En relation avec sa position anatomique, la détection portale de nutriments se situe au coeur de l’impact de la composition nutritionnelle d’un repas sur la prise alimentaire et le métabolisme énergétique. Ainsi, la détection portale de glucose, produit par exemple en réponse aux protéines alimentaires, induit un signal nerveux à l’origine d’une induction de la satiété et d’une amélioration de l’homéostasie glucidique. Grâce à des travaux physiologiques et anatomiques chez le rat, nous proposons un modèle pour cette détection dans lequel deux modes interviennent, soit un transport et un catabolisme intracellulaire, soit une détection purement extracellulaire du glucose. La glycémie portale est détectée par l’un ou l’autre de ces mécanismes en fonction de sa différence avec la glycémie artérielle, reflet du statut nutritionnel et métabolique des individus. Un signal nerveux est ensuite initié dans les neurones périportaux, dont les axones aboutissent à proximité de la lumière veineuse. Les études immunohistochimiques réalisées ont permis de montrer que ce signal induit une activation cérébrale étendue en relation avec les effets multiples du glucose portal, dans le tronc cérébral, les systèmes sensoriels et cortico-limbiques, et l’hypothalamus. Dans ce dernier, la nature cellulaire de l’activation conforte notamment l’hypothèse de l’implication du signal glucose portal dans l’effet de satiété induit par les régimes riches en protéines. / Nutrient sensing in the portal vein occurs in a strategic location to relay the effects of the diet on food intake and energy metabolism. The portal sensing of glucose produced for instance in response to dietary proteins initiates a nervous signal that ultimately induces satiety and a better control of glucose metabolism. Our physiological and anatomical approaches enable us to propose a sensing model in which two different mechanisms can occur, involving either the intracellular transport and catabolism of glucose or a direct extracellular detection. Portal glycaemia is detected by one pathway or the other depending on its difference with arterial blood glucose, which reflects the nutritional and metabolic state of the subject. A nervous signal is then initiated in periportal neurons, whose axons terminate close to the venous lumen. Our immunohistochemical studies have shown that this signal induces a widespread activation in the brain that relates to the multiple effects of portal glucose appearance, in the brainstem, the sensory and cortico-limbic systems and the hypothalamus. In this latter area, the cellular nature of the activation supports the hypothesized central role of portal glucose appearance in the satiety effect of high-protein diets.

Au cours de l’ovogenèse, les stades vitellogéniques nécessitent une énergie considérable, et leur formation doit être ajustée en fonction d’autres besoins physiologiques. En utilisant la drosophile comme modèle, j’ai montré que la signalisation Insuline régule une transition du cycle cellulaire, mitose/ endocyle (M/E), une étape critique qui contrôle l’entrée des follicules en vitellogenèse. Mes travaux montrent que la transition M/E porte le rôle d’un point de contrôle nutritionnel. La carence protéique induit un blocage de cette transition au travers d’une interaction entre FoxO, Cut et Notch, empêchant une perte d’énergie. Ce blocage reste réversible, autorisant la reprise de l’ovogenèse sous retour à une alimentation normale. Ce travail montre qu’un point de contrôle nutritionnel au cours de l’ovogenèse permet de coupler des signaux métaboliques et développementaux pour protéger les tissus des dommages liés à la carence. D’autre part, j’ai montré que la signalisation Insuline contrôle la migration d’une cohorte de cellules d’origine épithéliale pour assurer la fertilité de l’ovocyte. L’insuline participe à la formation d’extensions cytoplasmiques riches en actine. Lors de ce processus, la signalisation Insuline contrôle notamment l’expression de chickadee, qui code pour la Profiline, une protéine nécessaire pour la polymérisation de l’actine qui permet la motilité des cellules. L’ensemble de ce travail montre que des tissus somatiques assurent l’homéostasie de l’ovogenèse malgré des conditions de nutritions fluctuantes. Ces travaux posent les bases de l’étude de nouveaux aspects de l’ovogenèse, potentiellement conservés chez les mammifères. / How oogenesis is controlled upon nutrient challenge is a key biological question to understand the balance between reproduction and adult fitness. During Drosophila oogenesis, vitellogenic stages are highly energy consuming so their formation has to be balanced with other physiological needs. We reveal the role of the Insulin pathway and FoxO in regulating the transition from Mitotic-to-Endocycle, a critical step controlling the entry of egg chambers into vitellogenesis. We show that the M/E switch functions as a nutrient checkpoint, blocking the entry into vitellogenesis upon starvation and therefore protecting adults from energy loss. Pausing of the M/E switch involves a previously unknown crosstalk between FoxO, Cut and Notch, a fully reversible process ensuring rapid resuming of oogenesis upon re-feeding. This work reveals a FoxO-dependent nutrient checkpoint integrating metabolic cues with reproduction and protecting tissues from starvation-induced damages. In addition, we show that the Insulin pathway regulates the migration of a subset of epithelial cells to ensure oocyte fertilization. We demonstrate that Insulin signaling regulates the formation of actin-rich cellular extensions in invasive cells. During this process, FoxO represses chickadee expression, which encodes Profilin. Insulin signaling activity leads to the inhibition of FoxO and subsequent Profilin accumulation, which further allows actin polymerization, necessary for cell motility. Altogether, data reveal a crucial role for the conserved Insulin signaling pathway in regulating ovarian follicles through somatic tissues, a process which is likely to share much in common with oogenesis in mammals.

Nutrient sensing kinases lie at the heart of cellular health and homeostasis, allowing cells to quickly adapt to changing environments. Target of Rapamycin (TOR) and PAS kinase (PASK, or PASKIN) are two such nutrient kinases, conserved from yeast to man. In yeast, these kinases each have paralogs. The two TOR paralogs in yeast mimic the mammalian TORC1 and TORC2 complexes, except both Tor1 and Tor2 may contribute to TORC1 or TORC2 function. The two PAS kinase paralogs are paired with the TOR paralogs, meaning that both Psk1 and Psk2 regulate TORC1, while Psk2 suppresses a temperature-sensitive allele of Tor2. Herein we review the evolutionary models for these paralogs, their function in yeast and mammalian cells, as well as the overlapping function of PAS kinase and TOR. We also use Rice University’s Direct Coupling Analysis algorithms to analyze co-evolutionary relationships and identify potential interaction sites between PAS kinase and several of its substrates.

La production endogène de glucose est une fonction cruciale de l'organisme, permettant de maintenir l'homéostasie glycémique. Alors que la production accrue de glucose par le foie a des effets délétères, la néoglucogenèse intestinale (NGI) exerce des effets bénéfiques sur l'équilibre métabolique de l'organisme. Les régimes hyperprotéiques sont connus pour leurs effets de satiété. Grâce à des travaux physiologiques et moléculaires chez le rat et la souris, nous montrons dans une première partie que l'effet bénéfique des régimes hyperprotéiques passe par une induction de la NGI. Lors de la digestion des protéines alimentaires, des di- et tripeptides sont libérés dans la veine porte. Ces molécules agissent comme des antagonistes des récepteurs μ-opioïdes de la veine porte, initiant un arc réflexe intestin-cerveau induisant la NGI et la satiété. Dans un deuxième temps, nous proposons un modèle rendant compte des effets bénéfiques des régimes riches en fibres, tels que l'amélioration de la sensibilité à l'insuline et l'induction de la dépense énergétique. Les fibres solubles sont fermentées par le microbiote intestinal, produisant des acides gras à chaîne courte (AGCC), acétate, propionate et butyrate, à l'origine des effets métaboliques observés. Nous montrons que le butyrate active directement les gènes de la NGI dans les entérocytes, et que le propionate se lie aux récepteurs FFAR3 dans le système nerveux périportal, initiant un mécanisme de communication entre l'intestin et le cerveau induisant la NGI. De plus, nous montrons que la modification de la composition du microbiote par les fibres alimentaires n'est pas suffisante en soi pour induire les effets bénéfiques en absence de NGI / Endogenous glucose production is a crucial function for the organism, accounting for the maintenance of glucose homeostasis. While an increase in hepatic glucose production has deleterious effects, intestinal gluconeogenesis (IGN) has beneficial effects on the metabolic balance of the organism. Protein-rich diets are knows for their satiety effects. Thanks to physiological and molecular studies on rats and mice, we first show that the beneficial effects of protein-rich diets are dependent on activation of IGN. When dietary protein is digested, di- and tri-peptides are released into the portal vein. These molecules act as μ-opioid receptor antagonists in the portal vein, initiating a gut-brain neural reflex arc inducing IGN and satiety. In a second study, we propose a model accounting for the beneficial effects of fiber-enriched diets, such as increased insulin sensitivity and induction of energy expenditure. Soluble dietary fiber is fermented by the gut microbiota, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), acetate, propionate and butyrate, which are responsible for the observed metabolic effects. We show that butyrate directly activates IGN in the enterocytes, while propionate binds to FFAR3 receptors in the portal vein nervous system, initiating a gut-brain neural communication mechanism inducing IGN. Moreover, we show that modifications in the microbiota composition by dietary fiber are not sufficient to induce metabolic beneficial effects in the absence of IGN

No description available.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Autophagy is a conserved cellular process that involves sequestration and degradation of cytosolic contents. The cell can engulf autophagic cargo (lipids, long-lived proteins, protein aggregates, and pathogens) through a double bound membrane called an autophagosome that fuses with a lysosome where hydrolases then degrade these contents. This process is one of the main defenses against starvation and is imperative for newborns at birth. Research on this process has increased exponentially in the last decade since its discovery almost a half a century ago. It has been found that autophagy is an important process in many diseases, continues to be at the forefront of research, and is clearly not fully understood. Our preliminary cell culture data in endothelial and epithelial cells show that a blockade of the de novo ceramide synthesis pathway, during treatment with an autophagy stimulus (cigarette smoke extract exposure), does not result in any reduction in autophagy or autophagic flux. Conversely, when acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) is pharmacologically inhibited, which prevents the generation of ceramide from sphingomyelin in an acidic environment, a profound increase in autophagy is observed. In this work, we hypothesize that (ASM) is an endogenous inhibitor of autophagy. ASM has two forms, a secreted form and a lysosomal form. N-terminal processing in the Golgi determines its cellular fate. In the lysosomal form, the phosphodiesterase is bound in the lysosomal membrane. The pharmacological inhibition mechanism is to release ASM from the membrane and allow other hydrolases to actively degrade the enzyme which, in turn, decreases the activity of ASM. This suggests that either the activity of ASM is a regulator of autophagy or that the presence of ASM, activity aside, is required for the lysosomal nutrient sensing machinery (LYNUS) to function properly. Here, we show that ASM is, in fact, an endogenous inhibitor of autophagy in vitro. The phosphorylation status of P70 S6k, a downstream effector of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which is part of the LYNUS, shows that dissociation of ASM from the membrane regulates mTOR and disturbs the LYNUS in such a manner as to signal autophagy.

Tesis por compendio / [ES] La obesidad es un gran reto de salud pública que ha alcanzado proporciones epidémicas. El entorno "occidentalizado" en el que vivimos, caracterizado por la accesibilidad a alimentos hipercalóricos, contribuye al desequilibrio crónico entre energía ingerida y gasto energético que causan la obesidad. Las intervenciones conductuales diseñadas para la pérdida de peso tienen limitada efectividad a largo plazo, por lo que existe una urgente necesidad de desarrollar estrategias más eficaces y seguras para prevenir y tratar la obesidad y sus comorbilidades. El desarrollo de estrategias terapéuticas dirigidas al intestino para mejorar la salud metabólica requiere un conocimiento en profundidad de las vías de señalización neuroendocrina intestinal que regulan el la ingesta y el equilibrio energético. El objetivo de esta tesis ha sido profundizar en las interacciones intestino-cerebro implicadas en el control de la homeostasis energética, incluyendo los componentes endocrinos, neurales y la microbiota intestinal, en el contexto del desarrollo de la obesidad inducida por una dieta hipercalórica. En los Capítulos 1 y 2 hemos explorado nuevas funciones de las neuronas sensoriales aferentes que expresan el canal de sodio Nav1.8 en el control de la homeostasis energética, considerando las diferencias entre sexos. Hemos generado un modelo de ratón carente de las neuronas Nav1.8+ mediante ablación con toxina diftérica. En el Capítulo 1 hemos demostrado que las neuronas Nav1.8+ son indispensables para regular específicamente según el sexo las vías neurales y endocrinas implicadas en la homeostasis energética. En hembras, la ablación de estas neuronas mejora la regulación de la glucosa postprandial potenciando la señalización enteroendocrina de GLP-1 y acelera el tránsito intestinal, mientras que en machos induce resistencia al aumento de peso inducido por una dieta obesogénica. En el Capítulo 2 hemos demostrado que, en machos, la ablación de las neuronas Nav1.8+ altera el control coordinado de la ingesta i las variaciones de peso diarias, además de alterar la señalización enteroendocrina y las oscilaciones diarias de la microbiota intestinal en respuesta al estado nutricional (ayuno/ingesta), y perturbar la homeostasis del sistema inmune intestinal. En el capítulo 3, hemos usado un modelo de ratón con obesidad inducida por dieta para explorar los mecanismos por los cuales Phascolarctobacterium faecium DSM 32890, una cepa bacteriana intestinal aislada de humanos metabólicamente sanos, previene la obesidad modulando la ingesta. La administración de P. faecium reduce la ingesta calórica gracias a la hipersecreción de la hormona gastrointestinal saciante el PYY. Independientemente de sus efectos anorexigénicos, la bacteria ejerce sus beneficios metabólicos estimulando el tránsito intestinal y reduciendo la absorción intestinal de lípidos, evitando la acumulación de grasa corporal. En conclusión, esta tesis doctoral proporciona evidencia preclínica que contribuye a una comprensión más precisa de las vías neuroendocrinas que comunican el intestino y el cerebro, y del papel que tiene la microbiota intestinal en la regulación de la ingesta y el gasto energético. Destacamos la importancia de las neuronas sensoriales aferentes Nav1.8+ en la detección de estímulos intestinales por quimiorreceptores para regular el balance energético en ambos sexos, lo cual abre una nueva línea de investigación para diseñar herramientas de neuromodulación de las neuronas Nav1.8+ con el fin de prevenir y tratar los trastornos metabólicos inducidos por la dieta, de forma específica para cada sexo. También destacamos que P. faecium es una bacteria candidata como probiótico de nueva generación, ya que modula el sistema enteroendocrino del hospedador y previene la obesidad en un modelo preclínico. En conjunto, estos hallazgos proporcionan una base para el desarrollo de estrategias terapéuticas basadas en el intestino dirigidas a combatir la obesidad y comorbilidades asociadas. / [CA] L'obesitat és un gran repte de salut pública que ha assolit proporcions epidèmiques. L'entorn "occidentalitzat" en el que vivim, caracteritzat per l'accessibilitat a aliments hipercalòrics, contribueix al desequilibri crònic entre energia ingerida i despesa energètica que causen l'obesitat. Les intervencions conductuals dissenyades per a la pèrdua de pes tenen una eficàcia limitada a llarg termini, per la qual cosa hi ha una necessitat urgent de desenvolupar estratègies més eficaces i segures per a prevenir i tractar l'obesitat i les seues comorbiditats. El desenvolupament d'estratègies terapèutiques dirigides a l'intestí per a millorar la salut metabòlica requereix un coneixement en profunditat de les vies de senyalització neuroendocrina intestinal que regulen la ingesta i l'equilibri energètic. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi ha sigut aprofundir en les interaccions intestí-cervell implicades en el control de l'homeòstasi energètica, incloent els components endocrins, neurals i la microbiota intestinal, en el context del desenvolupament de l'obesitat induïda per una dieta hipercalòrica. En els Capítols 1 i 2 hem explorat noves funcions de les neurones sensorials aferents que expressen el canal de sodi Nav1.8 en el control de l'homeòstasi energètica, considerant les diferències entre sexes. Hem generat un model de ratolí mancat de les neurones Nav1.8+ mitjançant ablació amb toxina diftèrica. En el Capítol 1 hem demostrat que les neurones Nav1.8+ són indispensables per a regular, específicament segons el sexe, les vies neurals i endocrines implicades en l'homeòstasi energètica. En femelles, l'ablació d'aquestes neurones millora la regulació de la glucosa postprandial potenciant la senyalització enteroendocrina de GLP-1 i accelera el trànsit intestinal, mentre que en mascles indueix resistència a l'augment de pes induït per una dieta obesogènica. En el Capítol 2 hem demostrat que, en mascles, l'ablació de les neurones Nav1.8+ altera el control coordinat de la ingesta i les variacions de pes diàries, a més d'alterar la senyalització enteroendocrina i les oscil·lacions diàries de la microbiota intestinal en resposta a l'estat nutricional (dejuni/ingesta), i pertorbar l'homeòstasi del sistema immunitari intestinal. En el capítol 3, hem utilitzat un model de ratolí amb obesitat induïda per dieta per explorar els mecanismes pels quals Phascolarctobacterium faecium DSM 32890, una soca bacteriana intestinal aïllada d'humans metabòlicament sans, prevé l'obesitat modulant la ingesta. L'administració de P. faecium redueix la ingesta calòrica gràcies a la hipersecreció de l'hormona gastrointestinal saciant PYY. Independentment dels seus efectes anorexigènics, el bacteri exerceix els seus beneficis metabòlics estimulant el trànsit intestinal i reduint l'absorció intestinal de lípids, evitant l'acumulació de greix corporal. En conclusió, aquesta tesi doctoral proporciona evidència preclínica que contribueix a una comprensió més precisa de les vies neuroendocrines que comuniquen l'intestí i el cervell, i del paper que té la microbiota intestinal en la regulació de la ingesta i la despesa energètica. Destaquem la importància de les neurones sensorials aferents Nav1.8+ en la detecció d'estímuls intestinals per quimioreceptors per a regular l'equilibri energètic en ambdós sexes, que obri una nova línia d'investigació per a dissenyar ferramentes de neuromodulació de les neurones Nav1.8+ amb la finalitat de prevenir i tractar els trastorns metabòlics induïts per la dieta, de forma específica per a cada sexe. També destaquem que P. faecium és un bacteri candidat com a probiòtic de nova generació, ja que modula el sistema enteroendocrí de l'hoste i prevé l'obesitat en un model preclínic. En conjunt, aquests troballes proporcionen una base per al desenvolupament d'estratègies terapèutiques basades en l'intestí dirigides a combatre l'obesitat i comorbiditats associades. / [EN] Obesity is a major global public health challenge that has reached epidemic proportions. Besides its profound impact on health and well-being, this metabolic disorder represents a significant economic burden to society. Our westernized environment where high-calorie foods are readily available, represents a major driver of the chronic imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure that cause obesity. The limited effectiveness of behavioral interventions to manage long-term weight loss highlights the urgent need to develop more effective and minimally invasive approaches to prevent and treat obesity and its comorbidities. The development of gut-targeted therapeutic strategies to improve metabolic health requires a comprehensive understanding of the gut neuroendocrine signaling pathways that, in interaction with the gut microbiota, control feeding behavior to ultimately maintain energy balance. The aim of this thesis has been to gain insight into gut-brain interactions, including those mediated by endocrine, neural and gut microbial components, involved in the control of energy homeostasis, with a focus on obesogenic diet-related dysfunctions that increase susceptibility to develop obesity. In Chapters 1 and 2, we have investigated novel functions of sensory afferent neurons expressing the sodium channel Nav1.8 in the control of energy homeostasis, considering sex-specificities, by generating a mouse model lacking Nav1.8+ neurons through a diphtheria toxin ablation strategy. In Chapter 1, we show that Nav1.8+ neurons are required to control neural and endocrine pathways involved in energy homeostasis in a sex-specific manner. Specifically, ablation of Nav1.8+ neurons in females improves postprandial glucose regulation by enhancing glucagon-like peptide-1 enteroendocrine signaling and accelerating intestinal transit, whereas in males it induces resistance to weight gain in response to an obesogenic diet. To further explore the role of Nav1.8+ neurons in controlling food intake and pre- and post-prandial daily rhythms that influence metabolic phenotype, in Chapter 2 we show in males that ablation of Nav1.8+ sensory neurons impairs the coordinated control of food intake and body weight fluctuations throughout the day. The loss of these neurons also alters the physiological enteroendocrine signaling and daily gut microbiota oscillations in response to the nutritional status (fasting/refeeding cycles) and disrupts intestinal immune homeostasis. In Chapter 3, we used a diet-induced obese mouse model to investigate the mechanisms by which Phascolarctobacterium faecium DSM 32890, a gut bacterial strain isolated from metabolically healthy humans, prevents obesity by modulating food intake. We show that administration of P. faecium reduces caloric intake by promoting hypersecretion of a satiating gastrointestinal hormone, the peptide YY (PYY). Independently of its anorexigenic effects, the bacterium exerts its metabolic benefits via complementary mechanisms, specifically by stimulating intestinal transit and reducing intestinal lipid absorption, thereby preventing body fat accumulation. In conclusion, this doctoral thesis provides preclinical evidence for a better understanding of gut-to-brain neuroendocrine pathways and the role of gut microbiota in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. We highlight the importance of Nav1.8+ sensory afferent neurons in gut chemosensing for maintaining energy balance in both sexes, which prompts novel research lines and opportunities to design of sex-specific neuromodulation tools targeting Nav1.8+ neurons for prevention and treatment of diet-induced metabolic disorders. We also highlight that P. faecium is a promising next-generation probiotic candidate, as it modulates the host enteroendocrine system and prevents obesity in a preclinical model. Overall, our findings contribute to the development of gut-based therapeutic strategies to combat obesity and associated comorbidities. / This study has been funded by the European Union 7th Framework Program through the MyNewGut project (Grant agreement No. 613979) and Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 797297 (MRP), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grant PID2020-119536RB-I00), the European Commission – NextGenerationEU, through the CSIC Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform (PTI+) NEURO- AGING+ (PTI-NEURO-AGING+)”. The grant of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI) to IATA-CSIC as Accredited Center of Excellence (CEX2021-001189-S/ MCIN/AEI / 10.13039/501100011033) is acknowledged. / Bullich Vilarrubias, C. (2024). Influence of gut-to-brain neuroendocrine pathways and intestinal microbiota on energy homeostasis [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/207342 / Compendio