Adrenal Cushing's syndrome is caused by excess production of glucocorticoid from adrenocortical tumors and hyperplasias, which leads to metabolic disorders. We performed whole-exome sequencing of 49 blood-tumor pairs and RNA sequencing of 44 tumors from cortisol-producing adrenocortical adenomas (ACAs), adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasias (AIMAHs), and adrenocortical oncocytomas (ADOs). We identified a hotspot in the PRKACA gene with a L205R mutation in 69.2% (27 out of 39) of ACAs and validated in 65.5% of a total of 87 ACAs. Our data revealed that the activating L205R mutation, which locates in the P+1 loop of the protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunit, promoted PKA substrate phosphorylation and target gene expression. Moreover, we discovered the recurrently mutated gene DOT1L in AIMAHs and CLASP2 in ADOs. Collectively, these data highlight potentially functional mutated genes in adrenal Cushing's syndrome.

BackgroundRecent studies have shown that adult human possess active brown adipose tissue (BAT), which might be important in controlling obesity. It is known that ß-adrenoceptor-UCP1 system regulates BAT in rodent, but its influence in adult humans remains to be shown. The present study is to determine whether BAT activity can be independently stimulated by elevated catecholamines levels in adult human, and whether it is associated with their adiposity.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe studied 14 patients with pheochromocytoma and 14 normal subjects who had performed both 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) and plasma total metanephrine (TMN) measurements during 2007–2010. The BAT detection rate and the mean BAT activity were significantly higher in patients with elevated TMN levels (Group A: 6/8 and 6.7±2.1 SUVmean· g/ml) than patients with normal TMN concentrations (Group B: 0/6 and 0.4±0.04 SUVmean· g/ml) and normal subjects (Group C: 0/14 and 0.4±0.03 SUVmean·g/ml). BAT activities were positively correlated with TMN levels (R = 0.83, p<0.0001) and were inversely related to body mass index (R = −0.47, p = 0.010), visceral fat areas (R = −0.39, p = 0.044), visceral/total fat areas (R = −0.52, p = 0.0043) and waist circumferences (R = −0.43, p = 0.019). Robust regression revealed that TMN (R = 0.81, p<0.0001) and waist circumferences (R = −0.009, p = 0.009) were the two independent predictors of BAT activities.Conclusions/SignificanceBrown adipose tissue activity in adult human can be activated by elevated plasma TMN levels, such as in the case of patients with pheochromocytoma, and is negatively associated with central adiposity.

The global conformational potentials of 1,2-ethanediol, 1,2-ethanediamine, and 2-aminoethanol (X-CH 2 -CH 2 -Y; X, Y ) OH or NH 2 ) were obtained at the MP2/6-311+G(2d,p) level by scanning through the dihedral angles of the two functional groups and the carbon-carbon bond with the remaining nuclear coordinates being energy-minimized. It was found that the potentials could be represented by the direct-bond potentials between the adjacent molecular fragments and by the through-space electrostatic potentials between the vicinal and geminal fragments. Here, the through-direct-bond potentials are represented by the conventional three Fourier terms of the internal rotation angles, and the through-space potentials, which include the intramolecular hydrogen bonding between X and Y, are represented by the general functional forms of the electric dipoledipole, dipole-quadrupole, and quadrupole-quadrupole interaction terms. The fitted electrostatic interaction strengths between the X and Y fragments are in good agreement with the predictions of the theoretical molecular fragment dipole and quadrupole moments calculated by the Hirshfeld charge population analysis. Under the present energy decomposition scheme, the intrinsic gauche interactions, which are free of the contribution of the intramolecular H-bonding, could be obtained and correlated with the group electronegativities of X and Y. The potentials were also calculated by the MM3 molecular mechanics method and compared with the present results. With the global conformation potentials, the thermodynamic functions of the molecules and also their individual conformers are calculated and compared with the gas-phase experimental thermodynamic data in the literature.