The receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases gamma (PTPRG) and zeta (PTPRZ) are expressed primarily in the nervous system and mediate cell adhesion and signaling events during development. We report here the crystal structures of the carbonic anhydrase-like domains of PTPRZ and PTPRG and show that these domains interact directly with the second and third immunoglobulin repeats of the members of the contactin (CNTN) family of neural recognition molecules. Interestingly, these receptors exhibit distinct specificities: PTPRZ binds only to CNTN1, whereas PTPRG interacts with CNTN3, 4, 5, and 6. Furthermore, we present crystal structures of the four N-terminal immunoglobulin repeats of mouse CNTN4 both alone and in complex with the carbonic anhydrase-like domain of mouse PTPRG. In these structures, the N-terminal region of CNTN4 adopts a horseshoe-like conformation found also in CNTN2 and most likely in all CNTNs. This restrained conformation of the second and third immunoglobulin domains creates a binding site that is conserved among CNTN3, 4, 5, and 6. This site contacts a discrete region of PTPRG composed primarily of an extended β-hairpin loop found in both PTPRG and PTPRZ. Overall, these findings implicate PTPRG, PTPRZ and CNTNs as a group of receptors and ligands involved in the manifold recognition events that underlie the construction of neural networks.cell adhesion | crystal structure | Ig superfamily | receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase

Metformin has been considered a potential adjunctive therapy in treating poorly controlled type 1 diabetes with obesity and insulin resistance, owing to its potent effects on improving insulin sensitivity. However, the underlying mechanism of metformin's vascular protective effects remains obscure. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), a key regulator of cellular redox state induced by high-glucose concentration, decreases thioredoxin reductase activity and mediates apoptosis induced by oxidative stress. Here we report that high glucose-induced endothelial dysfunction is associated with induction of TXNIP expression in primary human aortic endothelial cells exposed to high-glucose conditions, whereas the metformin treatment suppresses high-glucose-induced TXNIP expression at mRNA and protein levels. We further show that metformin decreases the high-glucose-stimulated nuclear entry rate of two transcription factors, carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP) and forkhead box O1 (FOXO1), as well as their recruitment on the TXNIP promoter. An AMP-activated protein kinase inhibitor partially compromised these metformin effects. Our data suggest that endothelial dysfunction resulting from high-glucose concentrations is associated with TXNIP expression. Metformin down-regulates high-glucose-induced TXNIP transcription by inactivating ChREBP and FOXO1 in endothelial cells, partially through AMP-activated protein kinase activation.

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the mammalian NAD+ biosynthesis of a salvage pathway and exists in 2 known forms, intracellular Nampt (iNampt) and a secreted form, extracellular Nampt (eNampt). eNampt can generate an intermediate product, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), which has been reported to support insulin secretion in pancreatic islets. Nampt has been reported to be expressed in the pancreas but islet specific expression has not been adequately defined. The aim of this study was to characterize Nampt expression, secretion and regulation by glucose in human islets. Gene and protein expression of Nampt was assessed in human pancreatic tissue and isolated islets by qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence/confocal imaging respectively. Variable amounts of Nampt mRNA were detected in pancreatic tissue and isolated islets. Immunofluorescence staining for Nampt was found in the exocrine and endocrine tissue of fetal pancreas. However, in adulthood, Nampt expression was localized predominantly in beta cells. Isolated human islets secreted increasing amounts of eNampt in response to high glucose (20 mM) in a static glucose-stimulated insulin secretion assay (GSIS). In addition to an increase in eNampt secretion, exposure to 20 mM glucose also increased Nampt mRNA levels but not protein content. The secretion of eNampt was attenuated by the addition of membrane depolarization inhibitors, diazoxide and nifedipine. Islet-secreted eNampt showed enzymatic activity in a reaction with increasing production of NAD+/NADH over time. In summary, we show that Nampt is expressed in both exocrine and endocrine tissue early in life but in adulthood expression is localized to endocrine tissue. Enzymatically active eNampt is secreted by human islets, is regulated by glucose and requires membrane depolarization.