The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) contains the essential protein RICTOR and is activated by growth factors. mTORC2 in adipose tissue contributes to regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. In the perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) mTORC2 ensures normal vascular reactivity by controlling expression of inflammatory molecules. To assess whether RICTOR/mTORC2 contributes to blood pressure regulation, we applied a radiotelemetry approach in control and Rictor knockout (RictoraP2KO) mice generated by using adipocyte protein-2 gene promoter-driven CRE recombinase to delete Rictor. 24 hour mean arterial pressure (MAP) was increased in RictoraP2KO mice, and the physiologic decline in MAP during the dark period impaired. In parallel, heart rate and locomotor activity were elevated during the dark period with a pattern similar to blood pressure changes. This phenotype was associated with mild cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, decreased cardiac natriuretic peptides (NPs) and NP receptor expression in adipocytes. Moreover, clock gene expression was dampened or phase-shifted in PVAT. No differences in clock gene expression were observed in the master clock suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), though Rictor gene expression was also lower in brain of RictoraP2KO mice. Thus, the present study underscores the importance of RICTOR/mTORC2 for interactions between vasculature, adipocytes and brain to tune physiological outcomes such as blood pressure and locomotion.
Deletion of Rictor in brain and fat alters peripheral clock gene expression and increases blood pressure.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesStatins are widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs that inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, a key enzyme in cholesterol synthesis. In some cases, however, these drugs may cause a number of toxic side effects in hepatocytes and skeletal muscle tissue. Currently, the specific molecular mechanisms that cause these adverse effects are not sufficiently understood. In this work, genome-wide RNA expression changes in primary human hepatocytes of six individuals were measured at five time points upon atorvastatin treatment. A novel systems-level analysis workflow was applied to reconstruct regulatory mechanisms based on these drug-response data and available knowledge about transcription factor binding specificities, protein-protein interactions and protein-drug interactions. Several previously unknown transcription factors, regulatory cofactors and signaling molecules were found to be involved in atorvastatin-responsive gene expression. Some novel relationships, e.g., the regulatory influence of nuclear receptor NR2C2 on CYP3A4, were successfully validated in wet-lab experiments.
Inferring statin-induced gene regulatory relationships in primary human hepatocytes.
Specimen part, Treatment, Subject
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