is a key enzyme of hepatic lipogenesis responsible for the synthesis of long-chain saturated fatty acids. This enzyme is mainly regulated at the transcriptional level by nutrients and hormones. In particular, glucose, insulin, and T 3 increase FAS activity, whereas glucagon and saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease it. In the present study we show that, in liver, T 3 and insulin were able to activate FAS enzymatic activity, mRNA expression, and gene transcription. We localized the T 3 response element (TRE) that mediates the T3 genomic effect, on the FAS promoter between Ϫ741 and Ϫ696 bp that mediates the T 3 genomic effect. We show that both T3 and insulin regulate FAS transcription via this sequence. The TRE binds a TR/RXR heterodimer even in the absence of hormone, and this binding is increased in response to T 3 and/or insulin treatment. The use of H7, a serine/threonine kinase inhibitor, reveals that a phosphorylation mechanism is implicated in the transcriptional regulation of FAS in response to both hormones. Specifically, we show that T 3 is able to modulate FAS transcription via a nongenomic action targeting the TRE through the activation of a PI 3-kinase-ERK1/2-MAPK-dependent pathway. Insulin also targets the TRE sequence, probably via the activation of two parallel pathways: Ras/ERK1/2 MAPK and PI 3-kinase/Akt. Finally, our data suggest that the nongenomic actions of T 3 and insulin are probably common to several TREs, as we observed similar effects on a classical DR4 consensus sequence. fatty acid synthase; triiodothyronine; insulin; triiodothyronine response element; phosphoinositide 3-kinase; extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase LIPOGENESIS CONVERTS DIETARY CARBOHYDRATES to fatty acids primarily in liver (28). Insulin and triiodothyronine (T 3 ) are involved in mediating the effects of diet on lipogenesis in vivo (34). Hepatic lipogenesis is increased in hyperthyroid states or in response to T 3 injection (10,15,19,24,25,28,62,71,76,83) as well as in hyperinsulinemic subjects (80). In vivo, these two hormones are also involved in the long-term regulation of lipogenic enzymes activities such as fatty acid synthase (37).Fatty acid synthase (FAS; EC.2.3.1.85) is a key enzyme in hepatic lipogenesis. In the presence of NADPH, this multifunctional enzyme catalyzes the conversion of acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA into long-chain saturated fatty acids such as palmitate and stearate (92). The de novo synthesis of fatty acids in human and chicken takes place mainly in the liver (30, 58), whereas in rodents the adipose tissue is also lipogenic (30). In vertebrates, FAS is a homodimer made of two identical peptide chains of ϳ260 kDa (85, 91), located in the cytoplasm of the cell (31). FAS is encoded by a unique gene that generates only one mRNA in mouse (73) and two in chicken and rat, as a result of alternative splicing (3). In the liver, the activity of FAS, like most lipogenic enzymes (95), is regulated through nutrients and hormones. Starvation causes a decrea...

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is responsible for the de novo synthesis of palmitate and stearate. This enzyme is activated by insulin and T(3), and inhibited by fatty acids. In this study, we show that insulin and T(3) have an inducing effect on FAS enzymatic activity, which is synergetic when both hormones are present. Octanoate and hexanoate specifically inhibit this hormonal effect. A similar inhibitory effect is observed at the level of protein expression. Transient transfections in HepG2 cells revealed that hexanoate inhibits, at least in part, FAS at a transcriptional level targeting the T(3) response element (TRE) on the FAS promoter. The effect of C6 on FAS expression cannot be attributed to a modification of insulin receptor activation or to a decrease in T(3) entry in the cells. Using bromo-hexanoate, we determined that hexanoate needs to undergo a transformation in order to have an effect. When incubating cells with triglyceride-hexanoate or carnitine-hexanoate, no effect on the enzymatic activity induced by insulin and T(3) is observed. A similar result was obtained when cells were incubated with betulinic acid, an inhibitor of the diacylglycerol acyltransferase. However, the incubation of cells with Triacsin C, a general inhibitor of acyl-CoA synthetases, completely reversed the inhibitory effect of hexanoate. Our results suggest that in hepatic cells, hexanoate needs to be activated into a CoA derivative in order to inhibit the insulin and T(3)-induced FAS expression. This effect is partially transcriptional, targeting the TRE on the FAS promoter.

BackgroundIn the face of growing resistance in malaria parasites to drugs, pharmacological combination therapies are important. There is accumulating evidence that methylene blue (MB) is an effective drug against malaria. Here we explore the biological effects of both MB alone and in combination therapy using modeling and experimental data.ResultsWe built a model of the central metabolic pathways in P. falciparum. Metabolic flux modes and their changes under MB were calculated by integrating experimental data (RT-PCR data on mRNAs for redox enzymes) as constraints and results from the YANA software package for metabolic pathway calculations. Several different lines of MB attack on Plasmodium redox defense were identified by analysis of the network effects. Next, chloroquine resistance based on pfmdr/and pfcrt transporters, as well as pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine resistance (by mutations in DHF/DHPS), were modeled in silico. Further modeling shows that MB has a favorable synergism on antimalarial network effects with these commonly used antimalarial drugs.ConclusionsTheoretical and experimental results support that methylene blue should, because of its resistance-breaking potential, be further tested as a key component in drug combination therapy efforts in holoendemic areas.