Key pointsr Considerable controversy exists regarding the role of irisin, a putative exercise-induced myokine, in human metabolism.r We therefore studied irisin and its precursor Fndc5 in obesity, type 2 diabetes and exercise. r Complex clinical studies combined with cell culture work revealed that Fndc5/irisin was decreased in type 2 diabetes in vivo, but not in muscle cells in vitro, indicating that diabetes-related factor(s) regulate Fndc5/irisin in vivo.r Several attributes of type 2 diabetes, such as hyperglycaemia, triglyceridaemia, visceral adiposity and extramyocellular lipid deposition were negatively associated with adipose tissue Fndc5 mRNA and circulating irisin. Moreover, mimicking diabetic status in vitro by treating muscle cells with palmitate and glucose lowered Fndc5 mRNA.r Neither exercise training nor an acute exercise bout modulated circulating irisin or muscle Fndc5 expression. However, the associations between intensity of habitual physical activity, muscle volume, strength, contractility and circulating irisin provide a link between irisin and positive outcomes of increased physical activity.Abstract Irisin was identified as a myokine secreted by contracting skeletal muscle, possibly mediating some exercise health benefits via 'browning' of white adipose tissue. However, a controversy exists concerning irisin origin, regulation and function in humans. Thus, we have explored Fndc5 gene and irisin protein in two clinical studies: (i) a cross-sectional study (effects of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in drug-naive men) and (ii) an intervention study (exercise effects in sedentary, overweight/obese individuals). Glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were assessed. Maximal aerobic capacity and muscle strength were measured before and after training. Body composition (magnetic resonance imaging), muscle and liver fat content ( 1 H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)) and in vivo muscle metabolism ( 32 P-MRS) were determined. Skeletal muscle and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue samples were taken in the fasted state and during euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemia (adipose tissue) and before/after exercise training (muscle). We found that muscle Fndc5 mRNA was increased in prediabetes but not T2D. tissue and irisin in plasma were reduced in T2D by 40% and 50%, respectively.

Ultrasensitive impedimetric lectin biosensors recognising different glycan entities on serum glycoproteins were constructed. Lectins were immobilised on novel mixed self-assembled monolayer containing 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid for covalent immobilisation of lectins and betaine terminated thiol to resist non-specific interactions. Construction of biosensors based on Concanavalin A (Con A), Sambucus nigra agglutinin type I (SNA) and Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA) on polycrystalline gold electrodes was optimised and characterised with a battery of tools including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, various electrochemical techniques, QCM, FTIR spectroscopy, AFM, XPS and compared with a protein/lectin microarray. The lectin biosensors were able to detect glycoproteins from 1 fM (Con A), 10 fM (RCA) or 100 fM (SNA) with a linear range spanning 6 (SNA), 7 (RCA) or 8 (Con A) orders of magnitude. Furthermore, a detection limit for the Con A biosensor down to 1 aM was achieved in a sandwich configuration. A non-specific binding of proteins for the Con A biosensor was only 6.1% (probed with an oxidised invertase) of the signal towards its analyte invertase and a negligible non-specific interaction of the Con A biosensor was observed in diluted human sera (1000x), as well. The performance of the lectin biosensors was finally tested by glycoprofiling of human serum samples from healthy individuals and those having rheumatoid arthritis, which resulted in distinct glycan pattern between these two groups.

Objective: To examine the regulatory aspects of zinc-a2-glycoprotein (ZAG) association with obesityrelated insulin resistance. Methods: ZAG mRNA and protein were analyzed in subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) and circulation of lean, obese, prediabetic, and type 2 diabetic men; both subcutaneous and visceral AT were explored in lean and extremely obese. Clinical and ex vivo findings were corroborated by results of in vitro ZAG silencing experiment. Results: Subcutaneous AT ZAG was reduced in obesity, with a trend to further decrease with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. ZAG was 3.3-fold higher in subcutaneous than in visceral AT of lean individuals. All differences were lost in extreme obesity. Obesity-associated changes in AT were not paralleled by alterations of circulating ZAG. Subcutaneous AT ZAG correlated with adiposity, adipocyte hypertrophy, whole-body and AT insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial content, expression of GLUT4, PGC1a, and adiponectin. Subcutaneous AT ZAG and adipocyte size were the only predictors of insulin sensitivity, independent on age and BMI. Silencing ZAG resulted in reduced adiponectin, IRS1, GLUT4, and PGC1a gene expression in primary human adipocytes. Conclusions: ZAG in subcutaneous, but not in visceral AT, was markedly reduced in obesity. Clinical, cellular, and molecular evidence indicate that ZAG plays an important role in modulating whole-body and AT insulin sensitivity.