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Mtrr hypomorphic mutation alters liver morphology, metabolism and fuel storage in mice.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Sowton, Alice P 
Padmanabhan, Nisha 
Tunster, Simon J 
McNally, Ben D 
Murgia, Antonio 

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with dietary folate deficiency and mutations in genes required for one‑carbon metabolism. However, the mechanism through which this occurs is unclear. To improve our understanding of this link, we investigated liver morphology, metabolism and fuel storage in adult mice with a hypomorphic mutation in the gene methionine synthase reductase (Mtrr gt ). MTRR enzyme is a key regulator of the methionine and folate cycles. The Mtrr gt mutation in mice was previously shown to disrupt one‑carbon metabolism and cause a wide-spectrum of developmental phenotypes and late adult-onset macrocytic anaemia. Here, we showed that livers of Mtrr gt/gt female mice were enlarged compared to control C57Bl/6J livers. Histological analysis of these livers revealed eosinophilic hepatocytes with decreased glycogen content, which was associated with down-regulation of genes involved in glycogen synthesis (e.g., Ugp2 and Gsk3a genes). While female Mtrr gt/gt livers showed evidence of reduced β-oxidation of fatty acids, there were no other associated changes in the lipidome in female or male Mtrr gt/gt livers compared with controls. Defects in glycogen storage and lipid metabolism often associate with disruption of mitochondrial electron transfer system activity. However, defects in mitochondrial function were not detected in Mtrr gt/gt livers as determined by high-resolution respirometry analysis. Overall, we demonstrated that adult Mtrr gt/gt female mice showed abnormal liver morphology that differed from the NAFLD phenotype and that was accompanied by subtle changes in their hepatic metabolism and fuel storage.

Description

Keywords

5-methyl-THF, 5-methyltetrahydofolate, Agl, amylo-alpha-1,6-glucosidase,4-alpha-glucanotransferase gene, BCA, bicinchoninic acid, Bhmt, betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase gene, CE, cholesteryl-ester, Cebpa, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP), alpha gene, Cer, ceramide, DAG, diacylglycerol, Ddit3, DNA damage inducible transcript 3 gene, ETS, electron transport system, FCCP, p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazine, FFA, free fatty acid, G6pc, glucose 6-phophastase gene, Gbe1, glycogen branching enzyme 1 gene, Glycogen, Gsk3, glycogen synthase kinase gene, Gyg, glycogenin gene, Gys2, glycogen synthase 2 gene, HOAD, 3-hydoxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, Hepatic fuel storage, Isca1, iron‑sulfur cluster assembly 1 gene, JO2, oxygen flux, LC-MS, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, LPC, lysophosphatidylcholine, Lipidomics, Liver metabolism, Mitochondrial function, Mthfr, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene, Mtr, methionine synthase gene (also MS), Mtrr, methionine synthase reductase gene (also MSR), Myc, myelocytomatosis oncogene, NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NASH, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, Ndufs, NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit (ETS complex I) gene, OXPHOS, oxidative phosphorylation, One‑carbon metabolism, PA, phosphatidic acid, PAS, periodic acid Schiff, PC, phosphatidylcholine, PE, phosphatidylethanolamine, PG, phosphatidylglycerol, PI, phosphatidylinositol, PIP, phosphatidylinositol phosphate(s), PL, phospholipid, PS, phosphatidylserine, RIPA, Radioimmunoprecipitation assay, SAH, S-adenosylhomocysteine, SAM, S-adenosylmethionine, SM, sphingomyelin, TAG, triacylglycerol, Ugp2, UDP-glucose pyrophophorylase 2 gene, gt, gene-trap

Journal Title

Mol Genet Metab Rep

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2214-4269
2214-4269

Volume Title

23

Publisher

Elsevier BV

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine
Medical Research Council (MR/P011705/1)
Medical Research Council (MR/P01836X/1)
Medical Research Council (MC_PC_13030)
British Heart Foundation (FS/17/61/33473D)
Lister Institute for Preventative Medicine Centre for Trophoblast Research Evelyn Trust