Browsing by Subject "Pyruvate kinase"

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    Hsp90 and PKM2 Drive the Expression of Aromatase in Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Breast Adipose Stromal Cells
    (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2016-07-29) Subbaramaiah, Kotha; Brown, Kristy A.; Zahid, Heba; Balmus, Gabriel; Weiss, Robert S.; Herbert, Brittney-Shea; Dannenberg, Andrew J.; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine
    Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) patients harbor germ line mutations in the TP53 gene and are at increased risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancers. Recently, elevated levels of aromatase, the rate-limiting enzyme for estrogen biosynthesis, were found in the breast tissue of LFS patients. Although p53 down-regulates aromatase expression, the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. In the present study, we found that LFS stromal cells expressed higher levels of Hsp90 ATPase activity and aromatase compared with wild-type stromal cells. Inhibition of Hsp90 ATPase suppressed aromatase expression. Silencing Aha1 (activator of Hsp90 ATPase 1), a co-chaperone of Hsp90 required for its ATPase activity, led to both inhibition of Hsp90 ATPase activity and reduced aromatase expression. In comparison with wild-type stromal cells, increased levels of the Hsp90 client proteins, HIF-1α, and PKM2 were found in LFS stromal cells. A complex comprised of HIF-1α and PKM2 was recruited to the aromatase promoter II in LFS stromal cells. Silencing either HIF-1α or PKM2 suppressed aromatase expression in LFS stromal cells. CP-31398, a p53 rescue compound, suppressed levels of Aha1, Hsp90 ATPase activity, levels of PKM2 and HIF-1α, and aromatase expression in LFS stromal cells. Consistent with these in vitro findings, levels of Hsp90 ATPase activity, Aha1, HIF-1α, PKM2, and aromatase were increased in the mammary glands of p53 null versus wild-type mice. PKM2 and HIF-1α were shown to co-localize in the nucleus of stromal cells of LFS breast tissue. Taken together, our results show that the Aha1-Hsp90-PKM2/HIF-1α axis mediates the induction of aromatase in LFS.
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    Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase 4 Deficiency and Hepatic Steatosis
    (2009-06-23T21:37:16Z) Hwang, Byounghoon; Harris, Robert A.; Roach, Peter J.; Thurmond, Debbie C.; Elmendorf, Jeffrey S.; Considine, Robert V.
    Regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is important for glucose homeostasis and control of fuel selection by tissues. Knocking out pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4), one of four kinases responsible for regulation of PDC activity, lowers blood glucose levels by limiting the supply of three carbon compounds for gluconeogenesis. Down regulation of PDK4 expression is also important for control of blood glucose by insulin. The primary goal was to determine whether PDK4 should be considered a target for the treatment of diabetes. A major concern is that inhibition of fatty acid oxidation by PDK4 deficiency may promote fat accumulation in tissues and worsen insulin sensitivity. This was examined by feeding wild type and PDK4 knockout mice a diet rich in saturated fat. Fasting blood glucose levels were lower, glucose tolerance was better, insulin sensitivity was greater, and liver fat was reduced in PDK4 knockout mice. The reduction in liver fat is contradictory to the finding that fibrate drugs increase PDK4 expression but ameliorate hepatic steatosis in rodents. To investigate this phenomenon, wild type and PDK4 knockout mice were fed the high saturated fat diet with and without clofibric acid. The beneficial effect of clofibric acid on hepatic steatosis was greater in the PDK4 knockout mice, indicating up regulation of PDK4 is not necessary and likely opposes the effect of clofibric acid on hepatic steatosis. Clofibric acid dramatically lowered the amount of hepatic CD36, a plasma membrane translocase required for fatty acid import, suggesting a novel mechanism for prevention of hepatic steatosis by fibrates. PDK4 deficiency had no effect on CD36 expression but reduced the enzymatic capacity for fatty acid synthesis, suggesting clofibric acid and PDK4 deficiency ameliorate hepatic steatosis by independent mechanisms. Investigation of the mechanism by which insulin regulates PDK4 expression revealed a novel binding site for hepatic nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) in the PDK4 promoter. The stimulatory effect of HNF4α was sensitive to inhibition by Akt which is activated by insulin. The findings suggest PDK4 is a viable target for the treatment of hepatic steatosis and type 2 diabetes.