Through unknown mechanisms, insulin activates the sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP1c) transcription factor to promote hepatic lipogenesis. We find that this induction is dependent on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1). To further define the role of mTORC1 in the regulation of SREBP1c in the liver, we generated mice with liver-specific deletion of TSC1 (LTsc1KO), which results in insulin-independent activation of mTORC1. Surprisingly, the LTsc1KO mice are protected from age- and diet-induced hepatic steatosis and display hepatocyte-intrinsic defects in SREBP1c activation and de novo lipogenesis. These phenotypes result from attenuation of Akt signaling driven by mTORC1-dependent insulin resistance. Therefore, mTORC1 activation is not sufficient to stimulate hepatic SREBP1c in the absence of Akt signaling, revealing the existence of an additional downstream pathway also required for this induction. We provide evidence that this mTORC1-independent pathway involves Akt-mediated suppression of Insig2a, a liver-specific transcript encoding the SREBP1c inhibitor INSIG2.

SUMMARY Mitochondria undergo architectural/functional changes in response to metabolic inputs. How this process is regulated in physiological feeding/fasting states remains unclear. Here we show that mitochondrial dynamics (notably fission and mitophagy) and biogenesis are transcriptional targets of the circadian regulator Bmal1 in mouse liver and exhibit a metabolic rhythm in sync with diurnal bioenergetic demands. Bmal1 loss-of-function causes swollen mitochondria incapable of adapting to different nutrient conditions accompanied by diminished respiration and elevated oxidative stress. Consequently, liver-specific Bmal1 knockout (LBmal1KO) mice accumulate oxidative damage and develop hepatic insulin resistance. Restoration of hepatic Bmal1 activities in high fat fed mice improves metabolic outcomes, whereas expression of Fis1, a fission protein that promotes quality control rescues morphological/metabolic defects of LBmal1KO mitochondria. Interestingly, Bmal1 homologue AHA-1 in C. elegans retains the ability to modulate oxidative metabolism and lifespan despite lacking circadian regulation. These results suggest clock genes are evolutionarily conserved energetics regulators.

Highlights d Genetic and dietary risk factors for colorectal cancer converge on the BA-FXR axis d FXR controls proliferating Lgr5 + intestinal stem cells d FXR agonists curtail colorectal cancer progression

Age-associated insulin resistance (IR) and obesity-associated IR are two physiologically distinct forms of adult onset diabetes. While macrophage-driven inflammation is a core driver of obesity-associated IR1–6, the underlying mechanisms of the obesity-independent yet highly prevalent age-associated IR7 are largely unexplored. Comparative adipo-immune profiling (AIP) reveals that fat-resident regulatory T cells, termed fTregs, accumulate in adipose tissue as a function of age, but not obesity. Supporting the existence of two distinct mechanisms underlying IR, mice deficient in fTregs are protected against age-associated IR, yet remain susceptible to obesity-associated IR and metabolic disease. In contrast, selective depletion of fTregs via anti-ST2 antibody treatment increases adipose tissue insulin sensitivity. These findings establish that distinct immune cell populations within adipose tissue underlie aging- and obesity-associated IR and implicate fTregs as adipo-immune drivers and potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of age-associated IR.

In preparation of this article, we made three textual errors in Table S1, which affect the listed sequences of two pairs of RT-PCR primers. We list the correct sequences below, and Table S1 now reflects these corrections. These changes do not affect any data or conclusions in the paper, and we sincerely apologize for any confusion this may have caused.Insig2a.