activation of the cAMP-PKA pathway Antagonizes Metformin Suppression of Hepatic Glucose Production.

Metformin is the most commonly prescribed oral anti-diabetic agent worldwide. Surprisingly, about 35% of diabetic patients either lack or have a delayed response to metformin treatment, and many patients become less responsive to metformin over time. It remains unknown how metformin resistance or insensitivity occurs.

Metformin activates AMP-activated protein kinase by promoting formation of the αβγ heterotrimeric complex.

Metformin is the most widely prescribed oral anti-diabetic agent. Recently, we have shown that low metformin concentrations found in the portal vein suppress glucose production in hepatocytes through activation of AMPK. Moreover, low concentrations of metformin were found to activate AMPK by increasing the phosphorylation of AMPKα at Thr-172.

Spatially Organized Films from Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus Prey Lysates.

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a Gram-negative predator of other Gram-negative bacteria. Interestingly, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J cells grown in coculture with Escherichia coli ML-35 prey develop into a spatially organized two-dimensional film when located on a nutrient-rich surface. From deposition of 10 μl of a routine cleared coculture of B.

Low concentrations of metformin suppress glucose production in hepatocytes through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK).

Metformin is a first-line antidiabetic agent taken by 150 million people across the world every year, yet its mechanism remains only partially understood and controversial. It was proposed that suppression of glucose production in hepatocytes by metformin is AMPK-independent; however, unachievably high concentrations of metformin were employed in these studies. In the current study, we find that metformin, via an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent mechanism, suppresses glucose production and gluconeogenic gene expression in primary hepatocytes at concentrations found in the portal vein of animals (60-80 μM).

Control of Foxo1 gene expression by co-activator P300.

FOXO1 is an important downstream mediator of the insulin signaling pathway. In the fed state, elevated insulin phosphorylates FOXO1 via AKT, leading to its nuclear exclusion and degradation. A reduction in nuclear FOXO1 levels then leads to suppression of hepatic glucose production.

Studying submicrosecond protein folding kinetics using a photolabile caging strategy and time-resolved photoacoustic calorimetry.

Kinetic measurement of protein folding is limited by the method used to trigger folding. Traditional methods, such as stopped flow, have a long mixing dead time and cannot be used to monitor fast folding processes. Here, we report a compound, 4-(bromomethyl)-6,7-dimethoxycoumarin, that can be used as a "photolabile cage" to study the early stages of protein folding.

A new amyloid-like beta-aggregate with amyloid characteristics, except fibril morphology.

Amyloid plaques, formed from amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides (mainly Abeta40 or Abeta42), are one of the most important pathological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease. Here, a single D-form proline substitution in the 40-amino-acid Abeta40 peptide can totally change the aggregation behavior of this peptide. The residue immediately preceding each glycine in Abeta40 (S8, V24, I32, and V36) was individually replaced by D-form proline ((D)Pro).