Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009. / Prepared for: Dept. of Biochemistry. Title from resource description page. Includes bibliographical references.

Type 2 diabetes is now recognized as a worldwide epidemic. Pancreatic beta-cell decompensation in the presence of insulin resistance is a major mechanism for the development of type 2 diabetes and may be triggered by mitochondrial dysfunction. Alcoholism is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Excessive or chronic alcohol consumption leads to increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in beta-cells. Prohibitin is a multifunctional protein that also regulates mitochondrial biogenesis and function. Although it has anti-oxidant effects in some cell types, its role in pancreatic beta-cells is not known. This study has investigated the effects of prohibitin in ethanol treated pancreatic beta-cells using RINm5F and INS-1E cell lines. Prohibitin was found to be expressed in pancreatic beta-cells with localization to the nucleus and the perinuclear area. Ethanol increased the expression of prohibitin and induced its translocation from the nucleus to the mitochondria. Ethanol, through its metabolism by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), increased oxidative stress and altered mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased the activity of mitochondrial respiratory complexes I and IV, and uncoupled energy production with resulting reduction in ATP production. This was associated with activation of the proinflammatory enzyme c-Jun N-terminal kinase and proapoptotic proteins Bax and caspase-3, leading to beta-cell apoptosis. Ethanol also reduced glucose induced insulin secretion without alteration of the beta-cell transcription factors PDX-1 and MafA. Treatment with exogenous prohibitin or cellular overexpression of endogenous prohibitin attenuated ADH activity, prevented the deleterious effects of ethanol on mitochondrial function and reduced apoptosis, whereas prohibitin knockdown enhanced ethanol-induced apoptosis. In addition, prohibitin per se increased PDX-1 and MafA levels. Through the above mechanisms, prohibitin restored glucose induced insulin secretion in ethanol exposed beta-cells. In brief, ethanol causes mitochondrial dysfunction and induces apoptosis in beta-cells, which result in a reduction of insulin secretion; whereas prohibitin prevents mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, and -cell failure by stabilizing mitochondrial complexes I and IV and inhibiting ADH activity during ethanol metabolism. In addition, prohibitin in itself increases the levels of beta-cell transcription factors. As a consequence, prohibitin maintains normal pancreatic beta-cell function and could be useful in diabetes prevention and treatment.

Type 2 diabetes is now recognized as a worldwide epidemic. Pancreatic beta-cell decompensation in the presence of insulin resistance is a major mechanism for the development of type 2 diabetes and may be triggered by mitochondrial dysfunction. Alcoholism is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Excessive or chronic alcohol consumption leads to increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in beta-cells. Prohibitin is a multifunctional protein that also regulates mitochondrial biogenesis and function. Although it has anti-oxidant effects in some cell types, its role in pancreatic beta-cells is not known. This study has investigated the effects of prohibitin in ethanol treated pancreatic beta-cells using RINm5F and INS-1E cell lines. Prohibitin was found to be expressed in pancreatic beta-cells with localization to the nucleus and the perinuclear area. Ethanol increased the expression of prohibitin and induced its translocation from the nucleus to the mitochondria. Ethanol, through its metabolism by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), increased oxidative stress and altered mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased the activity of mitochondrial respiratory complexes I and IV, and uncoupled energy production with resulting reduction in ATP production. This was associated with activation of the proinflammatory enzyme c-Jun N-terminal kinase and proapoptotic proteins Bax and caspase-3, leading to beta-cell apoptosis. Ethanol also reduced glucose induced insulin secretion without alteration of the beta-cell transcription factors PDX-1 and MafA. Treatment with exogenous prohibitin or cellular overexpression of endogenous prohibitin attenuated ADH activity, prevented the deleterious effects of ethanol on mitochondrial function and reduced apoptosis, whereas prohibitin knockdown enhanced ethanol-induced apoptosis. In addition, prohibitin per se increased PDX-1 and MafA levels. Through the above mechanisms, prohibitin restored glucose induced insulin secretion in ethanol exposed beta-cells. In brief, ethanol causes mitochondrial dysfunction and induces apoptosis in beta-cells, which result in a reduction of insulin secretion; whereas prohibitin prevents mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, and -cell failure by stabilizing mitochondrial complexes I and IV and inhibiting ADH activity during ethanol metabolism. In addition, prohibitin in itself increases the levels of beta-cell transcription factors. As a consequence, prohibitin maintains normal pancreatic beta-cell function and could be useful in diabetes prevention and treatment.

In this study the importance of prohibitin1 and prohibitin2 genes for Trypanosoma brucei was examined. RNA interference showed both of them essential for parasites to survive. Knocking down of these genes resulted in altered morphology of the mitochondrion, changes in membrane potential and shut down of mitochondrial translation. No changes were observed in levels of Reactive Oxygen Species and respiration. Both prohibitines are part of big complex present in the mitochondrion.

No description available.

Follicular growth and maturation are tightly regulated processes, which involve the participation of endocrine, autocrineparacrine factors and intracellular molecules. Due to the numerous research efforts, a large number of regulators and their mechanisms of regulation of follicular growth and differentiation have been established. Although the abnormal expression and activities of some of these regulators are believed to be associated with ovarian dysfunction diseases, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), the etiology and pathogenesis of this syndrome are not completely understood. In this thesis, we have identified two novel regulators of follicular growth and differentiation and examined the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the folliculogenesis. We present here that chemerin reduces FSH-induced steroidogenic enzyme expression and steroid hormone production in follicles and granulosa cells. Prohibitin expression is upregulated by chemerin and knockdown of prohibitin attenuates the suppressive role of chemerin on steroidogenesis, an action regulated by Akt. Using an androgenized rodent model, we also present the dysregulation of chemerin and prohibitin and their association with dysregulated follicular steroidogenesis. Our data and preliminary clinical studies demonstrate the potential involvement of chemerin and prohibitin in the etiology of PCOS. These studies significantly improve the knowledge of ovarian functions and the pathophysiology of PCOS, and provide important clues for the development of novel diagnosis biomarkers and new treatment strategies for this complex syndrome.

Follicular growth and maturation are tightly regulated processes, which involve the participation of endocrine, autocrineparacrine factors and intracellular molecules. Due to the numerous research efforts, a large number of regulators and their mechanisms of regulation of follicular growth and differentiation have been established. Although the abnormal expression and activities of some of these regulators are believed to be associated with ovarian dysfunction diseases, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), the etiology and pathogenesis of this syndrome are not completely understood. In this thesis, we have identified two novel regulators of follicular growth and differentiation and examined the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the folliculogenesis. We present here that chemerin reduces FSH-induced steroidogenic enzyme expression and steroid hormone production in follicles and granulosa cells. Prohibitin expression is upregulated by chemerin and knockdown of prohibitin attenuates the suppressive role of chemerin on steroidogenesis, an action regulated by Akt. Using an androgenized rodent model, we also present the dysregulation of chemerin and prohibitin and their association with dysregulated follicular steroidogenesis. Our data and preliminary clinical studies demonstrate the potential involvement of chemerin and prohibitin in the etiology of PCOS. These studies significantly improve the knowledge of ovarian functions and the pathophysiology of PCOS, and provide important clues for the development of novel diagnosis biomarkers and new treatment strategies for this complex syndrome.

No description available.

No description available.

Entre todos os cânceres de pele, o melanoma está entre os menos comuns, mas é responsável pela maior parte das mortes. No caso da doença metastática, não há um tratamento satisfatório capaz de prolongar a vida do paciente. Isso leva à necessidade de novas estratégias e de novos tratamentos que possam reverter a quimiorresistência do tumor. Entre as proteínas que têm seu perfil de expressão modificado no melanoma está a proibitina, cuja expressão aumenta durante a progressão tumoral. Proibitina é uma chaperona mitocondrial pertencente a uma família de proteínas que possuem um resíduo hidrofóbico SPFH, que confere a ela uma capacidade de ancoragem e de organização de espaços em membranas. Além disso, no compartimento nuclear, é um inibidor da família de fatores de transcrição E2F, juntamente com a proteína retinoblastoma (Rb). Em melanomas, proibitina localiza-se no citoplasma, associada à mitocôndria, e no núcleo. No citoplasma, proibitina faz parte da resposta a diversas drogas, como cisplatina, dacarbazina, temozolamida, vimblastina e tunicamicina pode estar relacionado com o aumento de espécies reativas de oxigênio (ROS), já que essas drogas podem de alguma forma induzir ROS intracelular. O aumento de expressão de proibitina, nesse contexto, poderia fazer parte de uma resposta protetora da mitocôndria, o que em última análise protegeria a célula contra a morte celular, já que a inibição de proibitina sensibiliza a célula ao tratamento com cisplatina ou tunicamicina. Além disso, o estresse provocado pela privação de soro fetal bovino em linhagens de melanoma leva ao aumento de expressão de proibitina e é acompanhado pela indução de ROS. No núcleo, proibitina esta colocalizada com MCM5 e MCM7, mas não MCM2. A inibição de proibitina leva ao aumento de expressão de metaloproteinases de matriz extracelular, não só em melanomas, mas também em linhagens de câncer de mama e de câncer de pulmão. Ainda, proibitina parece estar relacionada com o fenômeno da transição epitélio mesênquima, já que a inibição de proibitina leva ao aumento de expressão de marcadores mesenquimais como N-caderina e vimentina e a perda de expressão de marcadores epiteliais, como a E-caderina. Outras funções controladas por E2F1 que proibitina pode estar modulando são a capacidade de E2F1 induzir reparo de DNA devido a lesões causadas por radiação UVB e a indução de senescência. A inibição de proibitina em linhagem de câncer de pulmão protegeu a célula contra o dano genotóxico causado pela radiação UVB, pelo aumento da proteína de reparo de DNA Gadd45a, que é induzida por E2F1. Ainda, a inibição de proibitina diminuiu a quantidade de células senescência induzida por adriamicina em linhagens de melanoma. Ainda, a expressão de proibitina responde a fatores do microambiente tumoral como TGF?, IL4 e LPS juntamente com INF? e, além disso, têm sua expressão diminuída durante a maturação de macrófagos. Esses resultados mostram que proibitina pode atuar protegendo o tumor ou bloqueando vias importantes para seu desenvolvimento, dependendo da sua compartimentalização subcelular / Among all skin cancers, melanoma is the least common, but is responsible for most deaths. In metastatic disease, no satisfactory treatment can prolong the patient\'s life. This leads to the need for new strategies and new treatments that may reverse tumor chemoresistance. Among proteins that have their expression profile altered in melanoma is prohibitin whose expression increases during tumor progression. Prohibitin is a mitochondrial chaperone belonging to a family of proteins which possess a hydrophobic residue SPFH, which gives it a capacity for anchorage and organization in membrane regions. Furthermore, in the nuclear compartment, prohibitin is an inhibitor of the E2F transcription factor family, together with the retinoblastoma protein (Rb). In melanomas, prohibitin is located in the cytoplasm, associated to the mitochondria, and inside the nucleus. In the cytoplasm, prohibitin is part of the response to various drugs such as cisplatin, dacarbazine, temozolomide, vinblastine and tunicamycin and may be associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), since these drugs can somehow induce intracellular ROS. Prohibitin overxpression in this context could be part of a protective response of the mitochondria, which ultimately protect cells against death, as prohibitin inhibition sensitizes cells to cisplatin or tunicamycin treatment. Moreover, the stress caused by deprivation of fetal bovine serum in melanoma cell lines leads to prohibitin overexpression and is accompanied by ROS induction. In the nucleus, prohibitin is colocalized to MCM5 and MCM7, but not to MCM2. Inhibition of prohibitin leads to increased expression of matrix metalloproteinases, not only on melanomas but also on breast cancer and lung cancer cell lines. Further, prohibitin appears to be related to the phenomenon of epithelial mesenchymal transition, since prohibitin inhibition leads to increased expression of mesenchymal markers such as N-cadherin and vimentin and loss of expression of epithelial markers, such as E-cadherin. Other functions controlled by E2F1 that are modulated by prohibitin include be the ability of E2F1 to induce DNA repair against UVB radiation and the induction of cellular senescence. Inhibition of prohibitin in lung cancer cell line protected against genotoxic damage caused by UVB radiation, due to DNA repair protein Gadd45a overexpression, which is induced by E2F1. Also, prohibitin inhibition decreased the amount of cell senescence induced by adriamycin in melanoma cell line. Further, prohibitin expression is triggered by tumor microenvironmental factors such as TGF?, IL4, and LPS together with INF? and, in addition, prohibitin expression decreases during macrophages maturation. These results show that prohibitin may act protecting the tumor or blocking pathways important for its development, depending on its subcellular compartment distribution