The Role of Selenocysteine Lyase in Pancreatic Islet Physiology and Its Sex-Specific Regulation of Energy Metabolism
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THE ROLE OF SELENOCYSTEINE LYASE IN PANCREATIC ISLET PHYSIOLOGY AND ITS SEX-SPECIFIC REGULATION OF ENERGY METABOLISM A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I AT MĀNOA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AUGUST 2017 By Ashley N. Ogawa-Wong Dissertation Committee: Marla Berry, Chairperson Benjamin Fogelgren Takashi Matsui Robert Nichols George Hui Keywords: selenium, selenoproteins, metabolic disease ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While a plant may grow on its own, the care of a gardener can allow it to thrive. I am lucky that in my journey as a researcher and scientific thinker, I had the support of many “gardeners.” From the time I was a seedling, Dr. Marla Berry provided guidance and support with her confidence in my abilities. I am also grateful for my committee members, Dr. Robert Nichols, Dr. Benjamin Fogelgren, Dr. Takashi Matsui, and Dr. Hui for their stimulating discussions and expert counsel which have allowed me to develop my analytical skills. As my roots began to extend into the soil, hungry for nutrients, I am deeply appreciative of those who have selflessly shared their wealth of knowledge with me. In particular, I would like to recognize Dr. Lucia Seale and Dr. Matthew Pitts for their indispensable mentorship. Ann Hashimoto, thank you for your patience while I became comfortable with mice. I would also like to thank Kris Ewell and Miyoko Bellinger of the Histology Core and Dr. Alex Gurary of the Molecular & Cellular Immunology Core for her assistance in cell sorting. I would like to extend a special thanks to the Bonner/Bonner-Weir lab at the Joslin Diabetes Center, especially Dr. Cristina Aguayo-Mazzucato for her expertise in islet physiology and Jennifer Hollister-Lock for teaching me how to isolate islets. Finally, as my leaves extended towards the sun, my family, colleagues, and friends have been a dependable source of light. Their companionship, advice, and encouragement have allowed me to persevere through even the most challenging times. ii ABSTRACT Obesity is a symptom of metabolic syndrome, a condition that increases lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Proper maintenance of the insulin producing β-cells are necessary for glucose homeostasis. Although glucose is the most important nutrient factor involved in insulin secretion, we are increasingly becoming aware of the role of trace elements such as selenium (Se) in β-cell function. Previously, we reported that the putative Se recycling enzyme selenocysteine lyase (Scly) may be involved in regulating lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Scly-/- mice develop a remarkable increase in fasting hyperinsulinemia, warranting further investigation into the role of Scly in β-cells. Moreover, we described possible sex differences in Scly regulation of energy metabolism. The experiments in the first aim focused on the role of Scly in pancreatic islet function. Immunofluorescent imaging studies were employed to confirm Scly expression in the pancreatic islet. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was increased in the absence of Scly-/- in the β-cell-like MIN6 cells but slightly impaired in isolated pancreatic islets, indicating Scly may influence islet paracrine signaling. Neither islet selenoprotein expression nor sulfur pathway enzyme gene expression were altered when Scly is deleted. While Scly is expressed in the islet and its deletion in vivo results in hyperinsulinemia, further studies are necessary to determine the mechanistic role of Scly in islet function. The second aim built upon previous observations that the role of Scly in energy metabolism may be sex-specific. Female Scly-/- mice were found to exhibit increased body fat composition when compared to their WT counterparts, but they were protected from impairments in insulin signaling. Castration was not sufficient to rescue adiposity or energy expenditure, but restored fasting insulin to WT levels in the male Scly-/- mice. Interestingly, reduced hypothalamic selenoprotein expression in male and female Scly-/- mice suggest Scly iii may regulate lipid metabolism indirectly through maintaining hypothalamic function, indicating a novel role for Scly as a key regulator in the brain-fat axis. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ iii LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................... x 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Pancreatic Islet Physiology and Insulin Secretion ............................................................. 2 1.3 Selenium .......................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Selenocysteine Lyase and Se Metabolism ........................................................................ 6 1.5 Physiological Role of Selenocysteine Lyase ..................................................................... 7 1.6 Selenium and T2D: Clinical Trials ..................................................................................... 8 1.7 Selenium and T2D: Animal Models ..................................................................................10 1.8 Selenoproteins in T2D .....................................................................................................11 1.8.1 Glutathione Peroxidase 1 ..........................................................................................11 1.8.2 Selenoprotein P ........................................................................................................13 1.8.3 Selenoprotein M ........................................................................................................15 1.8.4 Iodothyronine Deiodinase Family ..............................................................................16 1.8.5 Selenoprotein T .........................................................................................................17 1.8.6 Selenoprotein S ........................................................................................................18 1.9 Sex Differences in Se and T2D ........................................................................................19 1.10 Introductory Highlights ...................................................................................................21 1.11 Hypothesis .....................................................................................................................22 1.12 Specific Aims .................................................................................................................22 1.13 Significance ...................................................................................................................23 CHAPTER 2. THE ROLE OF SELENOCYSTEINE LYASE IN PANCREATIC ISLET FUNCTION .................................................................................................................................................24 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................24 2.2 Methods ..........................................................................................................................26 2.2.1 Animals .....................................................................................................................26 2.2.2 Cell culture ................................................................................................................26 2.2.3 Scly knockdown ........................................................................................................27 2.2.4. Scly activity ..............................................................................................................27 v 2.2.5 Immunofluorescence .................................................................................................27 2.2.6 Subcellular fractionation ............................................................................................28 2.2.7 Islet isolation .............................................................................................................28 2.2.8 Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), insulin content, and DNA concentration ..........................................................................................................................................29 2.2.9 Western blot ..............................................................................................................29 2.2.10 qPCR ......................................................................................................................30 2.2.11 Statistical analysis ...................................................................................................30 2.3 Results ............................................................................................................................31