Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell dysfunction plays a central role in various retinal degenerative diseases, but knowledge is limited regarding the pathways responsible for adult RPE stress responses in vivo. RPE mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several forms of retinal degeneration. Here we have shown that postnatal ablation of RPE mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in mice triggers gradual epithelium dedifferentiation, typified by reduction of RPE-characteristic proteins and cellular hypertrophy. The electrical response of the retina to light decreased and photoreceptors eventually degenerated. Abnormal RPE cell behavior was associated with increased glycolysis and activation of, and dependence upon, the hepatocyte growth factor/met proto-oncogene pathway. RPE dedifferentiation and hypertrophy arose through stimulation of the AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (AKT/mTOR) pathway. Administration of an oxidant to wild-type mice also caused RPE dedifferentiation and mTOR activation. Importantly, treatment with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin blunted key aspects of dedifferentiation and preserved photoreceptor function for both insults. These results reveal an in vivo response of the mature RPE to diverse stressors that prolongs RPE cell survival at the expense of epithelial attributes and photoreceptor function. Our findings provide a rationale for mTOR pathway inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for retinal degenerative diseases involving RPE stress. IntroductionThe retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a polarized, cuboidal epithelial cell layer situated in the outer retina between the photoreceptors and choroidal vasculature. The RPE supplies an estimated 60% of the glucose consumed by the neural retina (1) and performs a variety of other functions crucial for retinal homeostasis, including delivery of amino acids and docosahexaenoic acid for photoreceptor protein and membrane synthesis; transport, storage, and enzymatic conversion of retinoids essential for phototransduction; regulation of fluid and ion balance in the subretinal space; maintenance of the blood retinal barrier; secretion of growth factors; and phagocytosis of shed photoreceptor outer segment membranes (2). The RPE is a postmitotic tissue, so RPE cells must carry out these functions for the life of an individual.The retinal degenerative consequences of mutations in RPEexpressed genes illustrate the importance of the RPE for photoreceptor viability in humans. Mutations that impair production of the chromophore 11-cis retinal cause Leber congenital amaurosis, retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and allied disorders (3). Disruption of RPE phagocytosis causes RP and rod/cone dystrophy (4, 5). Mutations that affect ion channel function cause disease of the specialized retinal region necessary for high-acuity vision (the macula) (6) as well as RP (7), while mutations in genes encoding the RPE-secreted proteins TIMP3 (8) and EFEMP1 (9) cause lateronset macular disease.

Dysregulation of metabolism develops with organismal aging. Both genetic and environmental manipulations promote longevity by effectively diverting various metabolic processes against aging. How these processes converge on the metabolome is not clear. Here we report that the heavy isotopic forms of common elements, a universal feature of metabolites, decline in yeast cells undergoing chronological aging. Supplementation of deuterium, a heavy hydrogen isotope, through heavy water (D2O) uptake extends yeast chronological lifespan (CLS) by up to 85% with minimal effects on growth. The CLS extension by D2O bypasses several known genetic regulators, but is abrogated by calorie restriction and mitochondrial deficiency. Heavy water substantially suppresses endogenous generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and slows the pace of metabolic consumption and disposal. Protection from aging by heavy isotopes might result from kinetic modulation of biochemical reactions. Altogether, our findings reveal a novel perspective of aging and new means for promoting longevity.

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Cell signaling is extensively wired between cellular components to sustain cell proliferation, differentiation, and adaptation. The interaction network is often manifested in how protein function is regulated through interacting with other cellular components including small molecule metabolites. While many biochemical interactions have been established as reactions between protein enzymes and their substrates and products, much less is known at the system level about how small metabolites regulate protein functions through allosteric binding. In the past decade, study of protein-small molecule interactions has been lagging behind other types of interactions. Recent technological advances have explored several high-throughput platforms to reveal many ''unexpected'' protein-small molecule interactions that could have profound impact on our understanding of cell signaling. These interactions will help bridge gaps in existing regulatory loops of cell signaling and serve as new targets for medical intervention. In this review, we summarize recent advances of systematic investigation of protein-metabolite/small molecule interactions, and discuss the impact of such studies and their potential impact on both biological researches and medicine.

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Metformin elicits pleiotropic effects that are beneficial for treating diabetes, as well as particular cancers and aging. In spite of its importance, a convincing and unifying mechanism to explain how metformin operates is lacking. Here we describe investigations into the mechanism of metformin action through heme and hemoprotein(s). Metformin suppresses heme production by 50% in yeast, and this suppression requires mitochondria function, which is necessary for heme synthesis. At high concentrations comparable to those in the clinic, metformin also suppresses heme production in human erythrocytes, erythropoietic cells and hepatocytes by 30–50%; the heme-targeting drug artemisinin operates at a greater potency. Significantly, metformin prevents oxidation of heme in three protein scaffolds, cytochrome c, myoglobin and hemoglobin, with Kd values < 3 mM suggesting a dual oxidation and reduction role in the regulation of heme redox transition. Since heme- and porphyrin-like groups operate in diverse enzymes that control important metabolic processes, we suggest that metformin acts, at least in part, through stabilizing appropriate redox states in heme and other porphyrin-containing groups to control cellular metabolism.

Metabolites interact with proteins in vivo in various ways other than enzymatic reactions.Profiling of such interactions may help disclose unknown molecular mechanisms that regulate protein functions, and provide potential targets for disease treatment. Here we describe a procedure for systematic analyses of metabolite-protein interactions in vivo. This procedure couples protein affinity purification and mass spectrometry to identify metabolite-protein interactions. The primary effort can be completed within one day and scaled to process hundreds of samples in a batch. Originally developed in yeast, the same principle and protocol can be adapted to other organisms.

Heavy isotopes are discriminated by biological systems due to kinetic isotopic effects at the biochemical/metabolic levels. How these heavy isotopes are enriched or depleted over a long term is unclear, but artificial manipulation of heavy isotope content in various organisms has produced significant impacts on biological functions, suggesting the origin may arise with intrinsic mechanisms for a functional outcome. Our previous study has revealed an age-associated decline in metabolite heavy isotope content (HIC) in the budding yeast, which could be reversed in part by supplementing heavy water, and consequently, also increased yeast lifespans. In the current study, we report a similar age-dependent decline in HIC from three types of mouse tissues: brain, heart, and skeletal muscles. Furthermore, individual tissues exhibited different patterns of HIC change over age, which appeared to match their development and maturation timelines. These results have demonstrated that age-dependent decline in HIC also exists in mammals, which is likely a traceable feature of development and perhaps aging. Thus, we believe that reversing the decline in HIC could have the potential to extend the healthspan of humans. P values from two-tailed t-test (unequal variance, Welch's correction) were calculated in Graphpad and omitted for clarity.