Clostridium thermoaceticum ferments xylose, fructose, and glucose with acetate as the only product. In fermentations with mixtures of the sugars, xylose is first fermented, then fructose, and last, glucose. Fructose inhibits the fermentation of glucose, and this inhibition appears to be due to a repression of the synthesis of an enzyme needed for glucose utilization. Addition of metals to the culture medium increases the cell yield drastically from about 7 to 18 g per liter, and Y(glucose) values between 40 and 50 are obtained. According to the postulated pathways of the fermentation of glucose and synthesis of acetate from CO(2) by C. thermoaceticum, 3 mol of ATP are available as energy for growth. Thus a Y(adenosine 5'-triphosphate) of 13 to 16 is obtained. Because the normal Y(ATP) value is 10.5, this could mean that an additional source of ATP is available by an unknown mechanism. The addition of metals also increases the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-dependent formate dehydrogenase activity, the overall reaction ((14)CO(2) ->> acetate), and the incorporation of the methyl group of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate into acetate. These reactions are catalyzed very efficiently by cells harvested in early growth, whereas cells obtained at the end of a fermentation have very low formate dehydrogenase activity and capacity to incorporate CO(2) into acetate. The following enzymes involved in the synthesis of acetate from CO(2) and in the metabolism of pyruvate are present in extracts of C. thermoaceticum: 10-formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase, 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase, 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase, 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, phosphate acetyltransferase, and acetate kinase. These enzymes are not or are very little affected by the addition of metals to the growth medium. The amount of corrinoids in cells from early growth is low, whereas it is high in cells harvested late in growth. The opposite is found for the activity of delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase, which is high at the beginning of growth and low at the end.

We tested the hypothesis that short-term nitrite therapy reverses vascular endothelial dysfunction and large elastic artery stiffening with aging, and reduces arterial oxidative stress and inflammation. Nitrite concentrations were lower (P < 0.05) in arteries, heart, and plasma of old (26-28 month) male C57BL6 control mice, and 3 weeks of sodium nitrite (50 mg L(-1) in drinking water) restored nitrite levels to or above young (4-6 month) controls. Isolated carotid arteries of old control mice had lower acetylcholine (ACh)-induced endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) (71.7 ± 6.1% vs. 93.0 ± 2.0%) mediated by reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability (P < 0.05 vs. young), and sodium nitrite restored EDD (95.5 ± 1.6%) by increasing NO bioavailability. 4-Hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPOL), a superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic, apocynin, a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase (NADPH) inhibitor, and sepiapterin (exogenous tetrahydrobiopterin) each restored EDD to ACh in old control, but had no effect in old nitrite-supplemented mice. Old control mice had increased aortic pulse wave velocity (478 ± 16 vs. 332 ± 12 AU, P < 0.05 vs. young), which nitrite supplementation lowered (384 ± 27 AU). Nitrotyrosine, superoxide production, and expression of NADPH oxidase were ∼100-300% greater and SOD activity was ∼50% lower in old control mice (all P < 0.05 vs. young), but were ameliorated by sodium nitrite treatment. Inflammatory cytokines were markedly increased in old control mice (P < 0.05), but reduced to levels of young controls with nitrite supplementation. Short-term nitrite therapy reverses age-associated vascular endothelial dysfunction, large elastic artery stiffness, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Sodium nitrite may be a novel therapy for treating arterial aging in humans.

OBJECTIVE

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from Nox2-containing reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activity is reportedly detrimental in cerebrovascular disease. However, ROS generation by other Nox isoforms may have a physiological role. No Nox2-selective inhibitors have yet been identified, and thus it is unclear whether isoform non-selective Nox inhibitors would necessarily improve outcome after stroke. We assessed the effect of apocynin on cerebrovascular ROS production and also on outcome following cerebral ischaemia when administered either before ischaemia or after cerebral reperfusion. The involvement of Nox2-containing NADPH oxidase in the effects of apocynin was assessed using Nox2(-/-) mice.

METHODS

Transient cerebral ischaemia was induced by 0.5 h middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 23.5 h reperfusion. Mice received apocynin (2.5 mg.kg(-1), i.p.) either 0.5 h before ischaemia or 1 h after reperfusion. In situ superoxide production after cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion was measured in brain sections of wild-type mice at 24 h using dihydroethidium fluorescence.

RESULTS

Treatment with apocynin 0.5 h before ischaemia reduced total infarct volume, neurological impairment and mortality in wild-type but not Nox2(-/-) mice. Conversely, treatment with apocynin 1 h after initiation of reperfusion had no protective effect. Cerebral ischaemia and reperfusion increased superoxide production in the brain at 24 h, and pretreatment but not posttreatment with apocynin reduced superoxide levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Apocynin improves outcome following stroke when administered before ischaemia in wild-type but not Nox2(-/-) mice.

Many factors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of hypertension such as upregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, activation of the sympathetic nervous system, perturbed G protein-coupled receptor signalling, inflammation, and altered T-cell function. Common to these processes is increased bioavailability of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (termed oxidative stress) due to excess ROS generation, decreased nitric oxide (NO) levels, and reduced antioxidant capacity in the cardiovascular, renal, and nervous systems. Although oxidative stress may not be the sole etiology of hypertension, it amplifies blood pressure elevation in the presence of other prohypertensive factors. In the cardiovascular system ROS play a physiological role in controlling endothelial function, vascular tone, and cardiac function, and a pathophysiological role in inflammation, hypertrophy, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, fibrosis, angiogenesis, and rarefaction, all of which are important processes contributing to endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular remodelling in hypertension. A major source for cardiovascular ROS is a family of nonphagocytic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases (Nox1, Nox2, Nox4, and Nox5). Other sources include mitochondrial enzymes, xanthine oxidase, and uncoupled NO synthase (NOS). Although convincing data from animal studies support a causative role for oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of hypertension, there is still no solid evidence that oxidative stress causes hypertension in humans. However, biomarkers of excess ROS are increased in patients with hypertension and oxidative damage is important in the molecular mechanisms associated with cardiovascular and renal injury in hypertension. Although clinical trials failed to show beneficial antihypertensive effects of antioxidants, strategies that combat oxidative stress by targeting Noxs in an isoform-specific manner may have therapeutic potential.

The expression and activity of Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN; the sole enzyme capable of the reductive de novo synthesis of long-chain fatty acids from acetyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate -NADPH-) is extremely low in nearly all nonmalignant adult tissues, whereas it is significantly up-regulated or activated in many cancer types, thus creating the potential for a large therapeutic index. Since the pioneering observation that inhibition of FASN activity by the mycotoxin cerulenin preferentially kills cancer cells and retards the growth of tumors in xenografts models, numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed the potential of FASN as a target for antineoplastic intervention. Other FASN inhibitors such as the cerulenin derivative C75, the beta-lactone orlistat, the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and other naturally occurring flavonoids (i.e., luteolin, quercetin, and kaempferol), as well as the antibiotic triclosan, have been identified and have been shown to limit cancer cell growth by inducing apoptotic cell death. Though the exact mode of action of these FASN inhibitors is under discussion, it has been revealed that depletion of end-product fatty acids, toxic intracellular accumulation of supra-physiological concentrations of the FASN substrate malonyl-CoA and/or limited membrane synthesis and/or functioning by altered production of phospholipids partitioning into detergent-resistant membrane microdomains (lipid raft-aggregates), can explain, at least in part, the cytostatic, cytotoxic as well as the apoptotic effects occurring upon pharmacological inhibition of FASN activity in cancer cells. Moreover, several cancer-associated molecular features including nonfunctioning p53, overexpression of the Her-2/neu (erbB-2) oncogene, and hyperactivation of the PI-3'K down-stream effector protein kinase B (AKT), appear to determine an exacerbated sensitivity to FASN inhibition-induced cancer cell death. Although few of these inhibitors are expected to be "exclusively" selective for FASN, the potential of FASN as a target for antineoplastic intervention has eventually been confirmed by RNA interference (RNAi)-knockdown of FASN. Certainly, future studies should definitely elucidate the ultimate biochemical link between FASN inhibition and cancer cell death. Although the combination of FASN structural complexity and until recently the lack of X-ray crystallography data of mammalian FASN created a significant challenge in the exploitation of FASN as a valuable target for drug development, it is hoped that the improvement in the selectivity and potency of forthcoming novel FASN-targeted small molecule inhibitors by taking advantage, for instance, of the recent 4.5 A resolution X-ray crystallographic map of mammalian FASN, will direct the foundation of a new family of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer history.

Symptoms of T cell hyperactivation shape the course and outcome of HIV-1 infection, but the mechanism(s) underlying this chronic immune activation are not well understood. We find that the viral transactivator Tat promotes hyperactivation of T cells by blocking the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+))-dependent deacetylase SIRT1. Tat directly interacts with the deacetylase domain of SIRT1 and blocks the ability of SIRT1 to deacetylate lysine 310 in the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB. Because acetylated p65 is more active as a transcription factor, Tat hyperactivates the expression of NF-kappaB-responsive genes, a function lost in SIRT1-/- cells. These results support a model where the normal function of SIRT1 as a negative regulator of T cell activation is suppressed by Tat during HIV infection. These events likely contribute to the state of immune cell hyperactivation found in HIV-infected individuals.

Vascular endothelial dysfunction has been demonstrated in obesity, but the molecular basis for this link has not been clarified. We examined the role of free fatty acids (FFA) on vascular reactivity in the obese fa/fa Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat. Addition of acetylcholine produced a dose-dependent relaxation in aortic rings of ZDF and lean +/+ rats, but the ED(50) value was higher in ZDF (-6.80 +/- 0.05 vs. -7.11 +/- 0.05 log(10) mol/liter, P = 0.033). A 2-wk treatment with a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, pitavastatin (3 mg/kg/d) or a reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase inhibitor, apocynin (5 mmol/liter in drinking water), improved the response in ZDF (ED(50), -7.16 +/- 0.03 and -7.14 +/- 0.05 log(10) mol/liter, P = 0.008 and P = 0.015 vs. vehicle, respectively). Vasodilator response to sodium nitroprusside was identical between ZDF and +/+ rats. Vascular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and NADPH oxidase activity in aorta were increased in ZDF rats but were decreased by pitavastatin. In in vitro cell culture, intracellular ROS signal and NADPH oxidase subunit mRNA were increased by palmitate, but this palmitate-induced ROS production was inhibited by NADPH oxidase inhibitor or pitavastatin. In conclusion, FFA-induced NADPH oxidase subunit overexpression and ROS production could be involved in the endothelial dysfunction seen in obese ZDF rats, and this could be protected by pitavastatin or NADPH oxidase inhibitors.

The steroid hormone aldosterone regulates sodium and potassium homeostasis. Aldosterone and activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor also causes inflammation and fibrosis of the heart, fibrosis and remodelling of blood vessels and tubulointerstitial fibrosis and glomerular injury in the kidney. Aldosterone and mineralocorticoid-receptor activation initiate an inflammatory response by increasing the generation of reactive oxygen species by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and mitochondria. High salt intake potentiates these effects, in part by activating the Rho family member Rac1, a regulatory subunit of reduced NADPH oxidase that activates the mineralocorticoid receptor. Studies in mice in which the mineralocorticoid receptor has been deleted from specific cell types suggest a key role for macrophages in promoting inflammation and fibrosis. Aldosterone can exert mineralocorticoid-receptor-independent effects via the angiotensin II receptor and via G-protein-coupled receptor 30. Mineralocorticoid-receptor antagonists are associated with decreased mortality in patients with heart disease and show promise in patients with kidney injury, but can elevate serum potassium concentration. Studies in rodents genetically deficient in aldosterone synthase or treated with a pharmacological aldosterone-synthase inhibitor are providing insight into the relative contribution of aldosterone compared with the contribution of mineralocorticoid-receptor activation in inflammation, fibrosis, and injury. Aldosterone-synthase inhibitors are under development in humans.

We have developed genetically encoded fluorescent sensors for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), which manifest a large change in fluorescence upon NADH binding. We demonstrate the utility of these sensors in mammalian cells by monitoring the dynamic changes in NADH levels in subcellular organelles as affected by NADH transport, glucose metabolism, electron transport chain function, and redox environment, and we demonstrate the temporal separation of changes in mitochondrial and cytosolic NADH levels with perturbation. These results support the view that cytosolic NADH is sensitive to environmental changes, while mitochondria have a strong tendency to maintain physiological NADH homeostasis. These sensors provide a very good alternative to existing techniques that measure endogenous fluorescence of intracellular NAD(P)H and, owing to their superior sensitivity and specificity, allow for the selective monitoring of total cellular and compartmental responses of this essential cofactor.

BACKGROUND

Biological substances derived from perivascular fat modulate vascular tone, thus alterations in periadventitial adipose tissue (PVAT) may aggravate endothelial dysfunction in obesity.

RESULTS

Male C57Bl/6 mice were fed either a high-fat diet or standard laboratory chow for 8 months. Vascular responses were studied in organ bath chambers from abdominal aortic ring preparations in the absence or presence of PVAT. The amount of PVAT as well as the cross-sectional area of adipocytes were increased in obese mice. In the presence of PVAT, obese aortas displayed impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation whereas endothelium-independent vasodilatation was unaltered. Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation was restored after removal of PVAT and after reducing superoxide and hydrogen peroxide formation in the vascular wall by Tiron or polyethylene-glycol-catalase, respectively. PVAT from obese mice showed increased formation of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide. The PVAT-derived oxidative stress was abolished by pretreatment with the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-oxidase inhibitor, apocynin. The anti-contractile function of PVAT found in lean mice was completely abolished in obese mice, but partially restored after pretreatment with Tiron. The mRNA expressions of monocyte chemotactic protein-1, leptin and NADPH oxidase were markedly higher in the PVAT of obese than lean mice.

CONCLUSIONS

PVAT promotes endothelial dysfunction in diet-induced obese C57Bl/6 mice via mechanisms that are linked to increased NADPH oxidase-derived oxidative stress and increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Recently the function of the sirtuin family, named after their homology to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene silent information regulator 2 (Sir2), has received a lot of attention, as their beneficial impact on longevity was linked to their effects on metabolic control. All sirtuins require nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) for their deacetylase or ADP-ribosyl transferase activity, linking their function tightly to cellular energy levels. SIRT1, the founding member of the sirtuin family, modulates many aspects of glucose and lipid homeostasis in almost all key metabolic tissues. Other members including SIRT2, SIRT3, and SIRT4 are also implicated in various metabolic processes. Here, we review the recent data related to the role of sirtuins in the control of metabolic homeostasis and possible underlying molecular mechanisms.

Histological and behavioral traits are associated with reelin (Reln) haplo-insufficiency in heterozygous reeler mouse (rl+/-). These phenotypic traits are an approximately 50% decrease of brain Reln mRNA and Reln protein, an accumulation of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d)-positive neurons in subcortical white matter, an age-dependent decrease in prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI), and neophobic behavior on the elevated plus-maze. Possible analogies between these rl+/- phenotypic traits and signs of psychosis vulnerability are discussed.

OBJECTIVE

Growth factors, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), protect pancreatic cancer (PaCa) cells from death. We recently showed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase Nox4 mediate the antiapoptotic effect of growth factors. Here, we examine the mechanisms of the antiapoptotic role of NADPH oxidase. We hypothesized that ROSs produced by NADPH oxidase inhibit key protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) and thus sustain the activation of kinases mediating antiapoptotic pathways in PaCa cells.

METHODS

Transfections and pharmacologic inhibition were used to assess the effects of NADPH oxidase on Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) kinase, the low molecular weight-protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP), and apoptosis.

RESULTS

We found that 1 target of ROSs is JAK2, an important antiapoptotic kinase in PaCa cells. Both serum-induced and IGF-I biphasic JAK2 phosphorylation, with a rapid (minutes) and transient first phase, and a slow and sustained (24-72 hours) second phase. Nox4 mediated the sustained phase of JAK2 phosphorylation, which was required for the antiapoptotic effects of IGF-I and serum. Transfection experiments identified the LMW-PTP as a negative regulator of sustained JAK2 phosphorylation. Growth factors inhibited LMW-PTP through its oxidation by NADPH oxidase. LMW-PTP colocalizes with Nox4 both in PaCa cells and in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest a novel signaling pathway, in which NADPH oxidase activation results in inhibition of PTPs, such as LMW-PTP, leading, in turn, to enhanced and sustained phosphorylation of kinases, such as JAK2, and suppression of apoptosis. This pathway mediates the prosurvival effect of ROSs and suggests new targets for pancreatic cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury initiates biochemical processes that lead to secondary neurodegeneration. Imaging studies suggest that tissue loss may continue for months or years after traumatic brain injury in association with chronic microglial activation. Recently we found that metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) activation by (RS)-2-chloro-5-hydroxyphenylglycine (CHPG) decreases microglial activation and release of associated pro-inflammatory factors in vitro, which is mediated in part through inhibition of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. Here we examined whether delayed CHPG administration reduces chronic neuroinflammation and associated neurodegeneration after experimental traumatic brain injury in mice.

METHODS

One month after controlled cortical impact traumatic brain injury, C57Bl/6 mice were randomly assigned to treatment with single dose intracerebroventricular CHPG, vehicle or CHPG plus a selective mGluR5 antagonist, 3-((2-Methyl-4-thiazolyl)ethynyl)pyridine. Lesion volume, white matter tract integrity and neurological recovery were assessed over the following three months.

RESULTS

Traumatic brain injury resulted in mGluR5 expression in reactive microglia of the cortex and hippocampus at one month post-injury. Delayed CHPG treatment reduced expression of reactive microglia expressing NADPH oxidase subunits; decreased hippocampal neuronal loss; limited lesion progression, as measured by repeated T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (at one, two and three months) and white matter loss, as measured by high field ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging at four months; and significantly improved motor and cognitive recovery in comparison to the other treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Markedly delayed, single dose treatment with CHPG significantly improves functional recovery and limits lesion progression after experimental traumatic brain injury, likely in part through actions at mGluR5 receptors that modulate neuroinflammation.

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is an infantile-onset form of inherited retinal degeneration characterized by severe vision loss(1,2). Two-thirds of LCA cases are caused by mutations in 17 known disease-associated genes(3) (Retinal Information Network (RetNet)). Using exome sequencing we identified a homozygous missense mutation (c.25G>A, p.Val9Met) in NMNAT1 that is likely to be disease causing in two siblings of a consanguineous Pakistani kindred affected by LCA. This mutation segregated with disease in the kindred, including in three other children with LCA. NMNAT1 resides in the previously identified LCA9 locus and encodes the nuclear isoform of nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase, a rate-limiting enzyme in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) biosynthesis(4,5). Functional studies showed that the p.Val9Met alteration decreased NMNAT1 enzyme activity. Sequencing NMNAT1 in 284 unrelated families with LCA identified 14 rare mutations in 13 additional affected individuals. These results are the first to link an NMNAT isoform to disease in humans and indicate that NMNAT1 mutations cause LCA.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, the most common enzyme deficiency worldwide, causes a spectrum of disease including neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, acute hemolysis, and chronic hemolysis. Persons with this condition also may be asymptomatic. This X-linked inherited disorder most commonly affects persons of African, Asian, Mediterranean, or Middle-Eastern descent. Approximately 400 million people are affected worldwide. Homozygotes and heterozygotes can be symptomatic, although the disease typically is more severe in persons who are homozygous for the deficiency. The conversion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate to its reduced form in erythrocytes is the basis of diagnostic testing for the deficiency. This usually is done by fluorescent spot test. Different gene mutations cause different levels of enzyme deficiency, with classes assigned to various degrees of deficiency and disease manifestation. Because acute hemolysis is caused by exposure to an oxidative stressor in the form of an infection, oxidative drug, or fava beans, treatment is geared toward avoidance of these and other stressors. Acute hemolysis is self-limited, but in rare instances it can be severe enough to warrant a blood transfusion. Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia may require treatment with phototherapy or exchange transfusion to prevent kernicterus. The variant that causes chronic hemolysis is uncommon because it is related to sporadic gene mutation rather than the more common inherited gene mutation.

Alpha-lipoic acid, which becomes a powerful antioxidant in its reduced form, has been suggested as a dietary supplement to treat diseases associated with excessive oxidant stress. Because the vascular endothelium is dysfunctional in many of these conditions, we studied the uptake, reduction, and antioxidant effects of alpha-lipoic acid in cultured human endothelial cells (EA.hy926). Using a new assay for dihydrolipoic acid, we found that EA.hy926 cells rapidly take up and reduce alpha-lipoic acid to dihydrolipoic acid, most of which is released into the incubation medium. Nonetheless, the cells maintain dihydrolipoic acid following overnight culture, probably by recycling it from alpha-lipoic acid. Acute reduction of alpha-lipoic acid activates the pentose phosphate cycle and consumes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). Lysates of EA.hy926 cells reduce alpha-lipoic acid using both NADPH and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) as electron donors, although NADPH-dependent reduction is about twice that due to NADH. NADPH-dependent alpha-lipoic acid reduction is mostly due to thioredoxin reductase. Pre-incubation of cells with alpha-lipoic acid increases their capacity to reduce extracellular ferricyanide, to recycle intracellular dehydroascorbic acid to ascorbate, to decrease reactive oxygen species generated by redox cycling of menadione, and to generate nitric oxide. These results show that alpha-lipoic acid enhances both the antioxidant defenses and the function of endothelial cells.

Organisms adapt their metabolism to meet ever changing environmental conditions. This metabolic adaptation involves at a cellular level the fine tuning of mitochondrial function, which is mainly under the control of the transcriptional co-activator proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator (PGC)-1alpha. Changes in PGC-1alpha activity coordinate a transcriptional response, which boosts mitochondrial activity in times of energy needs and attenuates it when energy demands are low. Reversible acetylation has emerged as a key way to alter PGC-1alpha activity. Although it is well established that PGC-1alpha is deacetylated and activated by Sirt1 and acetylated and inhibited by GCN5, less is known regarding how these enzymes themselves are regulated. Recently, it became clear that the energy sensor, AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) translates the effects of energy stress into altered Sirt1 activity by regulating the intracellular level of its co-substrate nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)(+). Conversely, the enzyme ATP citrate lyase (ACL), relates energy balance to GCN5, through the control of the nuclear production of acetyl-CoA, the substrate for GCN5's acetyltransferase activity. We review here how these metabolic signaling pathways, affecting GCN5 and Sirt1 activity, allow the reversible acetylation-deacetylation of PGC-1alpha and the adaptation of mitochondrial energy homeostasis to energy levels.

SIRT1, an NAD(+) (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)-dependent deacetylase, protects cells from stress-induced apoptosis, and its orthologues delay aging in lower eukaryotes. SIRT1 increases survival in response to stress such as DNA damage by deacetylating a number of substrates including pro-apoptotic protein p53. The molecular mechanism by which DNA-damage activates SIRT1 is not known. By screening a kinase inhibitor library, we identified CK2 as a SIRT1 kinase. CK2 is a pleiotropic kinase with more than 300 substrates and well-known anti-apoptotic and pro-growth activities. We find that CK2 is recruited to SIRT1 after ionizing radiation (IR) and phosphorylates conserved residues Ser 154, 649, 651 and 683 in the N- and C-terminal domains of mouse SIRT1. Phosphorylation of SIRT1 increases its deacetylation rate but not if the four Ser residues are mutated. In addition, phosphorylation of SIRT1 increases its substrate-binding affinity. CK2-mediated phosphorylation increases the ability of SIRT1 to deacetylate p53 and protect cells from apoptosis after DNA damage. Based on these findings, we propose that CK2 protects against IR-induced apoptosis partly by phosphorylating and activating SIRT1. Thus, this work suggests that SIRT1 is a component of the expansive anti-apoptotic network controlled by CK2. Since expression of both CK2 and SIRT1 is upregulated with tumorigenesis and downregulated with senescence, the CK2-SIRT1 link sheds new light on how CK2 may regulate cancer development and aging.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have long been studied in the context of their direct toxic effects on cells. As a result, ROS have conventionally been thought of as a necessary nuisance to aerobic living. However, in recent years, much work has been done to examine the contribution of ROS to the field of immunity. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases were identified as one of the key sources of ROS in immune cells. The NOX2 NADPH oxidase in particular has been assigned multiple roles, functioning as a source of antimicrobial ROS, an activator of many signaling pathways, a participant in chemotaxis, an immune modulator, and a critical player in the initiation of antigen cross-presentation. Furthermore, recent studies have revealed a novel role for the NOX2 NADPH oxidase in the activation of autophagy, a cellular degradative pathway. Here, we examine these functions of NOX2 NADPH oxidase in immunity.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, and manifests as progressive cognitive decline and profound neuronal loss. The principal neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease are the senile plaques and the neurofibrillary tangles. The senile plaques are surrounded by activated microglia, which are largely responsible for the proinflammatory environment within the diseased brain. Microglia are the resident innate immune cells in the brain. In response to contact with fibrillar beta-amyloid, microglia secrete a diverse array of proinflammatory molecules. Evidence suggests that oxidative stress emanating from activated microglia contribute to the neuronal loss characteristic of this disease. The source of fibrillar beta-amyloid induced reactive oxygen species is primarily the microglial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. The NADPH oxidase is a multicomponent enzyme complex that, upon activation, produces the highly reactive free radical superoxide. The cascade of intracellular signaling events leading to NADPH oxidase assembly and the subsequent release of superoxide in fibrillar beta-amyloid stimulated microglia has recently been elucidated. The induction of reactive oxygen species, as well as nitric oxide, from activated microglia can enhance the production of more potent free radicals such as peroxynitrite. The formation of peroxynitrite causes protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage, which ultimately lead to neuronal cell death. The elimination of beta-amyloid-induced oxidative damage through the inhibition of the NADPH oxidase represents an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidases are important sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the vascular system, ROS can have both beneficial and detrimental effects. Under physiologic conditions, ROS are involved in signaling pathways that regulate vascular tone as well as cellular processes like proliferation, migration and differentiation. However, high doses of ROS, which are produced after induction or activation of NADPH oxidases in response to cardiovascular risk factors and inflammation, contribute to the development of endothelial dysfunction and vascular disease. In vascular cells, the NADPH oxidase isoforms Nox1, Nox2, Nox4, and Nox5 are expressed, which differ in their activity, response to stimuli, and the type of ROS released. This review focuses on the specific role of different NADPH oxidase isoforms in vascular physiology and their potential contributions to vascular diseases.

Calorie restriction (CR) extends lifespan in a wide variety of species and mitigates diseases of aging in mammals. Here, we describe the evidence that the silent information regulator 2 (SIR2) gene, which encodes a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent deacetylase, regulates lifespan and mediates CR in lower species such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Caenorhabditis elegans. We discuss the emerging roles of mammalian SIR2 homologs in regulating physiological changes triggered by CR and their potential connections to diseases of aging. We conclude with the recent advances on small molecules that activate the enzymatic activity of SIR2 as potential CR mimetics. The SIR2 family represents an evolutionarily conserved lifespan regulator. Modulating the activity of SIR2 might provide effective CR mimetics to combat diseases of aging.

Inflammation plays a central pathogenic role in the pernicious metabolic and end-organ sequelae of obesity. Among these sequelae, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease in the developed world. The twinned observations that obesity is associated with increased activation of the interleukin (IL)-17 axis and that this axis can regulate liver damage in diverse contexts prompted us to address the role of IL-17RA signaling in the progression of NAFLD. We further examined whether microbe-driven IL-17A regulated NAFLD development and progression. We show here that IL-17RA(-/-) mice respond to high-fat diet stress with significantly greater weight gain, visceral adiposity, and hepatic steatosis than wild-type controls. However, obesity-driven lipid accumulation was uncoupled from its end-organ consequences in IL-17RA(-/-) mice, which exhibited decreased steatohepatitis, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-oxidase enzyme expression, and hepatocellular damage. Neutralization of IL-17A significantly reduced obesity-driven hepatocellular damage in wild-type mice. Further, colonization of mice with segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB), a commensal that induces IL-17A production, exacerbated obesity-induced hepatocellular damage. In contrast, SFB depletion protected from obesity-induced hepatocellular damage.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that obesity-driven activation of the IL-17 axis is central to the development and progression of NAFLD to steatohepatitis and identify the IL-17 pathway as a novel therapeutic target in this condition.