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Biomedical subjects

M J Brady

Publications and source records attributed to M J Brady.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Activation of glycogen synthase by insulin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes involves c-Cbl-associating protein (CAP)-dependent and CAP-independent signaling pathways.

In adipose and muscle, insulin stimulates glucose uptake and glycogen synthase activity. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activation is necessary but not sufficient for these metabolic actions of insulin. The insulin-stimulated translocation of phospho-c-Cbl to lipid rafts, via its association with CAP, comprises a second pathway regulating GLUT4 translocation. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, overexpression of a dominant negative CAP mutant (CAP Delta SH3) completely blocked the insulin-stimulated glucose transport and glycogen synthesis but only partially inhibited glycogen synthase activation. In contrast, CAP Delta SH3 expression did not affect glycogen synthase activation by insulin in the absence of extracellular glucose. Moreover, CAP Delta SH3 has no effect on the PI3K-dependent activation of protein phosphatase-1 or phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3. These results indicate blockade of the c-Cbl/CAP pathway directly inhibits insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, which results in secondary inhibition of glycogen synthase activation and glycogen synthesis.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2001

Graph matching vs mutual information maximization for object detection.

Labeled Graph Matching (LGM) has been shown successful in numerous object vision tasks. This method is the basis for arguably the best face recognition system in the world. We present an algorithm for visual pattern recognition that is an extension of LGM ('LGM+'). We compare the performance of LGM and LGM+ algorithms with a state of the art statistical method based on Mutual Information Maximization (MIM). We present an adaptation of the MIM method for multi-dimensional Gabor wavelet features. The three pattern recognition methods were evaluated on an object detection task, using a set of stimuli on which none of the methods had been tested previously. The results indicate that while the performance of the MIM method operating upon Gabor wavelets is superior to the same method operating on pixels and to LGM, it is surpassed by LGM+. LGM+ offers a significant improvement in performance over LGM without losing LGM' s virtues of simplicity, biological plausibility, and a computational cost that is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than that of the MIM algorithm.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2001

The role of protein phosphatase-1 in insulin action.

Insulin is the most-potent physiological anabolic agent known, promoting the synthesis and storage of carbohydrates and lipids and inhibiting their degradation and release into the circulation. This action of the hormone is due in part to the acute regulation of metabolic enzymes through changes in their phosphorylation state. In fat, liver, and muscle, insulin stimulates the dephosphorylation of a number of enzymes involved in glycogen and lipid metabolism via activation of protein phosphatases. Numerous studies have indicated that protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) is the primary phosphatase involved in insulin action. Although PP1 is a cytosolic protein, the phosphatase is compartmentalized in cells by discrete targeting subunits. These proteins confer substrate specificity to PP1 and mediate the specific regulation of intracellular pools of PP1 by a variety of extracellular signals. Four proteins have been described that target the phosphatase to the glycogen particle. G(M) and GL are expressed exclusively in striated muscle and liver, while protein targeting to glycogen (PTG) and R6 are more widely expressed. Despite a common targeting function, these four proteins are not highly conserved, suggesting profound differences in the mechanisms by which they contribute to the hormonal regulation of PP1 activity. Overexpression studies in cell lines or animals have revealed major differences among these proteins regarding basal glycogen levels and hormonal responsiveness. Furthermore, alterations in the expression or function of PP1 glycogen-targeting subunits may contribute to the onset of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Specific desensitization of glycogen synthase activation by insulin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Connection between enzymatic activation and subcellular localization.

A protocol was developed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes that resulted in the specific desensitization of glycogen synthase activation by insulin. Cells were pretreated for 15 min with 100 nm insulin, and then recovered for 1.5 h in the absence of hormone. Subsequent basal and insulin-induced phosphorylation of the insulin receptor, IRS-1, MAPK, Akt kinase, and GSK-3 were similar in control and pretreated cells. Additionally, enhanced glucose transport and incorporation into lipid in response to insulin were unaffected. However, pretreatment reduced insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis by over 50%, due to a nearly complete inhibition of glycogen synthase activation. Removal of extracellular glucose during the recovery period blocked the increase in glycogen levels, and restored insulin-induced glycogen synthase activation. Furthermore, incubation of pretreated 3T3-L1 adipocytes with glycogenolytic agents reversed the desensitization event. Separation of cellular lysates on sucrose gradients revealed that glycogen synthase was primarily located in the dense pellet fraction, with lesser amounts in the lighter fractions. Insulin induced glycogen synthase translocation from the lighter to the denser glycogen-containing fractions. Interestingly, insulin preferentially activated translocated enzyme while having little effect on the majority of glycogen synthase activity in the pellet fraction. In insulin-pretreated cells, glycogen synthase did not return to the lighter fractions during recovery, and thus did not move in response to the second insulin exposure. These results suggest that, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the translocation of glycogen synthase may be an important step in the regulation of glycogen synthesis by insulin. Furthermore, intracellular glycogen levels can regulate glycogen synthase activation, potentially through modulation of enzymatic localization.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2000

Identification of binding sites on protein targeting to glycogen for enzymes of glycogen metabolism.

The activation of protein phosphastase-1 (PP1) by insulin plays a critical role in the regulation of glycogen metabolism. PTG is a PP1 glycogen-targeting protein, which also binds the PP1 substrates glycogen synthase, glycogen phosphorylase, and phosphorylase kinase (Printen, J. A., Brady, M. J., and Saltiel, A. R. (1997) Science 275, 1475-1478). Through a combination of deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis, the regions on PTG responsible for binding PP1 and its substrates have been delineated. Mutagenesis of Val-62 and Phe-64 in the highly conserved (K/R)VXF PP1-binding motif to alanine was sufficient to ablate PP1 binding to PTG. Phosphorylase kinase, glycogen synthase, and phosphorylase binding all mapped to the same C-terminal region of PTG. Mutagenesis of Asp-225 and Glu-228 to alanine completely blocked the interaction between PTG and these three enzymes, without affecting PP1 binding. Disruption of either PP1 or substrate binding to PTG blocked the stimulation of PP1 activity in vitro against phosphorylase, indicating that both binding sites may be important in PTG action. Transient overexpression of wild-type PTG in Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing the insulin receptor caused a 50-fold increase in glycogen levels. Expression of PTG mutants that do not bind PP1 had no effect on glycogen accumulation, indicating that PP1 targeting is essential for PTG function. Likewise, expression of the PTG mutants that do not bind PP1 substrates did not increase glycogen levels, indicating that PP1 targeting glycogen is not sufficient for the metabolic effects of PTG. These results cumulatively demonstrate that PTG serves as a molecular scaffold, allowing PP1 to recognize its substrates at the glycogen particle.

Alanine↗
PubMed2000

Distinctive regulatory and metabolic properties of glycogen-targeting subunits of protein phosphatase-1 (PTG, GL, GM/RGl) expressed in hepatocytes.

Glycogen-targeting subunits of protein phosphatase-1 facilitate interaction of the phosphatase with enzymes of glycogen metabolism. We have shown that overexpression of one member of the family, protein targeting to glycogen (PTG), causes large increases in glycogen storage in isolated hepatocytes or intact rat liver. In the current study, we have compared the metabolic and regulatory properties of PTG (expressed in many tissues), with two other members of the gene family, G(L) (expressed primarily in liver) and G(M)/R(Gl) (expressed primarily in striated muscle). Adenovirus-mediated expression of these proteins in hepatocytes led to the following key observations. 1) G(L) has the highest glycogenic potency among the three forms studied. 2) Glycogen synthase activity ratio is much higher in G(L)-overexpressing cells than in PTG or G(M)/R(Gl)-overexpressing cells. Thus, at moderate levels of G(L) overexpression, glycogen synthase activity is increased by insulin treatment, but at higher levels of G(L) expression, insulin is no longer required to achieve maximal synthase activity. In contrast, cells with high levels of PTG overexpression retain dose-dependent regulation of glycogen synthesis and glycogen synthase enzyme activity by insulin. 3) G(L)- and G(M)/R(Gl)-overexpressing cells exhibit a strong glycogenolytic response to forskolin, whereas PTG-overexpressing cells are less responsive. This difference may be explained in part by a lesser forskolin-induced increase in glycogen phosphorylase activity in PTG-overexpressing cells. Based on these results, we suggest that expression of either G(L) or G(M)/R(Gl) in liver of diabetic animals may represent a strategy for lowering of blood glucose levels in diabetes.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Organizing glucose disposal: emerging roles of the glycogen targeting subunits of protein phosphatase-1.

Glucose is stored in mammalian tissues in the form of glycogen. Glycogen levels are markedly reduced in liver or muscle cells of patients with insulin-resistant or insulin-deficient forms of diabetes, suggesting that impaired glycogen synthesis may contribute to development of hyperglycemia. Recently, interest in this area has been further stimulated by new insights into the spatial organization of metabolic enzymes within cells and the importance of such organization in regulation of glycogen metabolism. It is now clear that a four-member family of glycogen targeting subunits of protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) plays a major role in coordinating these events. These proteins target PP1 to the glycogen particle and also bind differentially to glycogen synthase, glycogen phosphorylase, and phosphorylase kinase, thereby serving as molecular scaffolds. Moreover, the various glycogen-targeting subunits have distinct tissue expression patterns and can influence regulation of glycogen metabolism in response to glycogenic and glycogenolytic signals. The purpose of this article is to summarize new insights into the structure, function, regulation, and metabolic effects of the glycogen-targeting subunits of PP1 and to evaluate the possibility that these molecules could serve as therapeutic targets for lowering of blood glucose in diabetes.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Age-related differences in the quality of life of breast carcinoma patients after treatment.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to compare the quality of life (QOL) of younger (< or =50 years) versus older (>50 years) women on recent completion of treatment of breast carcinoma. METHODS: Data reported herein were obtained from a baseline assessment of 304 breast carcinoma patients. These patients were enrolled in a multiinstitutional, randomized trial testing a psychosocial telephone counseling intervention for breast carcinoma patients immediately after treatment. The assessment was made using a self-administered (mail) questionnaire, with an overall response rate of 86%. Included in this questionnaire were standardized measures of QOL using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast instrument, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Impact of Event Scale. RESULTS: Comparisons of baseline data analyzed according to age approximating menopausal status (< or =50 years and >50 years) indicated that younger women reported significantly greater QOL disturbance. QOL was significantly worse for younger women globally (P = 0.021), and with regard to domains of emotional well-being (P = 0.0002) and breast carcinoma specific concerns (P = 0.022). Furthermore, symptoms of depression (P = 0.041) and disease specific intrusive thoughts (P = 0.013) were significantly worse for younger women. No significant sexual dysfunction or body image differences were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this analysis suggest that younger women with breast carcinoma should be considered to be at high risk for QOL disruption and significant clinical distress. Targeted interventions for this cohort are recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

The role of glucose metabolites in the activation and translocation of glycogen synthase by insulin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

The role of increased glucose transport in the hormonal regulation of glycogen synthase by insulin was investigated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Insulin treatment stimulated glycogen synthase activity 4-5-fold in these cells. Cytosolic glycogen synthase levels decreased by 75% in response to insulin, whereas, conversely, the glycogenolytic agent isoproterenol increased cytosolic enzyme levels by 200%. Removal of extracellular glucose reduced glycogen synthase activation by 40% and completely blocked enzymatic translocation. Addition of 5 mM 2-deoxyglucose did not restore glycogen synthase translocation but did augment dephosphorylation of the protein by insulin. The translocation event could be reconstituted in vitro only by the addition of UDP-glucose to basal cell lysates. Amylase pretreatment of the extracts suppressed glycogen synthase translocation, indicating that the enzyme was binding to glycogen. Incubation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with 10 mM glucosamine induced a state of insulin resistance, blocked the translocation of glycogen synthase, and inhibited insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis by 50%. Surprisingly, glycogen synthase activation by insulin was enhanced 4-fold, in part due to allosteric activation by a glucosamine metabolite. In vitro, glucosamine 6-phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate stimulated glycogen synthase activity with similar concentration curves. These results indicate that glucose metabolites have an impact on the regulation of glycogen synthase activation and localization by insulin.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1999

Manganese-containing superoxide dismutase and its gene from Candida albicans.

Mitochondrial manganese-containing superoxide dismutase was purified around 112-fold with an overall yield of 1.1% to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity from the dimorphic pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans. The molecular mass of the native enzyme was 106 kDa and the enzyme was composed of four identical subunits with a molecular mass of 26 kDa. The enzyme was not sensitive to either cyanide or hydrogen peroxide. The N-terminal amino acid sequence alignments (up to the 18th residue) showed that the enzyme has high similarity to the other eukaryotic manganese-containing superoxide dismutases. The gene sod2 encoding manganese-containing superoxide dismutase has been cloned using a product obtained from polymerase chain reaction. Sequence analysis of the sod2 predicted a manganese-containing superoxide dismutase that contains 234 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 26173 Da, and displayed 57% sequence identity to the homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The deduced N-terminal 34 amino acid residues may serve as a signal peptide for mitochondrial translocation. Several regulatory elements such as stress responsive element and haem activator protein 2/3/4/5 complex binding sites were identified in the promoter region of sod2. Northern analysis with a probe derived from the cloned sod2 revealed a 0.94-kb band, which corresponds approximately to the expected size of mRNA deduced from sod2.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

The activation of glycogen synthase by insulin switches from kinase inhibition to phosphatase activation during adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells.

The effects of insulin and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) on glycogen synthase activation were compared in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts and adipocytes. In the fibroblasts, PDGF elicited a stronger phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and AKT than did insulin. Both agents caused a comparable stimulation of receptor autophosphorylation, MAPK, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) activation in the adipocytes. However, adipogenesis resulted in the uncoupling of PI3-K activation by PDGF from subsequent AKT phosphorylation. The relative contributions of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) inactivation and protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) activation in the regulation of glycogen synthase in both cell types were evaluated. Insulin and PDGF caused a small increase in glycogen synthase a activity in the fibroblasts. Additionally, both agents caused a similar inhibition of GSK-3, while having no effect on PP1 activity. Following differentiation, insulin treatment resulted in a 5-fold stimulation of glycogen synthase, whereas PDGF was without effect. Both agents caused a comparable inhibition of GSK-3 activity in the adipocytes, whereas only insulin activated PP1. Finally, wortmannin completely blocked the stimulation of PP1 by insulin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, indicating that PI3-K inhibition can impinge on PP1 activation. Cumulatively these results suggest that the weak activation of glycogen synthase in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts is mediated by GSK-3 inactivation, whereas in the more metabolically active adipocytes, the insulin-specific activation of glycogen synthase is mediated by PP1 activation.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1998

Regulation of protein phosphatase 2A activity by caspase-3 during apoptosis.

Although the available evidence suggests that whereas the caspase family plays a major role in apoptosis, they are not the sole stimulators of death. A random yeast two-hybrid screen of a lymphocyte cDNA library (using caspase-3 as the bait) found an interaction between caspase-3 and the regulatory subunit Aalpha of protein phosphatase 2A. This protein was found to be a substrate for caspase-3, but not caspase-1, and could compete effectively against either a protein or synthetic peptide substrate. In Jurkat cells induced to undergo apoptosis with anti-Fas antibody, protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity increased 4.5-fold after 6 h. By 12 h, the regulatory Aalpha subunit could no longer be detected in cell lysates. There was no change in the amount of the catalytic subunit. The effects on PP2A could be prevented by the caspase family inhibitors acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp (DEVD) aldehyde or Ac-DEVD fluoromethyl ketone. The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway is regulated by PP2A. At 12 h after the addition of anti-Fas antibody, a decrease in the amount of the phosphorylated forms of MAP kinase was observed. Again, this loss of activated MAP kinase could be prevented by the addition of DEVD-cho or DEVD-fmk. These data are consistent with a pathway whereby induction of apoptosis activates caspase-3. This enzyme then cleaves the regulatory Aalpha subunit of PP2A, increasing its activity. These data show that the activated PP2A will then effect a change in the phosphorylation state of the cell. These data provide a link between the caspases and signal transduction pathways.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed1998

Spatial determinants of specificity in insulin action.

Insulin is a potent stimulator of intermediary metabolism, however the basis for the remarkable specificity of insulin's stimulation of these pathways remains largely unknown. This review focuses on the role compartmentalization plays in insulin action, both in signal initiation and in signal reception. Two examples are discussed: (1) a novel signalling pathway leading to the phosphorylation of the caveolar coat protein caveolin, and (2) a recently identified scaffolding protein, PTG, involved directly in the regulation of enzymes controlling glycogen metabolism.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The regulation of glycogen synthase by protein phosphatase 1 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Evidence for a potential role for DARPP-32 in insulin action.

The stimulation of glycogen-targeted protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), glycogen synthase, and glycogen synthesis by insulin was examined during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts into adipocytes. Insulin treatment barely changed the low levels of glycogen synthesis measured in fibroblasts. Following differentiation into adipocytes, insulin increased glycogen synthesis up to 40-fold. After further culturing of the adipocytes for a week, insulin stimulated glycogen accumulation 700-fold. Differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells also resulted in the increased expression of glycogen synthase and in increases in both total glycogen synthase activity and -fold stimulation by insulin. While the levels of PP1 protein were unchanged by differentiation, PP1 specific activity decreased over 60%, although sensitivity to insulin treatment was augmented. Concurrently, levels of the PP1 inhibitor protein DARPP-32 were dramatically induced upon 3T3-L1 adipogenesis. DARPP-32 in both 3T3-L1 and primary rat adipocytes was exclusively localized to the particulate fractions, including the glycogen-enriched pellet. PP1 activity from 3T3-L1 adipocytes exhibited a kinetic lag in vitro, which was not present in fibroblast extracts. Insulin pretreatment of the adipocyte cells overcame the in vitro lag in PP1 activity, resulting in up to 5-fold stimulation of PP1 activity being measured at early assay time points. These results suggest that in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, DARPP-32 may maintain glycogen-targeted PP1 activity in a low basal state, priming the phosphatase for stimulation by insulin.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1997

Role of protein targeting to glycogen (PTG) in the regulation of protein phosphatase-1 activity.

We have recently cloned from 3T3-L1 adipocytes a novel glycogen-targeting subunit of protein phosphatase-1, termed PTG (Printen, J. A., Brady, M. J., and Saltiel, A. R. (1997) Science 275, 1475-1478). Differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts into highly insulin-responsive adipocytes resulted in a marked increase in PTG expression. Immobilized glutathione S-transferase (GST)-PTG fusion protein specifically bound either PP1 or phosphorylase a. Addition of soluble GST-PTG to 3T3-L1 lysates increased PP1 activity against 32P-labeled phosphorylase a by decreasing the Km of PP1 for phosphorylase 5-fold, while having no effect on the Vmax of the dephosphorylation reaction. Alternatively, PTG did not affect PP1 activity against hormone-sensitive lipase. PTG was not a direct target of intracellular signaling, as insulin or forskolin treatment of cells did not activate a kinase capable of phosphorylating PTG in vivo or in vitro. Finally, PTG decreased the ability of DARPP-32 to inhibit PP1 activity from 3T3-L1 adipocyte lysates. These data cumulatively suggest that PTG increases PP1 activity against specific proteins by several distinct mechanisms.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1997

PTG, a protein phosphatase 1-binding protein with a role in glycogen metabolism.

Protein dephosphorylation by phosphatase PP1 plays a central role in mediating the effects of insulin on glucose and lipid metabolism. A PP1C-targeting protein expressed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (called PTG, for protein targeting to glycogen) was cloned and characterized. PTG was expressed predominantly in insulin-sensitive tissues. In addition to binding and localizing PP1C to glycogen, PTG formed complexes with phosphorylase kinase, phosphorylase a, and glycogen synthase, the primary enzymes involved in the hormonal regulation of glycogen metabolism. Overexpression of PTG markedly increased basal and insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis in Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing the insulin receptor, which do not express endogenous PTG. These results suggest that PTG is critical for glycogen metabolism, possibly functioning as a molecular scaffold.

3T3 Cells↗