Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common form of liver disease, and 10% to 20% of NAFLD patients progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The molecular pathways controlling progression to NAFLD/NASH remain poorly understood. We recently identified serine/threonine protein kinase 25 (STK25) as a regulator of whole-body insulin and glucose homeostasis. This study investigates the role of STK25 in liver lipid accumulation and NASH. Stk25 transgenic mice challenged with a high-fat diet displayed a dramatic increase in liver steatosis and hepatic insulin resistance compared to wild-type siblings. Focal fibrosis, hepatocellular damage, and inflammation were readily seen in transgenic but not wild-type livers. Transgenic livers displayed reduced b-oxidation and triacylglycerol secretion, while lipid uptake and synthesis remained unchanged. STK25 was associated with lipid droplets, colocalizing with the main hepatic lipid droplet-coating protein adipose differentiation-related protein, the level of which was increased 3.8 6 0.7-fold in transgenic livers (P < 0.01), while a key hepatic lipase, adipose triacylglycerol lipase, was translocated from the lipid droplets surface to the cytoplasm, providing the likely mechanism underlying the effect of STK25. In summary, STK25 is a lipid dropletassociated protein that promotes NAFLD through control of lipid release from the droplets for b-oxidation and triacylglycerol secretion. STK25 also drives pathogenesis of NASH.-Amrutkar, M., Cansby, E., Nuñez-Durán, E., Pirazzi, C., Ståhlman, M., Stenfeldt, E., Smith, U., Borén, J., Mahlapuu, M. Protein kinase STK25 regulates hepatic lipid partitioning and progression of liver steatosis and NASH. FASEB J. 29, 1564-1576 (2015). www.fasebj.orgTHE METABOLIC SYNDROME is a cluster of abnormalities including abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and dyslipidemia. Recently, attention has focused on the excessive accumulation of triacylglycerols (TAG) in lipid droplets within the liver as part of this metabolic syndrome. The development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome: approximately 90% of patients with NAFLD have more than one feature of metabolic syndrome (1), and NAFLD is consistently associated with obesity (60-95%), type 2 diabetes (28-55%), and dyslipidemia (27-92%) (2). Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that lipid accumulation in the liver is not merely a consequence of metabolic syndrome, but rather that NAFLD exacerbates hepatic and systemic insulin resistance and actively contributes to the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome (3).Approximately 10 to 20% of patients with NAFLD progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, and cellular damage in the liver in addition to fatty infiltration. Patients with NASH are at high risk of developing cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma (3). More than a decade ago, Day and James (4) presented the so-called 2-...

Understanding the molecular networks controlling ectopic lipid deposition, glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity is essential to identifying new pharmacological approaches to treat type 2 diabetes. We recently identified serine/threonine protein kinase 25 (STK25) as a negative regulator of glucose and insulin homeostasis based on observations in myoblasts with acute depletion of STK25 and in STK25-overexpressing transgenic mice. Here, we challenged Stk25 knockout mice and wild-type littermates with a high-fat diet and showed that STK25 deficiency suppressed development of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, improved systemic glucose tolerance, reduced hepatic gluconeogenesis, and increased insulin sensitivity. Stk25−/− mice were protected from diet-induced liver steatosis accompanied by decreased protein levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, a key regulator of both lipid oxidation and synthesis. Lipid accumulation in Stk25−/− skeletal muscle was reduced, and expression of enzymes controlling the muscle oxidative capacity (Cpt1, Acox1, Cs, Cycs, Ucp3) and glucose metabolism (Glut1, Glut4, Hk2) was increased. These data are consistent with our previous study of STK25 knockdown in myoblasts and reciprocal to the metabolic phenotype of Stk25 transgenic mice, reinforcing the validity of the results. The findings suggest that STK25 deficiency protects against the metabolic consequences of chronic exposure to dietary lipids and highlight the potential of STK25 antagonists for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Partial depletion of serine/threonine protein kinase 25 (STK25), a member of the Ste20 superfamily of kinases, increases lipid oxidation and glucose uptake in rodent myoblasts. Here we show that transgenic mice overexpressing STK25, when challenged with a high-fat diet, develop reduced glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity compared to wild-type siblings, as evidenced by impairment in glucose and insulin tolerance tests as well as in euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp studies. The fasting plasma insulin concentration was elevated in Stk25 transgenic mice compared to wild-type littermates (4.9±0.8 vs. 2.6±0.4 ng/ml after 17 wk on high-fat diet, P<0.05). Overexpression of STK25 decreased energy expenditure during the dark phase of observation (P<0.05), despite increased spontaneous activity. The oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle of transgenic carriers was reduced, as evidenced by altered expression of Cpt1, Acox1, and ACC. Hepatic triglycerides and glycogen were elevated (1.6- and 1.4-fold, respectively; P<0.05) and expression of key enzymes regulating lipogenesis (Fasn), glycogen synthesis (Gck), and gluconeogenesis (G6pc, Fbp1) was increased in the liver of the transgenic mice. Our findings suggest that overexpression of STK25 in conditions of excess dietary fuels associates with a shift in the metabolic balance in peripheral tissues from lipid oxidation to storage, leading to a systemic insulin resistance.

Aims/hypothesis Type 2 diabetes is closely associated with pathological lipid accumulation in the liver, which is suggested to actively contribute to the development of insulin resistance. We recently identified serine/threonine protein kinase 25 (STK25) as a regulator of liver steatosis, whole-body glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in a mouse model system. The aim of this study was to assess the role of STK25 in the control of lipid metabolism in human liver. Methods Intracellular fat deposition, lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity were studied in immortalised human hepatocytes (IHHs) and HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells in which STK25 was overexpressed or knocked down by small interfering RNA. The association between STK25 mRNA expression in human liver biopsies and hepatic fat content was analysed.Results Overexpression of STK25 in IHH and HepG2 cells enhanced lipid deposition by suppressing β-oxidation and triacylglycerol (TAG) secretion, while increasing lipid synthesis. Conversely, knockdown of STK25 attenuated lipid accumulation by stimulating β-oxidation and TAG secretion, while inhibiting lipid synthesis. Furthermore, TAG hydrolase activity was repressed in hepatocytes overexpressing STK25 and reciprocally increased in cells with STK25 knockdown. Insulin sensitivity was reduced in STK25-overexpressing cells and enhanced in STK25-deficient hepatocytes. We also found a statistically significant positive correlation between STK25 mRNA expression in human liver biopsies and hepatic fat content. Conclusions/interpretation Our data suggest that STK25 regulates lipid partitioning in human liver cells by controlling TAG synthesis as well as lipolytic activity and thereby NEFA release from lipid droplets for β-oxidation and TAG secretion. Our findings highlight STK25 as a potential drug target for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Aim/hypothesis The aim of the study was to examine the possible role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the regulation of the inflammatory response induced by cytokine action in human liver cells. Methods IL-6-stimulated expression of the genes for acutephase response markers serum amyloid A (SAA1, SAA2) and haptoglobin (HP) in the human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 were quantified after modulation of AMPK activity by pharmacological agonists (5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamideriboside [AICAR], metformin) or by using small interfering (si) RNA transfection. The intracellular signalling pathway mediating the effect of AMPK on IL-6-stimulated acute-phase marker expression was characterised by assessing the phosphorylation levels of the candidate protein signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in response to AMPK agonists. Results AICAR and metformin markedly blunt the IL-6-stimulated expression of SAA cluster genes as well as of haptoglobin in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the repression of AMPK activity by siRNA significantly reversed the inhibition of SAA expression by both AICAR and metformin, indicating that the effect of the agonists is dependent on AMPK. For the first time we show that AMPK appears to regulate IL-6 signalling by directly inhibiting the activation of the main downstream target of IL-6, STAT3. Conclusions/interpretation We provide evidence for a key function of AMPK in suppression of the acute-phase response caused by the action of IL-6 in liver, suggesting that AMPK may act as an intracellular link between chronic low-grade inflammation and metabolic regulation in peripheral metabolic tissues.