Current Issues in Molecular Biology

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Dear Colleagues,

Once considered just as an energy-storage organ in the form of triacylglycerols, adipose tissue is now considered to reside at the core of metabolic-syndrome-related complications. Adipose tissue plays a vital role in several physiological and metabolic functions, acting as a lipid storage organ; an insulin-responsive organ disposing of circulatory glucose; and serving as an endocrine organ secreting several adipokines, miRNAs, and exosomes regulating systemic metabolic processes.

After decades of research on adipose tissue, our knowledge regarding adipocyte function is still growing. Adipocytes can be white, brown, or beige, and differ in the function and expression level of several proteins. Among these types, brown adipocytes are more thermogenic. The adipocyte-specific deletion or overexpression of several genes has been reported to have myriad consequences. This Special Issue focuses on the molecular biology aspect of adipocytes, and aims to unravel novel molecular mechanisms underlying adipocyte functions.

We welcome reviews, original research articles, short communications, and perspective articles in the area of adipocyte biology.

Dr. Abhishek Gupta
Dr. Salil Varshney
Guest Editors

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Keywords

adipocyte biology
brown adipocyte
beige adipocytes
obesity
adipokines
adipocyte cell models
lipotoxicity

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 2529 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Silico Investigation of AKT2 Gene and Protein Abnormalities Reveals Potential Association with Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes

by M. E. Elangeeb, Imadeldin Elfaki, M. A. Elkhalifa, Khalid M. Adam, A. O. Alameen, Ahmed Kamaleldin Elfadl, Ibrahim Altedlawi Albalawi, Kholoud S. Almasoudi, Reema Almotairi, Basim S. O. Alsaedi, Marwan H. Alhelali, Mohammad Muzaffar Mir, Dnyanesh Amle and Rashid Mir

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(9), 7449-7475; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45090471 - 12 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1347

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) develops from insulin resistance (IR) and the dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells. The AKT2 protein is very important for the protein signaling pathway, and the non-synonymous SNP (nsSNPs) in AKT2 gene may be associated with T2D. nsSNPs can result in alterations in protein stability, enzymatic activity, or binding specificity. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of nsSNPs on the AKT2 protein structure and function that may result in the induction of IR and T2D. The study identified 20 variants that were considered to be the most deleterious based on a range of analytical tools included (SIFT, PolyPhen2, Mut-pred, SNAP2, PANTHER, PhD-SNP, SNP&Go, MUpro, Cosurf, and I-Mut). Two mutations, p.A179T and p.L183Q, were selected for further investigation based on their location within the protein as determined by PyMol. The results indicated that mutations, p.A179T and p.L183Q alter the protein stability and functional characteristics, which could potentially affect its function. In order to conduct a more in-depth analysis of these effects, a molecular dynamics simulation was performed for wildtype AKT2 and the two mutants (p.A179T and p.L183Q). The simulation evaluated various parameters, including temperature, pressure, density, RMSD, RMSF, SASA, and Region, over a period of 100 ps. According to the simulation results, the wildtype AKT2 protein demonstrated higher stability in comparison to the mutant variants. The mutations p.A179T and p.L183Q were found to cause a reduction in both protein stability and functionality. These findings underscore the significance of the effects of nsSNPs (mutations p.A179T and p.L183Q) on the structure and function of AKT2 that may lead to IR and T2D. Nevertheless, they require further verifications in future protein functional, protein–protein interaction, and large-scale case–control studies. When verified, these results will help in the identification and stratification of individuals who are at risk of IR and T2D for the purpose of prevention and treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Adipose Tissue: A Molecular Perspective)

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12 pages, 619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Study on the Carcass and Meat Chemical Composition, and Lipid-Metabolism-Related Gene Expression in Korean Hanwoo and Brindle Chikso Cattle

by Van-Ba Hoa, Dong-Heon Song, Kuk-Hwan Seol, Sun-Moon Kang, Hyun-Wook Kim, In-Seon Bae, Eun-Sung Kim, Yeon-Soo Park and Soo-Hyun Cho

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(4), 3279-3290; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45040214 - 7 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1558

Abstract

The objective of this study was to elucidate the effect of cattle breed on carcass and meat chemical composition, fatty acid profiles, and lipid-metabolism-related genes. For this study, same-age Hanwoo and Chikso steers (n = 6 per breed) reared under identical conditions were used. Immediately after slaughter, muscle tissues were collected for analysis of mRNA expression. At 24 h post-mortem, the carcasses were assessed for carcass traits (marbling score, meat yield, etc.), and meat quality and fatty acid profiles in the longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles. The results showed that no differences in the slaughter weight, dressing rate, back-fat thickness, trimmed fat, and total meat yield occurred between the two breeds (p > 0.05). However, Hanwoo cattle had a higher marbling score, intramuscular fat (IMF) content, and expression level of lipid-metabolism-related genes such as lipoprotein lipase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and fatty acid binding protein 4, compared with Chikso (p < 0.05). Contrastingly, Chikso had a higher total unsaturated fatty acid content and expression level of stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 (p < 0.05). It may be said that the difference in the expression levels of lipid-metabolism-related genes could be the molecular factors underlying IMF deposition and fatty acid profile differences in the beef from the two breeds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Adipose Tissue: A Molecular Perspective)

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