v, 189 leaves ; 26 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.1974) from the Dept. of Agricultural Biochemistry and Soil Science, University of Adelaide

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of pyridoxine deficiency on lipogenesis in the rat. It is important in studies of this type to standardize not only the food intake but also the feeding pattern of the experimental and control animals. Pair-feeding of the control rats with the deficient ones imposes on the former animals a feeding pattern similar to meal-feeding. The latter pattern elicits several adaptive changes related to energy utilization by the rat. Therefore, an attempt was made to minimize the difference in the feeding frequency between the deprived and control groups by meal-feeding of the former group. The data were compared with those obtained when only food intake was controlled. Male weanling Wistar rats were used in the present studies. The deprived rats were allowed food either ad libitum (nibbling) or for 2 hours each day (meal-feeding). The appropriate controls were given a complete diet in quantities isocaloric with the consumption of the deprived groups. Decreased fat storage as well as feed efficiency in pyridoxine deficient rats were obvious at that time, regardless of the mode of feeding employed. The fatty acid content of the epididymal adipose tissue was affected in the same manner as body fat. Pyridoxine deprivation also suppressed total body fatty acid synthesis in vivo from glucose-U-¹⁴ C, whether the animals were meal-fed or nibbling. However, the rates of fatty acid synthesis in the epididymal adipose tissue of the meal-fed deprived rats tended to exceed those observed in the control. The lipogenic capacity of liver slices from fed nibbling deprived rats exceeded that of the controls, as evidenced by increased fatty acid labelling in the presence of glucose-U-¹⁴C or acetate-1-¹⁴ C. However, when the nibbling deprived rats were fasted and refed prior to sacrifice, the incorporation of acetate-1-¹⁴ C into fatty acids was lower than in the controls. No differences in the labelling of liver fatty acids and glyceride glycerol were observed when the meal-fed deprived rats were compared with their controls. However, pyridoxine deficiency in meal-fed rats was associated with a decrease in the capacity of the liver to oxidize glucose, as comparison with the controls revealed. Epididymal adipose tissue segments from nibbling deprived rats showed less incorporation of ¹⁴C from labelled glucose into CO₂, fatty acids and glyceride glycerol than those from the corresponding controls (expressed on the basis of the deoxyribonucleic acid content of the tissue). In contrast, increased lipogenic potential of adipose tissue preparation from the deprived meal-fed rats in the presence of insulin was observed. In these rats, a decrease in adipocyte size was suggested by lipid/DNA ratio lower than that of the controls. Thus, the increased lipogenic capacity observed was possibly due to a decrease in adipocyte size, itself associated with increased sensitivity to insulin. The activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme were depressed in both the liver and the adipose tissue of the pyridoxine-deprived rats. Since these enzymes are concerned with the production of the NADPH needed for reductive fatty acid synthesis, the results were consistent with the in vivo finding. However, the activities of these enzymes did not appear to limit the in vitro lipogenic potential of the tissues investigated, since NADPH produced from glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme alone seemed to be sufficient to support the rates of lipogenesis seen. The alterations in lipogenesis in pyridoxine deprivation observed in the present and other investigation could not be explained on the basis of the known functions of the pyridoxine-dependent enzymes. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医科学) / 甲第20287号 / 医科博第78号 / 新制||医科||5(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医科学専攻 / (主査)教授 岩井 一宏, 教授 萩原 正敏, 教授 横出 正之 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

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<p> It is well understood that compared with men, women are better able to withstand starvation, have better ultra-endurance capacity, oxidize more fat during endurance exercise, and are more resistant to fat oxidation defects i.e. diet-induced insulin resistance. However, the mechanism(s) for the observed sex differences are unknown. It was my hypothesis that women have greater fat oxidation capacity in skeletal muscle than men.</p> <p> The objectives of my thesis were to determine the mechanism(s) by which women oxidize more lipids; including the role of estrogen as a possible regulator. The most significant findings were that: 1) mRNA for fatty acid oxidation genes are higher in women compared with men, which was confirmed by Stringent Affymetrix GeneChip array analysis, combined with RT-PCR (chapter 2); 2) long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase in human skeletal muscle is not quantifiable despite the majority (90%) of fatty acids oxidized during exercise are long-chain fatty acids (chapter 3); 3) β-oxidation enzymes: tri-functional protein alpha, very long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase are significantly higher in women compared with men (chapter 4); 4) Acute (8 days) 17β-estradiol supplementation in men significantly increased protein content of β-oxidation enzymes in skeletal muscle, possibly through the regulation of PGC-1α and microRNA (chapter 5).</p> <p> In conclusion, my data provided novel insights into the enhanced ability of women to oxidize fat under periods of metabolic stress by showing that: 1) women are transcriptionally (mRNA) "primed" for known physiological differences in metabolism; 2) women have more protein content of the major enzymes involved in long and medium chain fatty acid oxidation; 3) E2 partially regulates lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle by pre-translational modifications of factors involved in β-oxidation. These findings contribute to the molecular understanding of sex differences in substrate utilization.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans is an ideal animal model to study conserved mechanisms of developmental and postdevelopmental processes. Here, I describe the role of an Axin family member, pry-1, in aging, lipid metabolism, and seam cell development. Our analysis of pry-1 animals showed a catastrophic collapse of adult lifespan, which was accompanied with hallmarks of accelerated aging. Transcriptome profiling of pry-1 mutants revealed altered expression of genes associated with aging and lipid metabolism such as vitellogenins, fatty acid desaturases, lipases, fatty acid transporters and genes involved in cuticle synthesis. Consistent with this, pry-1 animals display significantly reduced levels of somatic lipids. Knockdowns of vitellogenins in the pry-1 background restored lifespan and lipid levels, suggesting that vitellogenins are necessary to mediate pry-1 function in aging and lipid metabolic processes. Additionally, lowered expression of desaturases and lipidomics analysis provided evidence of reduced fatty acid synthesis in pry-1 animals. In agreement with this, an exogenous supply of oleic acid restored depleted lipids in somatic tissues in addition to suppressing the short-lived phenotype of worms. In addition, transcriptome profiling for differentially expressed miRNAs in pry-1(mu38) identified heterochronic miRNAs (lin-4 and let-7 -family members) to act downstream of pry-1 /Axin. In C. elegans, these miRNAs are known to robustly regulate the stem-like, seam cell division. Loss of pry-1 function caused heterochronic defects such that the seam cells divide precociously to produce additional cells. The pry-1-miRNAs are involved in mediating silencing of the heterochronic gene, hbl-1, a C. elegans hunchback homolog, to regulate seam cell division. Furthermore, I report identification of novel miRNAs from C. elegans and C. briggsae. Overall, our findings demonstrate a novel role of the Wnt signaling regulator, pry-1/Axin, in the maintenance of adult lifespan that involves lipid homeostasis and regulation of heterochronic miRNA to control the developmental timing of seam cell division in C. elegans. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) was first characterized in 2003 by Seidah and colleagues and marked the beginning of what is now considered by many as the greatest advancement in the field of cardiovascular disease (CVD) research since the discovery of the LDLR nearly half of a century ago. Since its discovery, PCSK9 was shown to enhance the degradation of cell-surface low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR) and gain-of-function (GOF) mutations were shown to correlate with CVD risk. In contrast, patients carrying loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in PCSK9 highlighted a novel therapeutic approach for LDL lowering as they exhibit a life-long state of hypocholesterolemia and reduced CVD risk. A decade after the cloning of the PCSK9 gene, pharmaceutical companies have now developed a variety of PCSK9 inhibitors, ranging from monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to small interfering RNA (siRNA) and vaccines, which have been shown to markedly reduce LDL cholesterol levels in pre-clinical models, as well as in patients at high risk of CVD. Despite these advances, there remained several unanswered questions regarding the mechanisms by which PCSK9 expression and secretion is regulated in the liver; the tissue from which the circulating pool of PCSK9 almost exclusively originates. The thought that further development of our understanding of PCSK9 biology may lead to the discovery of a signaling cascade that could be targeted by small molecules, the only class of inhibitor that has not yet been developed, has now merited additional research attention. The focal point of my doctoral studies represents the axis between a cellular process known as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and PCSK9 expression/biosynthesis. ER stress is a deleterious cellular process that is known to occur in secretory cell types, such as liver hepatocytes, and is a well-established causative driver of an array of human diseases ranging from CVD to neurodegenerative diseases. ER stress is prevalent in the livers of patients with metabolic disease and is also known to activate the transcription factor capable of regulating PCSK9 levels, the sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2). Based on this information, the first aim during the course of my PhD studies was to determine whether ER stress affected the expression and secretory status of PCSK9. In the past several years, I demonstrated that ER stress caused by ER Ca2+ depletion led to a marked increase in PCSK9 protein expression, but blocked its secretion as a result of its retention in the ER. Such a result was also associated with heightened hepatic LDLR expression and reduced LDL cholesterol levels in mice. Additional studies also characterized a variety of agents, including caffeine, as potent inhibitors of PCSK9 expression via increasing ER Ca2+ levels, which antagonized SREBP2 activity. As our initial studies revealed ER PCSK9 retention as a viable strategy for PCSK9 inhibition and LDL lowering, follow-up studies were also carried out to determine the outcome of such a strategy on liver function and injury. Given that heritable mutations in proteins that transit the ER can accumulate in this compartment and cause ER storage disease (ERSD), it was critical to further evaluate whether ER PCSK9 retention would lead to a similar outcome. In a series of experiments with rather surprising outcomes, we observed that the retention of the LOF Q152H PCSK9 mutant in the ER failed to cause ER stress; even in mice overexpressing the protein. Interestingly, tissue culture and mouse models demonstrated that the retention of PCSK9 in this cellular compartment increased the cellular abundance of ER stress response chaperones, such as the glucose-regulated proteins of 78- and 94-kDa (GRP78 and GRP94, respectively), but did not activate transducers of the ER stress signaling cascade. Strikingly, mice expressing the ER-retained PCSK9 Q152H mutant were protected against ER stress, suggesting a novel co-chaperone-like role of intracellular PCSK9. Collectively, the ER environment including secondary messengers like Ca2+ as well as its chaperones, plays a critical regulatory role on PCSK9 expression and secretion. Agents that increase ER Ca2+ levels can be utilized to block PCSK9 expression at the mRNA level to increase hepatic LDL clearance, and ER PCSK9 retention may also represent a safe avenue with a similar LDL lowering outcome. Beyond LDL lowering, hepatic ER PCSK9 retention may also serve as a novel strategy to enhance ER function and protect against ER stress-driven diseases of the liver. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)

Résumé: La subérine, un polymère lipidique et complexe des plantes est retrouvé dans divers tissus dont le périderme de la pomme de terre. Le processus biologique de sa dégradation reste encore peu connu et est attribué aux champignons. Des échantillons de sol provenant d'un champ de pommes de terre ont été inoculés dans un milieu de culture contenant de la subérine comme source de carbone. Une approche métaprotéomique a été utilisée pour identifier les populations bactériennes qui se développent en présence de la subérine sur une période d'incubation de 60 jours. Le nombre de spectres normalisé (NSpC) des protéines extracellulaires produites par la communauté bactérienne du sol ont considérablement diminué du jour 5 au jour 20, puis ont augmenté lentement, révélant une succession de bactéries, où la population des bactéries du genre Pseudomonas à croissance rapide a diminué et a été remplacée par d’autres espèces bactériennes qui pouvaient se développer en présence de la subérine. La récalcitrance de la subérine a été démontrée par l'émergence de bactéries auxotrophes telles qu’Oscillatoria dans les derniers jours de la culture bactérienne. Néanmoins, l'identification de deux lipases dans le surnageant de la culture suggère qu'au moins certaines espèces bactériennes peuvent dégrader la subérine. Une des lipases (I4WGM2) a été associée à Rhodanobacter thiooxydans. Lorsque cultivée dans un milieu contenant de la subérine, la souche de R. thiooxidans LCS2 a produit trois lipases, dont I4WGM2. R. thiooxidans LCS2 a également produit d'autres protéines liées au métabolisme des lipides, des transporteurs de chaines d’acide gras et les enzymes de la [béta]-oxydation. Ceci suggère que R. thiooxydans pourrait participer à la dégradation de la subérine. / Abstract: Suberin is a complex lipidic plant polymer found in various tissues including potato periderm. The biological degradation process of suberin is poorly characterized and is attributed to fungi. Soil samples from a potato field were used to inoculate a culture medium containing suberin as carbon source and a metaproteomics approach was used to identify bacterial populations that develop in the presence of suberin, over a 60-day incubation period. The normalized spectral counts of predicted extracellular proteins produced by the soil bacterial community drastically decreased from day 5 to day 20 and then slowly increased, revealing a succession of bacteria. The population of fast-growing pseudomonads declined and was replaced by species that could develop in the presence of suberin. The recalcitrance of suberin was demonstrated by the emergence of auxotrophic bacteria such as Oscillatoria in the last days of the assay. Nevertheless, the identification of two putative lipases in the culture supernatants suggests that at least some bacterial species could degrade suberin. One of the lipases (I4WGM2) was associated with Rhodanobacter thiooxydans. When grown in a suberin-containing medium, R. thiooxydans strain LCS2 produced three lipases, including I4WGM2. This strain also produced other proteins linked to lipid metabolism, including fatty acid and lipid transporters and [beta]-oxidation enzymes, suggesting that R. thiooxydans could participate in suberin degradation.

The lipid composition of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum, L) fibers was determined. Fatty acid profiles revealed that linolenate and palmitate were the most abundant fatty acids present in fiber cells. Phosphatidylcholine was the predominant lipid class in fiber cells, while phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and digalactosyldiacylglycerol were also prevalent. An unusually high amount of phosphatidic acid was observed in frozen cotton fibers. Phospholipase D activity assays revealed that this enzyme readily hydrolyzed radioactive phosphatidylcholine into phosphatidic acid. A profile of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for genes involved in lipid metabolism in cotton fibers was also obtained. This EST profile along with our lipid metabolite data was used to predict lipid metabolic pathways in cotton fiber cells.