Highlights d Transcriptional networking distinguishes myofibers as glycolytic or oxidative d miR-27a-3p and miR-142-3p influence mitochondrial morphology d miR-27a-3p improves lipid use and increases glycogen storage d miR-142-3p reduces lipid use

Mutations in LRRK2 gene cause inherited Parkinson's disease (PD) and variations around LRRK2 act as risk factor for disease. Similar to sporadic disease, LRRK2-linked cases show late onset and, typically, the presence of proteinaceous inclusions named Lewy bodies (LBs) in neurons. Recently, defects on ceramide (Cer) metabolism have been recognized in PD. In particular, heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding for glucocerebrosidase (GBA1), a lysosomal enzyme converting glucosyl-ceramides (Glc-Cer) into Cer, increase the risk of developing PD. Although several studies have linked LRRK2 with membrane-related processes and autophagic-lysosomal pathway regulation, whether this protein impinges on the Cer pathway has not been addressed. Here, using a targeted lipidomics approach, we report an altered sphingolipid composition in Lrrk2 -/-mouse brains. In particular, we observe a significant increase of Cer levels in Lrrk2 -/-mice and direct effects on GBA1. Collectively, our results suggest a link between LRRK2 and Cer metabolism, providing new insights into the possible role of this protein in sphingolipids metabolism, with implications for PD therapeutics.

Vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) is a phenolic aldehyde with limited solubility in water; in this work, we investigate its self-aggregation, as well as its complexation equilibria with β-cyclodextrin by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and vibrational spectroscopy. In particular, diffusion-ordered NMR (DOSY) measurements allowing to detect diffusional changes caused by aggregation/inclusion phenomena lead to a reliable estimate of the equilibrium constants of these processes, while Raman spectroscopy was used to further characterize some structural details of vanillin self-aggregates and inclusion complexes. Although the self-association binding constant of vanillin in water was found to be low (K(a) ∼10), dimeric species are not negligible within the investigated range of concentration (3-65 mM); on the other hand, formation of β-cyclodextrin self-aggregates was not detected by DOSY measurements on aqueous solutions of β-cyclodextrin at different concentrations (2-12 mM). Finally, the binding of vanillin with β-cyclodextrin, as measured by the DOSY technique within a narrow range of concentrations (2-15 mM) by assuming the existence of only the monomeric 1:1 vanillin/β-CD complex, was about an order of magnitude higher (K(c) ∼ 90) than self-aggregation. However, the value of the equilibrium constant for this complexation was found to be significantly affected by the analytical concentrations of the host and guest system, thus indicating that K(c) is an "apparent" equilibrium constant.

Heterozygous mutations of the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) represent the major genetic risk for Parkinson's disease (PD), while homozygous GBA1 mutations cause Gaucher disease, a lysosomal storage disorder, which may involve severe neurodegeneration. We have previously demonstrated impaired autophagy and proteasomal degradation pathways and mitochondrial dysfunction in neurons from GBA1 knockout (gba1 −/− ) mice. We now show that stimulation with physiological glutamate concentrations causes pathological [Ca 2+ ] c responses and delayed calcium deregulation, collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential and an irreversible fall in the ATP/ADP ratio. Mitochondrial Ca 2+ uptake was reduced in gba1 −/− cells as was expression of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter. The rate of free radical generation was increased in gba1 −/− neurons. Behavior of gba1 +/− neurons was similar to gba1 −/− in terms of all variables, consistent with a contribution of these mechanisms to the pathogenesis of PD. These data signpost reduced bioenergetic capacity and [Ca 2+ ] c dysregulation as mechanisms driving neurodegeneration.

Anti-angiogenic therapy triggers metabolic alterations in experimental and human tumors, the best characterized being exacerbated glycolysis and lactate production. By using both Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis, we found that treatment of ovarian cancer xenografts with the anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) neutralizing antibody bevacizumab caused marked alterations of the tumor lipidomic profile, including increased levels of triacylglycerols and reduced saturation of lipid chains. Moreover, transcriptome analysis uncovered up-regulation of pathways involved in lipid metabolism. These alterations were accompanied by increased accumulation of lipid droplets in tumors. This phenomenon was reproduced under hypoxic conditions in vitro, where it mainly depended from uptake of exogenous lipids and was counteracted by treatment with the Liver X Receptor (LXR)-agonist GW3965, which inhibited cancer cell viability selectively under reduced serum conditions. This multi-level analysis indicates alterations of lipid metabolism following anti-VEGF therapy in ovarian cancer xenografts and suggests that LXR-agonists might empower anti-tumor effects of bevacizumab.