O‐GlcNAc cycles on and off thousands of nucleocytoplasmic proteins and has extensive crosstalk with protein phosphorylation. O‐GlcNAc cycles on nearly all proteins involved in transcription, where it regulates gene expression in response to nutrients. O‐GlcNAc also regulates the cycling of the TATA‐binding (TBP) protein on and off DNA during the transcription cycle.
Targeted, inducible, deletion of the O‐GlcNAc Transferase (OGT) in aCAMKII positive (excitatory) neurons of adult mice results in a morbidly obese mouse with a satiety defect. Thus, O‐GlcNAcylation not only serves as a nutrient sensor in all cells, but also is directly involved in appetite regulation. O‐GlcNAcylation also plays an important role in the trafficking of the AMPA receptors in neurons and in the development of functional synaptic spines. Recent studies have shown that more than one‐half of all human protein kinases are modified by O‐GlcNAc and all kinases that have been tested are indeed regulated in some way by the sugar. Abnormal O‐GlcNAcylation of CAMKII contributes directly to diabetic cardiomyopathy and to arrhythmias associated with diabetes. Prolonged elevation of O‐GlcNAc, as occurs in diabetes, contributes directly to diabetic complications and is a major mechanism of glucose toxicity. Drugs that elevate O‐GlcNAcylation in the brain, which, in‐turn, prevents hyperphosphorylation, appear to be of benefit for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in animal models. To date, all cancers have elevated O‐GlcNAc cycling, which may play a key role in the regulation of metabolism in cancer cells.
Support or Funding Information
Supported by NIH P01HL107153, R01GM116891, R01DK61671, and N01‐HV‐00240. Dr. Hart receives a share of royalty received by the university on sales of the CTD 110.6 antibody, which are managed by JHU.
This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.