Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Antonio C Bianco

Publications and source records attributed to Antonio C Bianco.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Mice with impaired extrathyroidal thyroxine to 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine conversion maintain normal serum 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine concentrations.

For T(3) to mediate its biological effects, the prohormone T(4) must be activated by removal of an outer-ring iodine by the type 1 or 2 deiodinases (D1 and D2) with approximately 60% of the daily T(3) production in rodents being produced extrathyroidally through this pathway. To further define the role of these enzymes in thyroid hormone homeostasis, we backcrossed the targeted disruption of the Dio2 gene into C3H/HeJ (C3H) mice with genetically low D1 expression to create the C3H-D2KO mouse. Remarkably, these mice maintain euthyroid serum T(3) levels with normal growth and no decrease in expression of hepatic T(3)-responsive genes. However, serum T(4) is increased 1.2-fold relative to the already elevated C3H levels, and serum TSH is increased 1.4-fold. Despite these increases, thyroidal (125)I uptake indicates no difference in thyroidal activity between C3H-D2KO and C3H mice. Although C3H-D2KO hepatic and renal D1 activities were well below those observed in wild-type mice (approximately 0.1-fold for both), they were 8-fold and 2-fold higher, respectively, relative to C3H mice. Thyroidal D1 and cerebral cortical type 3 deiodinase activity were unchanged between C3H-D2KO and C3H mice. In conclusion, C3H-D2KO mice have notably elevated serum T(4) levels, and this, in conjunction with residual D1 activity, is likely an important role in the maintenance of euthyroid serum T(3) concentrations.

Animals↗

Metabolic instability of type 2 deiodinase is transferable to stable proteins independently of subcellular localization.

Thyroid hormone activation is catalyzed by two deiodinases, D1 and D2. Whereas D1 is a stable plasma membrane protein, D2 is resident in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and has a 20-min half-life due to selective ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Here we have shown that stable retention explains D2 residency in the ER, a mechanism that is nevertheless over-ridden by fusion to the long-lived plasma membrane protein, sodium-iodine symporter. Fusion to D2, but not D1, dramatically shortened sodium-iodine symporter half-life through a mechanism dependent on an 18-amino acid D2-specific instability loop. Similarly, the D2-specific loop-mediated protein destabilization was also observed after D2, but not D1, was fused to the stable ER resident protein SEC62. This indicates that the instability loop in D2, but not its subcellular localization, is the key determinant of D2 susceptibility to ubiquitination and rapid turnover rate. Our data also show that the 6 N-terminal amino acids, but not the 12 C-terminal ones, are the ones required for D2 recognition by WSB-1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of the nuclear factor-kappa B responsiveness of the human dio2 gene.

Type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) activates T4 by deiodination to T3, a process being the source of most T3 present in the brain. In the mediobasal hypothalamus, expression of the dio2 gene is potently activated by administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which in turn mediates the modifications in thyroid homeostasis typically observed in patients with nonthyroidal illness syndrome. Here we show that LPS-induced D2 expression is also observed in human MSTO-211H cells that endogenously express D2. Exposure to LPS rapidly doubled D2 activity by a mechanism that was partially blocked by the nuclear factor-B (NF-B) inhibitor sulfasalazine. Next, the human dio2 5'-flanking region promoter assay was used in HC11 cells and the p65/NF-kappa B responsiveness mapped to the 3' approximately 600-bp region of hdio2 5'-flanking region, with an approximately 15-fold induction. Semiquantitative EMSA identified the strongest NF-B binding sites at the positions -683 bp (called no. 2) and -198 bp (no. 5) 5' to the transcriptional starting site. Despite the very similar NF-kappa B binding affinity of these two sites, site-directed mutagenesis and promoter assay indicated that only site no. 5 possessed transactivation potency in the presence of the p65 subunit of NF-kappa B. Other cytokine mediators such as signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) or signal transducer and activator of transcription-5 (STAT5) did not induce transcription of the dio2 gene. Our results indicate that inflammatory signals regulate D2 expression predominantly via the NF-kappa B pathway in a direct transcriptional manner and could contribute to the changes in thyroid economy observed in nonthyroidal illness syndrome during infection.

Animals↗

Perilipin promotes hormone-sensitive lipase-mediated adipocyte lipolysis via phosphorylation-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is the predominant lipase effector of catecholamine-stimulated lipolysis in adipocytes. HSL-dependent lipolysis in response to catecholamines is mediated by protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation of perilipin A (Peri A), an essential lipid droplet (LD)-associated protein. It is believed that perilipin phosphorylation is essential for the translocation of HSL from the cytosol to the LD, a key event in stimulated lipolysis. Using adipocytes retrovirally engineered from murine embryonic fibroblasts of perilipin null mice (Peri-/- MEF), we demonstrate by cell fractionation and confocal microscopy that up to 50% of cellular HSL is LD-associated in the basal state and that PKA-stimulated HSL translocation is fully supported by adenoviral expression of a mutant perilipin lacking all six PKA sites (Peri Adelta1-6). PKA-stimulated HSL translocation was confirmed in differentiated brown adipocytes from perilipin null mice expressing an adipose-specific Peri Adelta1-6 transgene. Thus, PKA-induced HSL translocation was independent of perilipin phosphorylation. However, Peri Adelta1-6 failed to enhance PKA-stimulated lipolysis in either MEF adipocytes or differentiated brown adipocytes. Thus, the lipolytic action(s) of HSL at the LD surface requires PKA-dependent perilipin phosphorylation. In Peri-/- MEF adipocytes, PKA activation significantly enhanced the amount of HSL that could be cross-linked to and co-immunoprecipitated with ectopic Peri A. Notably, this enhanced cross-linking was blunted in Peri-/- MEF adipocytes expressing Peri Adelta1-6. This suggests that PKA-dependent perilipin phosphorylation facilitates (either direct or indirect) perilipin interaction with LD-associated HSL. These results redefine and expand our understanding of how perilipin regulates HSL-mediated lipolysis in adipocytes.

Adipocytes↗

Bile acids induce energy expenditure by promoting intracellular thyroid hormone activation.

While bile acids (BAs) have long been known to be essential in dietary lipid absorption and cholesterol catabolism, in recent years an important role for BAs as signalling molecules has emerged. BAs activate mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, are ligands for the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) TGR5 and activate nuclear hormone receptors such as farnesoid X receptor alpha (FXR-alpha; NR1H4). FXR-alpha regulates the enterohepatic recycling and biosynthesis of BAs by controlling the expression of genes such as the short heterodimer partner (SHP; NR0B2) that inhibits the activity of other nuclear receptors. The FXR-alpha-mediated SHP induction also underlies the downregulation of the hepatic fatty acid and triglyceride biosynthesis and very-low-density lipoprotein production mediated by sterol-regulatory-element-binding protein 1c. This indicates that BAs might be able to function beyond the control of BA homeostasis as general metabolic integrators. Here we show that the administration of BAs to mice increases energy expenditure in brown adipose tissue, preventing obesity and resistance to insulin. This novel metabolic effect of BAs is critically dependent on induction of the cyclic-AMP-dependent thyroid hormone activating enzyme type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) because it is lost in D2-/- mice. Treatment of brown adipocytes and human skeletal myocytes with BA increases D2 activity and oxygen consumption. These effects are independent of FXR-alpha, and instead are mediated by increased cAMP production that stems from the binding of BAs with the G-protein-coupled receptor TGR5. In both rodents and humans, the most thermogenically important tissues are specifically targeted by this mechanism because they coexpress D2 and TGR5. The BA-TGR5-cAMP-D2 signalling pathway is therefore a crucial mechanism for fine-tuning energy homeostasis that can be targeted to improve metabolic control.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗

Atypical expression of type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase in thyrotrophs explains the thyroxine-mediated pituitary thyrotropin feedback mechanism.

T(4), the main product of thyroid secretion, is a critical signal in plasma that mediates the TSH-negative feedback mechanism. As a prohormone, T(4) must be converted to T(3) to acquire biological activity; thus, type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) is expected to play a critical role in this feedback mechanism. However, the mechanistic details of this pathway are still missing because, counterintuitively, D2 activity is rapidly lost in the presence of T(4) by a ubiquitin-proteasomal mechanism. In the present study, we demonstrate that D2 and TSH are coexpressed in rat pituitary thyrotrophs and that hypothyroidism increases D2 expression in these cells. Studies using two murine-derived thyrotroph cells, TtT-97 and TalphaT1, demonstrate high expression of D2 in thyrotrophs and confirm its sensitivity to negative regulation by T(4)-induced proteasomal degradation of this enzyme. Despite this, expression of the Dio2 gene in TalphaT1 cells is higher than their T(4)-induced D2 ubiquitinating capacity. As a result, D2 activity and net T(3) production in these cells are sustained, even at free T(4) concentrations that are severalfold above the physiological range. In this system, free T(4) concentrations and net D2-mediated T(3) production correlated negatively with TSHbeta gene expression. These results resolve the apparent paradox between the homeostatic regulation of D2 and its role in mediating the critical mechanism by which T(4) triggers the TSH-negative feedback.

Animals↗

Deiodinases: implications of the local control of thyroid hormone action.

The deiodinases activate or inactivate thyroid hormone, and their importance in thyroid hormone homeostasis has become increasingly clear with the availability of deiodinase-deficient animals. At the same time, heightened interest in the field has been generated following the discovery that the type 2 deiodinase can be an important component in both the Hedgehog signaling pathway and the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1-mediated (GPBAR1-mediated) signaling cascade. The discovery of these new roles for the deiodinases indicates that tissue-specific deiodination plays a much broader role than once thought, extending into the realms of developmental biology and metabolism.

Animals↗

Effects of rexinoids on thyrotrope function and the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis.

Retinoid X receptor (RXR)-selective retinoids (rexinoids) can cause central hypothyroidism in humans, and this effect has been confirmed in rodent models. In this report, we characterized the effect of rexinoids on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in mice and TSH regulation in a thyrotrope-derived cell line. The synthetic rexinoid (LG 268) suppressed TSH and T4 levels in mice. Hypothalamic TRH mRNA was unaffected, but steady-state pituitary TSHbeta mRNA levels were significantly lowered, suggesting a direct effect of rexinoids on thyrotropes. LG 268 suppressed TSH protein secretion and TSHbeta mRNA in TalphaT1 thyrotropes as early as 8 h after treatment, whereas the retinoic acid receptor-selective retinoid (TTNPB) had no effect. Type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) mRNA and activity were suppressed by LG 268 in TalphaT1 cells, whereas only D2 mRNA was suppressed in mouse pituitaries. LG 268 suppressed TSHbeta promoter activity by 42% and the -200 to -149 region accounted for a majority of the LG 268-mediated suppression of promoter activity. The RXRgamma isotype is expressed in thyrotropes. In vitro transfection and in vivo transgenic studies indicate that any RXR isotype can mediate TSH suppression by rexinoids, but the RXRgamma isotype is most efficient at mediating this response. RXRgamma-deficient mice lacked pituitary D2 mRNA suppression by LG 268, but D2 activity remained intact. In summary, RXR-selective retinoids (rexinoids) have multiple effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. Rexinoids directly suppress TSH secretion, TSHbeta mRNA levels and promoter activity, and D2 mRNA levels but have no direct effect on hypothalamic TRH levels. Rexinoids also stimulate type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase activity in the liver and pituitary.

Animals↗

Differential effects of central leptin, insulin, or glucose administration during fasting on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and feeding-related neurons in the arcuate nucleus.

The reductions in circulating levels of leptin, insulin, and glucose with fasting serve as important homeostasis signals to neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus that synthesize neuropeptide Y (NPY)/agouti-related protein (AGRP) and alpha-MSH/cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript. Because the central administration of leptin is capable of preventing the inhibitory effects of fasting on TRH mRNA in hypophysiotropic neurons primarily through effects on the arcuate nucleus, we determined whether the continuous administration of 30 mU/d insulin or 648 microg/d glucose into the cerebrospinal fluid by osmotic minipump might also have similar effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. As anticipated, the intracerebroventricular infusion of leptin reduced fasting-induced elevations in NPY and AGRP mRNA and increased proopiomelanocortin and cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript mRNA in the arcuate nucleus. In addition, leptin prevented fasting-induced reduction in pro-TRH mRNA levels in the paraventricular nucleus and in circulating thyroid hormone levels. In contrast, whereas insulin increased proopiomelanocortin mRNA and both insulin and glucose reduced NPY mRNA in arcuate nucleus neurons, neither prevented the fasting-induced suppression in hypophysiotropic TRH mRNA or circulating thyroid hormone levels. We conclude that insulin and glucose only partially replicate the central effects of leptin and may not be essential components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid regulatory system during fasting.

Agouti Signaling Protein↗

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) activation in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) is independent of the LPS-induced fall in serum thyroid hormone levels.

By administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to intact and T4-replaced thyroidectomized rats, we demonstrate that in contrast to the cortex and anterior pituitary, there is a persistent increase in type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) activity in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH). We propose that endotoxin-induced D2 activation in the MBH is independent of circulating levels of thyroid hormone and that this mechanism may contribute to central hypothyroidism associated with infection.

Animals↗

[Dopaminergic and somatostatinergic pathways decrease serum thyrotropin in rats bearing the 256-Walker mammary carcinoma].

The hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis was studied in rats with the "low T(3) syndrome" caused by the implantation of the Walker-256 mammary carcinoma. Male adult rats were injected s.c. with 1 x 106 viable tumoral cells and killed 10 days later. The tumor development was associated with decreased thyroid activity characterized by a approximately 15% reduction in the nuclear area of the thyrocytes and 131I-thyroid uptake (down by approximately 50%), as well as about 70% lower serum levels of T4 and rTg. The functional thyroidal response to exogenous TSH was decreased in the tumor-bearing rats, as well as the rTSH secretion in response to TRH (50 microg/kg). To investigate the role of other hypothalamic neuromediators in this process, tumor-bearing rats received an i.v. injection of metoclopramide (5 mg/kg) and/or physostigmine (12.5 microg/kg), with or without concomitant stimulus with TRH. Each drug improved the rTSH response to TRH, which in the case of physostigmine, almost normalized. When both drugs were injected simultaneously the rTSH response to TRH returned to normal. Thus, in addition to the well known alterations in the extrathyroidal metabolism of thyroid hormones, TSH secretion is decreased in rats with the Walker-256 tumor, indicating a generalized reduction in the thyroid function.

Animals↗

The Hedgehog-inducible ubiquitin ligase subunit WSB-1 modulates thyroid hormone activation and PTHrP secretion in the developing growth plate.

WSB-1 is a SOCS-box-containing WD-40 protein of unknown function that is induced by Hedgehog signalling in embryonic structures during chicken development. Here we show that WSB-1 is part of an E3 ubiquitin ligase for the thyroid-hormone-activating type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2). The WD-40 propeller of WSB-1 recognizes an 18-amino-acid loop in D2 that confers metabolic instability, whereas the SOCS-box domain mediates its interaction with a ubiquitinating catalytic core complex, modelled as Elongin BC-Cul5-Rbx1 (ECS(WSB-1)). In the developing tibial growth plate, Hedgehog-stimulated D2 ubiquitination via ECS(WSB-1) induces parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), thereby regulating chondrocyte differentiation. Thus, ECS(WSB-1) mediates a mechanism by which 'systemic' thyroid hormone can effect local control of the Hedgehog-PTHrP negative feedback loop and thus skeletogenesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The type 2 deiodinase A/G (Thr92Ala) polymorphism is associated with decreased enzyme velocity and increased insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The single-nucleotide polymorphism A/G in the type 2 deiodinase (D2) gene predicts a threonine (Thr) to alanine (Ala) substitution at codon 92 (D2 Thr92Ala) and is associated with insulin resistance in obese patients. Here, this association was investigated in 183 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, using homeostasis model assessment. The median fasting plasma insulin in Ala/Ala individuals was significantly higher than in patients with Ala/Thr or Thr/Thr genotypes (19.6 vs. 12.0 vs. 14.8 mIU/ml, respectively; P = 0.004). Assuming a recessive model, the homeostasis model assessment index was higher in the Ala/Ala group when compared with Ala/Thr-Thr/Thr group (8.50 vs. 4.85, P = 0.003). Although this polymorphism has not been associated with changes in D2 kinetics as measured in HEK-293 cells transiently expressing D2 Thr92Ala, we investigated whether such association could be detected in human tissue samples. Remarkably, in thyroid and skeletal muscle samples from subjects homozygous for the Ala allele, D2 velocity was significantly lower than in subjects with Ala/Thr-Thr/Thr genotypes (P = 0.05 and 0.04, respectively). In conclusion, the A/G polymorphism is associated with greater insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and with lower D2 velocity in tissue samples. These findings suggest that the D2-generated T(3) in skeletal muscle plays a role in insulin resistance.

Alanine↗

LXRs regulate the balance between fat storage and oxidation.

Despite the well-established role of liver X receptors (LXRs) in regulating cholesterol homeostasis, their contribution to lipid homeostasis remains unclear. Here we show that LXR null mice are defective in hepatic lipid metabolism and are resistant to obesity when challenged with a diet containing both high fat and cholesterol. This phenotype is dependent on the presence of dietary cholesterol and is accompanied by the aberrant production of thyroid hormone in liver. Interestingly, the inability of LXR-/- mice to induce SREBP-1c-dependent lipogenesis does not explain the LXR-/- phenotype, since SREBP-1c null mice are not obesity resistant. Instead, the LXR-/- response is due to abnormal energy dissipation resulting from uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation and ectopic expression of uncoupling proteins in muscle and white adipose. These studies suggest that, by selectively sensing the cholesterol component of a lipid-rich diet, LXRs govern the balance between storage and oxidation of dietary fat.

Adipose Tissue↗

Cellular and structural biology of the deiodinases.

The three iodothyronine deiodinases catalyze the initiation (D1, D2) and termination (D3) of thyroid hormone effects in vertebrates. A recently conceived three-dimensional model predicts that these enzymes share a similar structural organization and belong to the thioredoxin (TRX) fold superfamily. Their active center is a selenocysteine- containing pocket defined by the beta1-alpha1-beta2 motifs of the TRX fold and a domain that shares strong similarities with the active site of iduronidase, a member of the clan GH-A fold of glycoside hydrolases. All three deiodinases form homodimers through disulfide bridges when transiently expressed but because these enzymes are present at such low levels in vivo, it is not clear if deiodinase dimers are formed at endogenous levels. At least for D1 and D2, dimers are catalytically active but only one monomer partner is required for catalytic activity. While D1 and D3 are long-lived plasma membrane proteins (t1/2 10-12 hour), D2 is an endoplasmic reticulum resident protein with a half-life of approximately 40 minutes. Exposure to thyroxine (T4) shortens D2 half-life even further ( approximately 10 min) while during hypo-thyroidism D2 activity disappears with a halflife of approximately 5 hours. This D2 inactivating mechanism is mediated by selective conjugation to ubiquitin, a process that is accelerated by T(4) catalysis and thus maintains local triiodothyronine (T(3)) homeostasis. Remarkably, D2 ubiquitination is reversible and activity restored after deubiquitination. This is because D2 interacts with and is a substrate of the pVHL-interacting deubiquitinating enzymes (VDU1 and VDU2), and thus the ubiquitination-deubiquitination cycles regulates the supply of active thyroid hormone in D2-expressing cells.

Animals↗

Type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase is a sensitive marker of peripheral thyroid status in the mouse.

Mice with one thyroid hormone receptor (TR) alpha-1 allele encoding a dominant negative mutant receptor (TR alpha1(PV/+)) have persistently elevated serum T3 levels (1.9-fold above normal). They also have markedly increased hepatic type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase (D1) mRNA and enzyme activity (4- to 5-fold), whereas other hepatic T3-responsive genes, such as Spot14 and mitochondrial alpha-glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (alpha-GPD), are only 0.7-fold and 1.7-fold that of wild-type littermates (TR alpha1+/+). To determine the cause of the disproportionate elevation of D1, TR alpha1+/+ and TR alpha1(PV/+) mice were rendered hypothyroid and then treated with T3. Hypothyroidism decreased hepatic D1, Spot14, and alpha-GPD mRNA to similar levels in TR alpha1+/+ and TR alpha1(PV/+) mice, whereas T3 administration caused an approximately 175-fold elevation of D1 mRNA but only a 3- to 6-fold increases in Spot14 and alpha-GPD mRNAs. Interestingly, the hypothyroidism-induced increase in cerebrocortical type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase activity was 3 times greater in the TR alpha1(PV/+) mice, and these mice had no T3-dependent induction of type 3 iodothyronine deiodinase. Thus, the marked responsiveness of hepatic D1 to T3 relative to other genes, such as Spot14 and alpha-GPD, explains the relatively large effect of the modest increase in serum T3 in the TR alpha1(PV/+) mice, and TR alpha plays a key role in T3-dependent positive and negative regulation of the deiodinases in the cerebral cortex.

Animals↗

Type 2 iodothyronine selenodeiodinase is expressed throughout the mouse skeleton and in the MC3T3-E1 mouse osteoblastic cell line during differentiation.

Thyroid hormone affects multiple aspects of bone metabolism, but little is known about thyroid hormone deiodination in bone cells except that cultures of skeletal cells and bone organ express types 1 and 2 iodothyronine deiodinases (D1 and D2) mRNAs. In the present study, outer ring deiodination (ORD) activity was detected in bone extracts of multiple sites of the mouse skeleton, bone marrow, and the MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cell line. In all tissues, ORD was detected using 125I-rT3 or 125I-T4 as substrates and was found to be 6-n-propylthiouracil insensitive, display a Michaelis constant (T4) of approximately 1 nM, increase about 3-fold in hypo- and virtually disappear in thyrotoxicosis. Extracts of calvaria had the lowest ORD activity, whereas tibial and femoral extracts had roughly three times as much. The absence of ORD activity in bone extracts from mice with targeted disruption of the Dio2 gene confirms the principal role of D2 in this tissue. In the MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts, D2 activity increased in a time-dependent manner after plating, and with the content of selenium in the media, reaching a maximum 5-7 d later as cells attained more than 90% confluence. In these cells D2 half-life is about 30-40 min, which is further accelerated by exposure to substrate and stabilized by the proteasome inhibitor, MG132. Treatment with vitamin D [1,25(OH)2VD]-induced D2 activity by 2- to 3-fold as early as 24 h, regardless of the level of cell confluence, but estradiol, PTH, forskolin, leptin, TNFalpha, TGFbeta, and dexamethasone did not affect D2. Given the role of D2 in other cell types and processes, it is likely that bone ORD not only plays a role in bone development and adult bone T3 homeostasis but also contributes to extrathyroidal T3 production and maintenance of serum T3.

Animals↗