GPR40 (G-protein-coupled receptor 40) has been shown to be a physiologically relevant receptor for long-chain fatty acids. It is a family A G-protein-coupled receptor highly expressed in the beta-cell where it increases insulin secretion by signalling via Gq and phospholipase C. Fatty acids are well known to mediate both acute stimulatory effects and chronic detrimental effects on the beta-cell. GPR40-transgenic and GPR40-/- animals have been important tools in studies of the metabolic effects of GPR40. In the present article, we review the literature on transgenic GPR40 models and present some of our own studies on the effects of a high-fat diet on the metabolic phenotype of GPR40-/- mice. GPR40 ligands represent interesting novel therapies for Type 2 diabetes but it is presently unclear whether agonists or antagonists represent the best therapeutic approach.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/BST0360950 | DOI Listing |
Reprod Toxicol
January 2025
Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville 3010, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia. Electronic address:
Phthalates are ubiquitous environmental pollutants known for their endocrine-disrupting properties, particularly during critical periods such as pregnancy and early childhood. Phthalates alter lipid metabolism, but the role of prenatal exposure on the offspring lipidome is less understood. In particular, we focused on long chain acylcarnitines - intermediates of fatty acid oxidation that serve as potential biomarkers of mitochondrial function and energy metabolism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Lipid Res
January 2025
Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Biosignal Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan. Electronic address:
At least 10% of proteins constituting the human proteome are subject to S-acylation by a long-chain fatty acid, thioesterified to a Cys thiol side chain. Fatty S-acylation (prototypically, S-palmitoylation) operates across eukaryotic phylogeny and cell type. S-palmitoylation is carried out in mammalian cells by a family of 23-24 dedicated zDHHC palmitoyl transferase enzymes, and mutation of zDHHCs is associated with a number of human pathophysiologies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
January 2025
Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada. Electronic address:
Mercury (Hg) and persistent organic pollutant (POP) accumulation among species and biomagnification through food webs is typically assessed using stable isotopes of nitrogen (δN) and carbon (δC) in bulk (whole) tissues. Yet, bulk isotopic approaches have limitations, notably from the potential overlap of isotope values from different dietary sources and from spatial variation in source (baseline) signals. Here, we explore the potential of fatty acid carbon isotopes (FA δC) to (1) evaluate the trophic structure of a marine food web, (2) distinguish feeding patterns among four marine mammal consumers, (3) trace contaminant biomagnification through a food web, and (4) explain interspecific variation in contaminants among high-trophic position predators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Rep
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address:
Sterols target sterol-sensing domain (SSD) proteins to lower cholesterol and circulating and hepatic triglyceride levels, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we identify acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase long-chain family member 1 (ACSL1) as a direct target of ergosterol (ES). The C-terminal domain of ACSL1 undergoes conformational changes from closed to open, and ES may target the drug-binding pocket in the acetyl-CoA synthetase-like domain 1 (ASLD1) of ACSL1 to stabilize the closed conformation and maintain its activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
January 2025
Nutrition and Mental Health (NUTRISAM) Research Group, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain.
Background: The balance of omega-6/omega-3 (-6/-3) is crucial for proper brain function as they have opposite physiological roles.
Objectives: To analyze the association between maternal serum ratios of -6/-3 in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy and the neurodevelopment of their children in the early days after birth in the population of Northern Spain's Mediterranean region.
Methods: Longitudinal study in which 336 mother-child pairs participated.
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