Mammalian acyl-CoA thioesterases (Acots) catalyze the hydrolysis of fatty acyl-CoAs to form free fatty acids plus CoA, but their metabolic functions remain undefined. Thioesterase superfamily member 1 (Them1; synonyms Acot11, StarD14, and brown fat inducible thioesterase) is a long-chain fatty acyl-CoA thioesterase that is highly expressed in brown adipose tissue and is regulated by both ambient temperature and food consumption. Here we show that Them1 −/− mice were resistant to diet-induced obesity despite greater food consumption. Them1 −/− mice exhibited increased O 2 consumption and heat production, which were accompanied by increased rates of fatty acid oxidation in brown adipose tissue and up-regulation of genes that promote energy expenditure. Them1 −/− mice were also protected against diet-induced inflammation in white adipose tissue, as well as hepatic steatosis, and demonstrated improved glucose homeostasis. The absence of Them1 expression in vivo and in cell culture led to markedly attenuated diet-or chemically induced endoplasmic reticulum stress responses, providing a mechanism by which Them1 deficiency protects against insulin resistance and lipid deposition. Taken together, these data suggest that Them1 functions to decrease energy consumption and conserve calories. In the setting of nutritional excess, the overproduction of free fatty acids by Them1 provokes insulin resistance that is associated with inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress.thermogenesis | liver | diabetes

Members of the acyl-CoA thioesterase (Acot) gene family catalyze the hydrolysis of fatty acyl-CoAs, but their biological functions remain unknown. Thioesterase superfamily member 2 (Them2; synonym Acot13) is a broadly expressed mitochondria-associated Acot. Them2 was previously identified as an interacting protein of phosphatidylcholine transfer protein (PC-TP). Pctp(-/-) mice exhibit altered fatty acid metabolism that is accompanied by reduced hepatic glucose production. To examine the role of Them2 in regulating hepatic lipid and glucose homeostasis, we generated Them2(-/-) mice. In livers of Them2(-/-) mice compared with Them2(+/+) controls, a 1.9-fold increase in the K(m) of mitochondrial thioesterase activity was accompanied by a 28% increase in fatty acyl-CoA concentration. A reciprocal 23% decrease in free fatty acid concentration was associated with reduced activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α. However, fatty acid oxidation rates were preserved in livers of Them2(-/-) mice, suggesting that Them2 functions to limit β-oxidation. Hepatic glucose production was also decreased by 45% in the setting of reduced hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) expression. When fed a high-fat diet, Them2(-/-) mice were resistant to increases in hepatic glucose production and steatosis. These findings reveal key roles for Them2 in the regulation of hepatic metabolism, which are potentially mediated by PC-TP-Them2 interactions.

Fibrinogen like protein 1(Fgl1) is a secreted protein with mitogenic activity on primary hepatocytes. Fgl1 is expressed in the liver and its expression is enhanced following acute liver injury. In animals with acute liver failure, administration of recombinant Fgl1 results in decreased mortality supporting the notion that Fgl1 stimulates hepatocyte proliferation and/or protects hepatocytes from injury. However, because Fgl1 is secreted and detected in the plasma, it is possible that the role of Fgl1 extends far beyond its effect on hepatocytes. In this study, we show that Fgl1 is additionally expressed in brown adipose tissue. We find that signals elaborated following liver injury also enhance the expression of Fgl1 in brown adipose tissue suggesting that there is a cross talk between the injured liver and adipose tissues. To identify extra hepatic effects, we generated Fgl1 deficient mice. These mice exhibit a phenotype suggestive of a global metabolic defect: Fgl1 null mice are heavier than wild type mates, have abnormal plasma lipid profiles, fasting hyperglycemia with enhanced gluconeogenesis and exhibit differences in white and brown adipose tissue morphology when compared to wild types. Because Fgl1 shares structural similarity to Angiopoietin like factors 2, 3, 4 and 6 which regulate lipid metabolism and energy utilization, we postulate that Fgl1 is a member of an emerging group of proteins with key roles in metabolism and liver regeneration.

Phosphatidylcholine transfer protein (PC-TP, synonym StARD2) is a highly specific intracellular lipid binding protein that is enriched in liver. Coding region polymorphisms in both humans and mice appear to confer protection against measures of insulin resistance. The current study was designed to test the hypotheses that Pctp−/− mice are protected against diet-induced increases in hepatic glucose production and that small molecule inhibition of PC-TP recapitulates this phenotype. Pctp−/− and wild type mice were subjected to high fat feeding, and rates of hepatic glucose production and glucose clearance were quantified by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp studies and pyruvate tolerance tests. These studies revealed that high fat diet-induced increases in hepatic glucose production were markedly attenuated in Pctp−/− mice. Small molecule inhibitors of PC-TP were synthesized and their potencies, as well as mechanism of inhibition, were characterized in vitro. An optimized inhibitor was administered to high fat fed mice and used to explore effects on insulin signaling in cell culture systems. Small molecule inhibitors bound PC-TP, displaced phosphatidylcholines from the lipid binding site and increased the thermal stability of the protein. Administration of the optimized inhibitor to wild type mice attenuated hepatic glucose production associated with high fat feeding, but had no activity in Pctp−/− mice. Indicative of a mechanism for reducing glucose intolerance that is distinct from commonly utilized insulin-sensitizing agents, the inhibitor promoted insulin-independent phosphorylation of key insulin signaling molecules. These findings suggest PC-TP inhibition as a novel therapeutic strategy in the management of hepatic insulin resistance.

Transcriptional coregulators are important components of nuclear receptor (NR) signaling machinery and provide additional mechanisms for modulation of NR activity. Expression of a mutated nuclear corepressor 1 (NCoR1) that lacks 2 NR interacting domains (NCoRΔID) in the liver leads to elevated expression of genes regulated by thyroid hormone receptor (TR) and liver X receptor (LXR), both of which control hepatic cholesterol metabolism. Here, we demonstrate that expression of NCoRΔID in mouse liver improves dietary cholesterol tolerance in an LXRα-independent manner. NCoRΔID-associated cholesterol tolerance was primarily due to diminished intestinal cholesterol absorption as the result of changes in the composition and hydrophobicity of the bile salt pool. Alterations of the bile salt pool were mediated by increased expression of genes encoding the bile acid metabolism enzymes CYP27A1 and CYP3A11 as well as canalicular bile salt pump ABCB11. We have determined that these genes are regulated by thyroid hormone and that TRβ1 is recruited to their regulatory regions. Together, these data indicate that interactions between NCoR1 and TR control a specific pathway involved in regulation of cholesterol metabolism and clearance. IntroductionCholesterol metabolism in the liver is critical for normal systemic regulation of serum cholesterol levels and eventual cardiac risk. Both the thyroid hormone receptor (TR) and liver X receptor (LXR) regulate multiple cholesterol clearance pathways and have been targeted as potential therapeutic avenues to improve cholesterol metabolism in humans (1-4). Thyroid hormone (TH) and its liver-specific analogs have been shown to lower serum cholesterol levels through increased expression of the LDL-R and/or HDL receptor SR-B1 in the liver (2, 5, 6), stimulate cholesterol elimination via conversion to bile acids (3, 5, 7-9), enhance biliary cholesterol excretion through ATP-binding cassette transporter G5 and G8 (ABCG5/G8), and decrease cholesterol absorption (10-12). The effects of TH on the cholesterol metabolism in the liver are mediated by the TRβ1 isoform (7, 13).LXRα and LXRβ are activated by oxysterols and act as intracellular cholesterol sensors (14). LXRα is the major isoform in the liver that plays a predominant role in maintaining hepatic cholesterol homeostasis. Global or liver-specific KO of Lxra leads to a dramatic hepatic cholesterol accumulation in mice fed diets with high cholesterol content (15-17). LXRα controls cholesterol clearance through regulation of intestinal cholesterol absorption and biliary cholesterol secretion as well as cholesterol conversion into bile acids (15,(17)(18)(19). Thus, TRβ1 and LXRα regulate both distinct and overlapping pathways to control cholesterol metabolism in the liver. Based on this, we hypothesized that targeting common nuclear receptor (NR) coregulators could amplify beneficial effects of both pathways on cholesterol metabolism.Previous work from our laboratory and others has demonstrated that the NR corepressor, nuclear corepressor 1 (N...