Transcriptional cascades during fasting amplify gluconeogenesis and instigate a secondary wave of ketogenic gene transcription.

Liver Int

Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.

Published: November 2024

Background And Aims: During fasting, bodily homeostasis is maintained due to hepatic production of glucose (gluconeogenesis) and ketone bodies (ketogenesis). The main hormones governing hepatic fuel production are glucagon and glucocorticoids that initiate transcriptional programs aimed at supporting gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis.

Methods: Using primary mouse hepatocytes as an ex vivo model, we employed transcriptomic analysis (RNA-seq), genome-wide profiling of enhancer dynamics (ChIP-seq), perturbation experiments (inhibitors, shRNA), hepatic glucose production measurements and computational analyses.

Results: We found that in addition to the known metabolic genes transcriptionally induced by glucagon and glucocorticoids, these hormones induce a set of genes encoding transcription factors (TFs) thereby initiating transcriptional cascades. Upon activation by glucocorticoids, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) induced the genes encoding two TFs: CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPβ) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα). We found that the GR-C/EBPβ cascade mainly serves as a secondary amplifier of primary hormone-induced gene programs. C/EBPβ augmented gluconeogenic gene expression and hepatic glucose production. Conversely, the GR-PPARα cascade initiated a secondary transcriptional wave of genes supporting ketogenesis. The cascade led to synergistic induction of ketogenic genes which is dependent on protein synthesis. Genome-wide analysis of enhancer dynamics revealed numerous enhancers activated by the GR-PPARα cascade. These enhancers were proximal to ketogenic genes, enriched for the PPARα response element and showed increased PPARα binding.

Conclusion: This study reveals abundant transcriptional cascades occurring during fasting. These cascades serve two separated purposes: the amplification of the gluconeogenic transcriptional program and the induction of a gene program aimed at enhancing ketogenesis.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/liv.16077DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

transcriptional cascades
12
glucagon glucocorticoids
8
enhancer dynamics
8
hepatic glucose
8
glucose production
8
genes encoding
8
gr-pparα cascade
8
ketogenic genes
8
transcriptional
6
genes
6

Similar Publications

Regulatory networks of bZIPs in drought, salt and cold stress response and signaling.

Plant Sci

January 2025

State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China. Electronic address:

Abiotic stresses adversely impact plants survival and growth, which in turn affect plants especially crop yields worldwide. To cope with these stresses, plant responses depend on the activation of molecular networks cascades, including stress perception, signal transduction, and the expression of specific stress-related genes. Plant bZIP (basic leucine zipper) transcription factors are important regulators that respond to diverse abiotic stresses.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Progesterone induces meiosis through two obligate co-receptors with PLA2 activity.

Elife

January 2025

Calcium Signaling Group, Research Department, Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.

The steroid hormone progesterone (P4) regulates multiple aspects of reproductive and metabolic physiology. Classical P4 signaling operates through nuclear receptors that regulate transcription. In addition, P4 signals through membrane P4 receptors (mPRs) in a rapid nongenomic modality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

AhASRK1, a peanut dual-specificity kinase that activates the Ca-ROS-MAPK signalling cascade to mediate programmed cell death induced by aluminium toxicity via ABA.

Plant Physiol Biochem

January 2025

Guangxi Key Laboratory for Agro-Environment and Agro-Product Safety, College of Agriculture, GuangXi University, Nanning, 530004, China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education/College of Agriculture, Nanning, 530004, China; Guangxi University Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Tillage, Nanning, 530004, China. Electronic address:

Aluminium (Al)-induced programmed cell death (PCD) is thought to be a main cause of Al phytotoxicity. However, the underlying mechanism by which Al induces PCD in plants is unclear. In this study, we characterized the function of AhASRK1 (Aluminum Sensitive Receptor-like protein Kinase1), an Al-induced LRR-type receptor-like kinase gene.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aedes mosquitoes transmit pathogenic arthropod-borne (arbo) viruses, putting nearly half the world's population at risk. Blocking virus replication in mosquitoes is a promising approach to prevent arbovirus transmission, the development of which requires in-depth knowledge of virus-host interactions and mosquito immunity. By integrating multi-omics data, we find that heat shock factor 1 (Hsf1) regulates eight small heat shock protein (sHsp) genes within one topologically associated domain in the genome of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

MarR family regulator LcbR2 activates lincomycin biosynthesis in multiple ways.

Int J Biol Macromol

January 2025

Department of Applied Biology, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.

Lincomycin, produced by the actinomycete Streptomyces lincolnensis, is highly effective against Gram-positive bacteria and protozoans, making it widely used in clinical settings. This study identified LcbR2, a MarR family transcriptional regulator, as an activator of lincomycin biosynthesis. Knocking out the lcbR2 gene reduced lincomycin production by 63.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!