Control of SUMO and Ubiquitin by ROS: Signaling and disease implications
Publication date: Available online 4 August 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Nicolas Stankovic-Valentin, Frauke MelchiorAbstractReversible post-translational modifications (PTMs) ensure rapid signal transmission from sensors to effectors. Reversible modification of proteins by the small proteins Ubiquitin and SUMO are involved in virtually all cellular processes and can modify thousands of proteins. Ubiquitination or SUMOylation is the reversible attachment of these modifiers to lysine residues of a target via isopeptide bond formation. These modifications require ATP and an enzymatic cascade composed of...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - August 4, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Cardiac fibrosis: Cell biological mechanisms, molecular pathways and therapeutic opportunities
Publication date: Available online 2 August 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Nikolaos G. FrangogiannisAbstractCardiac fibrosis is a common pathophysiologic companion of most myocardial diseases, and is associated with systolic and diastolic dysfunction, arrhythmogenesis, and adverse outcome. Because the adult mammalian heart has negligible regenerative capacity, death of a large number of cardiomyocytes results in reparative fibrosis, a process that is critical for preservation of the structural integrity of the infarcted ventricle. On the other hand, pathophysiologic stimuli, such as pressure overload, ...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - August 2, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
New pro-resolving n-3 mediators bridge resolution of infectious inflammation to tissue regeneration
Publication date: Available online 1 September 2017Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Charles N. Serhan, Nan Chiang, Jesmond DalliAbstractWhile protective, the acute inflammatory response when uncontrolled can lead to further tissue damage and chronic inflammation that is now widely recognized to play important roles in many commonly occurring diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic syndrome, and many other diseases of significant public health concern. The ideal response to initial challenges of the host is complete resolution of the acute inflammatory response, which i...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
FFA4 (GPR120) as a fatty acid sensor involved in appetite control, insulin sensitivity and inflammation regulation
Publication date: Available online 12 October 2017Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Dong-Soon ImAbstractUnsaturated long-chain fatty acids have been suggested to be beneficial in the context of cardiovascular disorders based in epidemiologic studies conducted in Greenland and Mediterranean. DHA and EPA are omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids that are plentiful in fish oil, and oleic acid is an omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acid, rich in olive oil. Dietary intake of these unsaturated long-chain fatty acids have been associated with insulin sensitivity and weight loss, which contrasts with the impairment of ins...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Redox-signals and macrophage biology (for the upcoming issue of molecular aspects of medicine on signaling by reactive oxygen species)
Publication date: Available online 12 January 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Andreas Weigert, Andreas von Knethen, Dominik Fuhrmann, Nathalie Dehne, Bernhard BrüneAbstractMacrophages are known for their versatile role in biology. They sense and clear structures that contain exogenous or endogenous pathogen-associated molecular patterns. This process is tightly linked to the production of a mixture of potentially harmful oxidants and cytokines. Their inherent destructive behavior is directed against foreign material or structures of ‘altered self’, which explains the role of macrophages during inna...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Omega-3 fatty acids and adipose tissue biology
Publication date: Available online 17 January 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Ondrej Kuda, Martin Rossmeisl, Jan KopeckyAbstractThis review provides evidence for the importance of white and brown adipose tissue (i.e. WAT and BAT) function for the maintenance of healthy metabolic phenotype and its preservation in response to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFA), namely in the context of diseased states linked to aberrant accumulation of body fat, systemic low-grade inflammation, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. More specifically, the review deals with (i) the concept of immunometabolism...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
The role of fatty acids and their endocannabinoid-like derivatives in the molecular regulation of appetite
Publication date: Available online 19 January 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Renger F. WitkampAbstractIntake, absorption and synthesis of fatty acids, including those produced by the intestinal microbiota are tightly monitored via specific receptors and, indirectly through their conversion into a variety of signalling molecules. The resulting information is integrated and translated to different physiological processes, including the regulation of appetite and satiation. Direct chemosensing of fatty acids takes place via interaction with free fatty acid (FFA) and other receptors. These are present in t...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Brain docosahexaenoic acid uptake and metabolism
Publication date: Available online 9 February 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): R.J.Scott Lacombe, Raphaël Chouinard-Watkins, Richard P. BazinetAbstractDocosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the most abundant n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid in the brain where it serves to regulate several important processes and, in addition, serves as a precursor to bioactive mediators. Given that the capacity of the brain to synthesize DHA locally is appreciably low, the uptake of DHA from circulating lipid pools is essential to maintaining homeostatic levels. Although, several plasma pools have been proposed to supply the brain...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Redox control in cancer development and progression
Publication date: Available online 5 March 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Valeska Helfinger, Katrin SchröderAbstractCancer is the leading cause of death worldwide after cardiovascular diseases. This has been the case for the last few decades despite there being an increase in the number of cancer treatments. One reason for the apparent lack of drug effectiveness might be, at least in part, due to unspecificity for tumors; which often leads to substantial side effects. One way to improve the treatment of cancer is to increase the specificity of the treatment in accordance with the concept of individual...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Omega-3 fatty acids and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Evidence of efficacy and mechanism of action
Publication date: Available online 22 March 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Eleonora Scorletti, Christopher D. ByrneAbstractFor many years it has been known that high doses of long chain omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial in the treatment of hypertriglyceridaemia. Over the last three decades, there has also been a wealth of in vitro and in vivo data that has accumulated to suggest that long chain omega-3 fatty acid treatment might be beneficial to decrease liver triacylglycerol. Several biological mechanisms have been identified that support this hypothesis; notably, it has been shown that long chain om...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
ROS signaling and ER stress in cardiovascular disease
Publication date: Available online 22 March 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Cristhiaan D. Ochoa, Ru Feng Wu, Lance S. TeradaAbstractThe endoplasmic reticulum (ER) produces the vast majority of all proteins secreted into the extracellular space, including hormones and cytokines, as well as cell surface receptors and other proteins which interact with the environment. Accordingly, this organelle controls essentially all vital links to a cell's external milieu, responding to systemic metabolic, inflammatory, endocrine, and mechanical stimuli. The central role the ER plays in meeting protein synthetic and q...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
N-Docosahexaenoylethanolamine: A neurotrophic and neuroprotective metabolite of docosahexaenoic acid
Publication date: Available online 27 March 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Hee-Yong Kim, Arthur A. SpectorAbstractN-Docosahexaenoylethanolamine (synaptamide) is an endocannabinoid-like metabolite endogenously synthesized from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), the major omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid present in the brain. Although its biosynthetic mechanism has yet to be established, there is a closely linked relationship between the levels of synaptamide and its precursor DHA in the brain. Synaptamide at nanomolar concentrations promotes neurogenesis, neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis in deve...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Biological activities of non-enzymatic oxygenated metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids (NEO-PUFAs) derived from EPA and DHA: New anti-arrhythmic compounds?
Publication date: Available online 27 March 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Jean-Marie Galano, Jérôme Roy, Thierry Durand, Jetty Chung-Yung Lee, Jean-Yves Le Guennec, Camille Oger, Marie DemionAbstractω3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3 PUFAs) have several biological properties including anti-arrhythmic effects. However, there are some evidences that it is not solely ω3 PUFAs per se that are biologically active but the non-enzymatic oxygenated metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids (NEO-PUFAs) like isoprostanes and neuroprostanes. Recent question arises how these molecules take part in physiolog...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
More than a syllable in fib-ROS-is: The role of ROS on the fibrotic extracellular matrix and on cellular contacts
Publication date: Available online 6 April 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Julius Grosche, Juliane Meißner, Johannes A. EbleAbstractFibrosis is characterized by excess deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). However, the ECM changes during fibrosis not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. Thus, the composition is altered as the expression of various ECM proteins changes. Moreover, also posttranslational modifications, secretion, deposition and crosslinkage as well as the proteolytic degradation of ECM components run differently during fibrosis. As several of these processes involve redox react...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Omega-3 fatty acids, membrane remodeling and cancer prevention
Publication date: Available online 12 April 2018Source: Molecular Aspects of MedicineAuthor(s): Natividad R. Fuentes, Eunjoo Kim, Yang-Yi Fan, Robert S. ChapkinAbstractProteins are often credited as the macromolecule responsible for performing critical cellular functions, however lipids have recently garnered more attention as our understanding of their role in cell function and human health becomes more apparent. Although cellular membranes are the lipid environment in which many proteins function, it is now apparent that protein and lipid assemblies can be organized to form distinct micro- or nanodomains that facilitate ...
Source: Molecular Aspects of Medicine - July 11, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
