Biomedical subjects

Bruce M Spiegelman

Publications and source records attributed to Bruce M Spiegelman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2025

A consensus guide to preclinical indirect calorimetry experiments.

Understanding the complex factors influencing mammalian metabolism and body weight homeostasis is a long-standing challenge requiring knowledge of energy intake, absorption and expenditure. Using measurements of respiratory gas exchange, indirect calorimetry can provide non-invasive estimates of whole-body energy expenditure. However, inconsistent measurement units and flawed data normalization methods have slowed progress in this field. This guide aims to establish consensus standards to unify indirect calorimetry experiments and their analysis for more consistent, meaningful and reproducible results. By establishing community-driven standards, we hope to facilitate data comparison across research datasets. This advance will allow the creation of an in-depth, machine-readable data repository built on shared standards. This overdue initiative stands to markedly improve the accuracy and depth of efforts to interrogate mammalian metabolism. Data sharing according to established best practices will also accelerate the translation of basic findings into clinical applications for metabolic diseases afflicting global populations.

Calorimetry, Indirect↗

PubMed2007

The transcriptional coactivator PGC-1beta drives the formation of oxidative type IIX fibers in skeletal muscle.

Skeletal muscle must perform different kinds of work, and distinct fiber types have evolved to accommodate these. Previous work had shown that the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1alpha drives the formation of type I and IIA muscle fibers, which are "slow-twitch" and highly oxidative. We show here that transgenic expression of PGC-1beta, a coactivator functionally similar to but distinct from PGC-1alpha, causes a marked induction of IIX fibers, which are oxidative but have "fast-twitch" biophysical properties. PGC-1beta coactivates the MEF2 family of transcription factors to stimulate the type IIX myosin heavy chain (MHC) promoter. PGC-1beta transgenic muscle fibers are rich in mitochondria and are highly oxidative, at least in part due to coactivation by PGC-1beta of ERRalpha and PPARalpha. Consequently, these transgenic animals can run for longer and at higher work loads than wild-type animals. Together, these data indicate that PGC-1beta drives the formation of highly oxidative fibers containing type IIX MHC.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Adipocytes as regulators of energy balance and glucose homeostasis.

Adipocytes have been studied with increasing intensity as a result of the emergence of obesity as a serious public health problem and the realization that adipose tissue serves as an integrator of various physiological pathways. In particular, their role in calorie storage makes adipocytes well suited to the regulation of energy balance. Adipose tissue also serves as a crucial integrator of glucose homeostasis. Knowledge of adipocyte biology is therefore crucial for understanding the pathophysiological basis of obesity and metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the rational manipulation of adipose physiology is a promising avenue for therapy of these conditions.

Adipocytes↗

PubMed2006

Suppression of reactive oxygen species and neurodegeneration by the PGC-1 transcriptional coactivators.

PPARgamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a potent stimulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration. Since the mitochondrial electron transport chain is the main producer of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in most cells, we examined the effect of PGC-1alpha on the metabolism of ROS. PGC-1alpha is coinduced with several key ROS-detoxifying enzymes upon treatment of cells with an oxidative stressor; studies with RNAi or null cells indicate that PGC-1alpha is required for the induction of many ROS-detoxifying enzymes, including GPx1 and SOD2. PGC-1alpha null mice are much more sensitive to the neurodegenerative effects of MPTP and kainic acid, oxidative stressors affecting the substantia nigra and hippocampus, respectively. Increasing PGC-1alpha levels dramatically protects neural cells in culture from oxidative-stressor-mediated death. These studies reveal that PGC-1alpha is a broad and powerful regulator of ROS metabolism, providing a potential target for the therapeutic manipulation of these important endogenous toxins.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

PGC-1alpha protects skeletal muscle from atrophy by suppressing FoxO3 action and atrophy-specific gene transcription.

Maintaining muscle size and fiber composition requires contractile activity. Increased activity stimulates expression of the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1alpha (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1alpha), which promotes fiber-type switching from glycolytic toward more oxidative fibers. In response to disuse or denervation, but also in fasting and many systemic diseases, muscles undergo marked atrophy through a common set of transcriptional changes. FoxO family transcription factors play a critical role in this loss of cell protein, and when activated, FoxO3 causes expression of the atrophy-related ubiquitin ligases atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 and profound loss of muscle mass. To understand how exercise might retard muscle atrophy, we investigated the possible interplay between PGC-1alpha and the FoxO family in regulation of muscle size. Rodent muscles showed a large decrease in PGC-1alpha mRNA during atrophy induced by denervation as well as by cancer cachexia, diabetes, and renal failure. Furthermore, in transgenic mice overexpressing PGC-1alpha, denervation and fasting caused a much smaller decrease in muscle fiber diameter and a smaller induction of atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 than in control mice. Increased expression of PGC-1alpha also increased mRNA for several genes involved in energy metabolism whose expression decreases during atrophy. Transfection of PGC-1alpha into adult fibers reduced the capacity of FoxO3 to cause fiber atrophy and to bind to and transcribe from the atrogin-1 promoter. Thus, the high levels of PGC-1alpha in dark and exercising muscles can explain their resistance to atrophy, and the rapid fall in PGC-1alpha during atrophy should enhance the FoxO-dependent loss of muscle mass.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Defects in energy homeostasis in Leigh syndrome French Canadian variant through PGC-1alpha/LRP130 complex.

Leigh syndrome French Canadian variant (LSFC) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder due to mutation in the LRP130 (leucine-rich protein 130 kDa) gene. Unlike classic Leigh syndrome, the French Canadian variant spares the heart, skeletal muscle, and kidneys, but severely affects the liver. The precise role of LRP130 in cytochrome c oxidase deficiency and hepatic lactic acidosis that accompanies this disorder is unknown. We show here that LRP130 is a component of the PGC-1alpha (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator 1-alpha) transcriptional coactivator holocomplex and regulates expression of PEPCK (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase), G6P (glucose-6-phosphatase), and certain mitochondrial genes through PGC-1alpha. Reduction of LRP130 in fasted mice via adenoviral RNA interference (RNAi) vector blocks the induction of PEPCK and G6P, and blunts hepatic glucose output. LRP130 is also necessary for PGC-1alpha-dependent transcription of several mitochondrial genes in vivo. These data link LRP130 and PGC-1alpha to defective hepatic energy homeostasis in LSFC, and reveal a novel regulatory mechanism of glucose homeostasis.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 coactivators, energy homeostasis, and metabolism.

Many biological programs are regulated at the transcriptional level. This is generally achieved by the concerted actions of several transcription factors. Recent findings have shown that, in many cases, transcriptional coactivators coordinate the overall regulation of the biological programs. One of the best-studied examples of coactivator control of metabolic pathways is the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator 1 (PGC-1) family. These proteins are strong activators of mitochondrial function and are thus dominant regulators of oxidative metabolism in a variety of tissues. The PGC-1 coactivators themselves are subject to powerful regulation at the transcriptional and posttranslational levels. Recent studies have elucidated the function of the PGC-1 coactivators in different tissues and have highlighted the implications of PGC-1 dysregulation in diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiomyopathy, or neurodegeneration.

Cardiomyopathies↗

PubMed2006

Transverse aortic constriction leads to accelerated heart failure in mice lacking PPAR-gamma coactivator 1alpha.

Heart failure is accompanied by important defects in metabolism. The transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a powerful regulator of mitochondrial biology and metabolism. PGC-1alpha and numerous genes regulated by PGC-1alpha are repressed in models of cardiac stress, such as that generated by transverse aortic constriction (TAC). This finding has suggested that PGC-1alpha repression may contribute to the maladaptive response of the heart to chronic hemodynamic loads. We show here that TAC in mice genetically engineered to lack PGC-1alpha leads to accelerated cardiac dysfunction, which is accompanied by signs of significant clinical heart failure. Treating cardiac cells in tissue culture with the catecholamine epinephrine leads to repression of PGC-1alpha and many of its target genes, recapitulating the findings in vivo in response to TAC. Importantly, introduction of ectopic PGC-1alpha can reverse the repression of most of these genes by epinephrine. Together, these data indicate that endogenous PGC-1alpha serves a cardioprotective function and suggest that repression of PGC-1alpha significantly contributes to the development of heart failure. Moreover, the data suggest that elevating PGC-1alpha activity may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of heart failure.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Partnership of PGC-1alpha and HNF4alpha in the regulation of lipoprotein metabolism.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a transcriptional coactivator involved in several aspects of energy metabolism. It is induced or activated under different stimuli in a highly tissue-specific manner and subsequently partners with certain transcription factors in those tissues to execute various biological programs. In the fasted liver, PGC-1alpha is induced and interacts with hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha) and other transcription factors to activate gluconeogenesis and increase hepatic glucose output. Given the broad spectrum of liver genes responsive to HNF4alpha, we sought to determine those that were specifically targeted by the combination of PGC-1alpha and HNF4alpha. Coexpression of these two molecules in murine stem cells reveals a high induction of mRNA for apolipoproteins A-IV and C-II. Forced expression of PGC-1alpha in mouse and human hepatoma cells increases the mRNA of a subset of apolipoproteins implicated in very low density lipoprotein and triglyceride metabolism, including apolipoproteins A-IV, C-II, and C-III. Coactivation of the apoC-III/A-IV promoter region by PGC-1alpha occurs through a highly conserved HNF4alpha response element, the loss of which completely abolishes activation by PGC-1alpha and HNF4alpha. Adenoviral infusion of PGC-1alpha into live mice increases hepatic expression of apolipoproteins A-IV, C-II, and C-III and increases serum and very low density lipoprotein triglyceride levels. Conversely, knock down of PGC-1alpha in vivo causes a decrease in both apolipoprotein expression and serum triglyceride levels. These data point to a crucial role for the PGC-1alpha/HNF4alpha partnership in hepatic lipoprotein metabolism.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Complementary action of the PGC-1 coactivators in mitochondrial biogenesis and brown fat differentiation.

Mitochondria play an essential role in the ability of brown fat to generate heat, and the PGC-1 coactivators control several aspects of mitochondrial biogenesis. To investigate their specific roles in brown fat cells, we generated immortal preadipocyte lines from the brown adipose tissue of mice lacking PGC-1alpha. We could then efficiently knockdown PGC-1beta expression by shRNA expression. Loss of PGC-1alpha did not alter brown fat differentiation but severely reduced the induction of thermogenic genes. Cells deficient in either PGC-1alpha or PGC-1beta coactivators showed a small decrease in the differentiation-dependant program of mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration; however, this increase in mitochondrial number and function was totally abolished during brown fat differentiation when both PGC-1alpha and PGC-1beta were deficient. These data show that PGC-1alpha is essential for brown fat thermogenesis but not brown fat differentiation, and the PGC-1 coactivators play an absolutely essential but complementary function in differentiation-induced mitochondrial biogenesis.

Adipocytes↗

PubMed2006

Hypomorphic mutation of PGC-1beta causes mitochondrial dysfunction and liver insulin resistance.

PGC-1beta is a transcriptional coactivator that potently stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration of cells. Here, we have generated mice lacking exons 3 to 4 of the Pgc-1beta gene (Pgc-1beta(E3,4-/E3,4-) mice). These mice express a mutant protein that has reduced coactivation activity on a subset of transcription factors, including ERRalpha, a major target of PGC-1beta in the induction of mitochondrial gene expression. The mutant mice have reduced expression of OXPHOS genes and mitochondrial dysfunction in liver and skeletal muscle as well as elevated liver triglycerides. Euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp and insulin signaling studies show that PGC-1beta mutant mice have normal skeletal muscle response to insulin but have hepatic insulin resistance. These results demonstrate that PGC-1beta is required for normal expression of OXPHOS genes and mitochondrial function in liver and skeletal muscle. Importantly, these abnormalities do not cause insulin resistance in skeletal muscle but cause substantially reduced insulin action in the liver.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

"The adipocyte: a multifunctional cell".

The beautiful Thorskog Castle just north of Göteborg on the Swedish west coast was the venue for the 134th Nobel Symposium, entitled "The Adipocyte: A Multifunctional Cell." For three splendid summer days, some 50 scientists working on various aspects of adipocyte biology convened under the auspices of the Nobel Foundation.

Adipocytes↗

PubMed2006

International Union of Pharmacology. LXI. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors.

The three peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. They share a high degree of structural homology with all members of the superfamily, particularly in the DNA-binding domain and ligand- and cofactor-binding domain. Many cellular and systemic roles have been attributed to these receptors, reaching far beyond the stimulation of peroxisome proliferation in rodents after which they were initially named. PPARs exhibit broad, isotype-specific tissue expression patterns. PPARalpha is expressed at high levels in organs with significant catabolism of fatty acids. PPARbeta/delta has the broadest expression pattern, and the levels of expression in certain tissues depend on the extent of cell proliferation and differentiation. PPARgamma is expressed as two isoforms, of which PPARgamma2 is found at high levels in the adipose tissues, whereas PPARgamma1 has a broader expression pattern. Transcriptional regulation by PPARs requires heterodimerization with the retinoid X receptor (RXR). When activated by a ligand, the dimer modulates transcription via binding to a specific DNA sequence element called a peroxisome proliferator response element (PPRE) in the promoter region of target genes. A wide variety of natural or synthetic compounds was identified as PPAR ligands. Among the synthetic ligands, the lipid-lowering drugs, fibrates, and the insulin sensitizers, thiazolidinediones, are PPARalpha and PPARgamma agonists, respectively, which underscores the important role of PPARs as therapeutic targets. Transcriptional control by PPAR/RXR heterodimers also requires interaction with coregulator complexes. Thus, selective action of PPARs in vivo results from the interplay at a given time point between expression levels of each of the three PPAR and RXR isotypes, affinity for a specific promoter PPRE, and ligand and cofactor availabilities.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Nutritional regulation of hepatic heme biosynthesis and porphyria through PGC-1alpha.

Inducible hepatic porphyrias are inherited genetic disorders of enzymes of heme biosynthesis. The main clinical manifestations are acute attacks of neuropsychiatric symptoms frequently precipitated by drugs, hormones, or fasting, associated with increased urinary excretion of delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). Acute attacks are treated by heme infusion and glucose administration, but the mechanisms underlying the precipitating effects of fasting and the beneficial effects of glucose are unknown. We show that the rate-limiting enzyme in hepatic heme biosynthesis, 5-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS-1), is regulated by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha). Elevation of PGC-1alpha in mice via adenoviral vectors increases the levels of heme precursors in vivo as observed in acute attacks. The induction of ALAS-1 by fasting is lost in liver-specific PGC-1alpha knockout animals, as is the ability of porphyrogenic drugs to dysregulate heme biosynthesis. These data show that PGC-1alpha links nutritional status to heme biosynthesis and acute hepatic porphyria.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

PubMed2005

TAZ, a transcriptional modulator of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a pluripotent cell type that can differentiate into several distinct lineages. Two key transcription factors, Runx2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), drive MSCs to differentiate into either osteoblasts or adipocytes, respectively. How these two transcription factors are regulated in order to specify these alternate cell fates remains a pivotal question. Here we report that a 14-3-3-binding protein, TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif), coactivates Runx2-dependent gene transcription while repressing PPARgamma-dependent gene transcription. By modulating TAZ expression in model cell lines, mouse embryonic fibroblasts, and primary MSCs in culture and in zebrafish in vivo, we observed alterations in osteogenic versus adipogenic potential. These results indicate that TAZ functions as a molecular rheostat that modulates MSC differentiation.

Acyltransferases↗

PubMed2005

Nutrient control of glucose homeostasis through a complex of PGC-1alpha and SIRT1.

Homeostatic mechanisms in mammals respond to hormones and nutrients to maintain blood glucose levels within a narrow range. Caloric restriction causes many changes in glucose metabolism and extends lifespan; however, how this metabolism is connected to the ageing process is largely unknown. We show here that the Sir2 homologue, SIRT1--which modulates ageing in several species--controls the gluconeogenic/glycolytic pathways in liver in response to fasting signals through the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1alpha. A nutrient signalling response that is mediated by pyruvate induces SIRT1 protein in liver during fasting. We find that once SIRT1 is induced, it interacts with and deacetylates PGC-1alpha at specific lysine residues in an NAD(+)-dependent manner. SIRT1 induces gluconeogenic genes and hepatic glucose output through PGC-1alpha, but does not regulate the effects of PGC-1alpha on mitochondrial genes. In addition, SIRT1 modulates the effects of PGC-1alpha repression of glycolytic genes in response to fasting and pyruvate. Thus, we have identified a molecular mechanism whereby SIRT1 functions in glucose homeostasis as a modulator of PGC-1alpha. These findings have strong implications for the basic pathways of energy homeostasis, diabetes and lifespan.

Acetylation↗

PubMed2005

Hic-5 regulates an epithelial program mediated by PPARgamma.

PPARgamma is a dominant regulator of fat cell differentiation. However, this nuclear receptor also plays an important role in the differentiation of intestinal and other epithelial cell types. The mechanism by which PPARgamma can influence the differentiation of such diverse cell lineages is unknown. We show here that PPARgamma interacts with Hic-5, a coactivator protein expressed in gut epithelial cells. Hic-5 and PPARgamma colocalize to the villus epithelium of the small intestine, and their expression during embryonic gut development correlates with the transition from endoderm to a specialized epithelium; expression of both these factors is reduced in tumors. Forced expression of Hic-5 in colon cancer cells enhances the PPARgamma-mediated induction of several gut epithelial differentiation/maturation markers such as L-FABP, kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), and keratin 20. siRNA directed against Hic-5 specifically reduces PPARgamma-mediated induction of gut epithelial genes in colon cells and in an ex vivo model of embryonic gut differentiation. Finally, forced expression of Hic-5 during 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation inhibits adipogenesis while inducing inappropriate expression of several mRNAs characteristic of gut epithelium in these mesenchymal cells. These results indicate that Hic5 is an important component in determining an epithelial differentiation program induced by PPARgamma.

Adipocytes↗

PubMed2005

Hyperlipidemic effects of dietary saturated fats mediated through PGC-1beta coactivation of SREBP.

The PGC-1 family of coactivators stimulates the activity of certain transcription factors and nuclear receptors. Transcription factors in the sterol responsive element binding protein (SREBP) family are key regulators of the lipogenic genes in the liver. We show here that high-fat feeding, which induces hyperlipidemia and atherogenesis, stimulates the expression of both PGC-1beta and SREBP1c and 1a in liver. PGC-1beta coactivates the SREBP transcription factor family and stimulates lipogenic gene expression. Further, PGC-1beta is required for SREBP-mediated lipogenic gene expression. However, unlike SREBP itself, PGC-1beta reduces fat accumulation in the liver while greatly increasing circulating triglycerides and cholesterol in VLDL particles. The stimulation of lipoprotein transport upon PGC-1beta expression is likely due to the simultaneous coactivation of the liver X receptor, LXRalpha, a nuclear hormone receptor with known roles in hepatic lipid transport. These data suggest a mechanism through which dietary saturated fats can stimulate hyperlipidemia and atherogenesis.

Animals↗