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Recent studies have revealed that decline in cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels causes aging-related disorders and therapeutic approaches increasing cellular NAD+ prevent these disorders in animal models. The administration of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) has been shown to mitigate aging-related dysfunctions. However, the safety of NMN in humans have remained unclear. We, therefore, conducted a clinical trial to investigate the safety of single NMN administration in 10 healthy men. A single-arm non-randomized intervention was conducted by single oral administration of 100, 250, and 500 mg NMN. Clinical findings and parameters, and the pharmacokinetics of NMN metabolites were investigated for 5 h after each intervention. Ophthalmic examination and sleep quality assessment were also conducted before and after the intervention. The single oral administrations of NMN did not cause any significant clinical symptoms or changes in heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and body temperature. Laboratory analysis results did not show significant changes, except for increases in serum bilirubin levels and decreases in serum creatinine, chloride, and blood glucose levels within the normal ranges, independent of the dose of NMN. Results of ophthalmic examination and sleep quality score showed no differences before and after the intervention. Plasma concentrations of N-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide and N-methyl-4-pyridone-5-carboxamide were significantly increased dose-dependently by NMN administration. The single oral administration of NMN was safe and effectively metabolized in healthy men without causing any significant deleterious effects. Thus, the oral administration of NMN was found to be feasible, implicating a potential therapeutic strategy to mitigate aging-related disorders in humans.

Dysregulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD +) metabolism contributes to the initiation and progression of age-associated diseases, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), a nicotinamide (NAM) metabolizing enzyme, regulates both NAD + and methionine metabolism. Although NNMT is expressed abundantly in the kidney, its role in CKD and renal fibrosis remains unclear. We generated NNMT-deficient mice and a unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO) model and conducted two clinical studies on human CKD to investigate the role of NNMT in CKD and fibrosis. In UUO, renal NNMT expression and the degraded metabolites of NAM increased, while NAD + and NAD + precursors decreased. NNMT deficiency ameliorated renal fibrosis; mechanistically, it (1) increased the DNA methylation of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and (2) improved renal inflammation by increasing renal NAD + and Sirt1 and decreasing NF-κB acetylation. In humans, along with CKD progression, a trend toward a decrease in serum NAD + precursors was observed, while the final NAD + metabolites were accumulated, and the level of eGFR was an independent variable for serum NAM. In addition, NNMT was highly expressed in fibrotic areas of human kidney tissues. In conclusion, increased renal NNMT expression induces NAD + and methionine metabolism perturbation and contributes to renal fibrosis.

Intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) accumulation in skeletal muscle is closely associated with development of insulin resistance. In particular, diacylglycerol and ceramide are currently considered as causal bioactive lipids for impaired insulin action. Recently, inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 (ACC2), which negatively modulates mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, has been shown to reduce total IMCL content and improve whole-body insulin resistance. This study aimed to investigate whether ACC2 inhibition-induced compositional changes in bioactive lipids, especially diacylglycerol and ceramide, within skeletal muscle contribute to the improved insulin resistance. In skeletal muscle of normal rats, treatment of the ACC2 inhibitor compound 2e significantly decreased both diacylglycerol and ceramide levels while having no significant impact on other lipid metabolite levels. In skeletal muscle of Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats, which exhibited greater lipid accumulation than that of normal rats, compound 2e significantly decreased diacylglycerol and ceramide levels corresponding to reduced long chain acyl-CoA pools. Additionally, in the lipid metabolomics study, ZDF rats treated with compound 2e also showed improved diabetes-related metabolic disturbance, as reflected by delayed hyperinsulinemia as well as upregulated gene expression associated with diabetic conditions in skeletal muscle. These metabolic improvements were strongly correlated with the bioactive lipid reductions. Furthermore, long-term treatment of compound 2e markedly improved whole-body insulin resistance, attenuated hyperglycemia and delayed insulin secretion defect even at severe diabetic conditions. These findings suggest that ACC2 inhibition decreases diacylglycerol and ceramide accumulation within skeletal muscle by enhancing acyl-CoA breakdown, leading to attenuation of lipid-induced insulin resistance and subsequent diabetes progression.

Sphingomyelin synthase 2 (SMS2) regulates sphingomyelin synthesis and contributes to obesity and hepatic steatosis. Here, we investigated the effect of SMS2 deficiency on liver fibrosis in mice fed with choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) or injected with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), respectively. SMS2 deficiency suppressed hepatic steatosis, but exacerbated fibrosis induced by CDAHFD feeding. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), which is a key lipid mediator induces fibrosis in various organs, was increased in the liver of mice fed with CDAHFD. The increase of S1P became prominent by SMS2 deficiency. Meanwhile, SMS2 deficiency had no impact on CCl4-induced liver injury, fibrosis and S1P levels. Our findings demonstrated that SMS2 deficiency suppresses steatosis but worsens fibrosis in the liver in a specific condition with CDAHFD feeding.

The intestinal metabolism and transport of triacylglycerol (TAG) play a critical role in dietary TAG absorption, and defects in the process are associated with congenital diarrhea. The final reaction in TAG synthesis is catalyzed by diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT1 and DGAT2), which uses activated fatty acids (FA) as substrates. Loss‐of‐function mutations in DGAT1 cause watery diarrhea in humans, but mechanisms underlying the relationship between altered DGAT activity and diarrhea remain largely unclear. Here, the effects of DGAT1 and DGAT2 inhibition, alone or in combination, on dietary TAG absorption and diarrhea in mice were investigated by using a selective DGAT1 inhibitor (PF‐04620110) and DGAT2 inhibitor (PF‐06424439). Simultaneous administration of a single dosing of these inhibitors drastically decreased intestinal TAG secretion into the blood circulatory system and TAG accumulation in the duodenum at 60 min after lipid gavage. Under 60% high‐fat diet (HFD) feeding, their repeated simultaneous administration for 2 days induced severe watery diarrhea and occasionally led to death. The diarrhea was accompanied by enhanced fecal FA excretion, intestinal injury and barrier failure. DGAT1 or DGAT2 inhibition alone did not induce the phenotypic changes observed in DGAT1/2 inhibitor‐treated mice. The results demonstrate that DGAT1/2 inhibition alters TAG absorption and results in watery diarrhea in mice. DGAT1/2 inhibition‐induced diarrhea may be caused by intestinal barrier dysfunction due to dysregulation of the cytotoxic FA metabolism. These findings suggest that DGAT‐mediated intestinal TAG synthesis is a vital step for maintaining intestinal barrier integrity under HFD feeding.

The long-chain acyl-CoA synthase1 (Acsl1) is a major enzyme that converts long-chain fatty acids to acyl-CoAs. The role of Acsl1 in energy metabolism has been elucidated in the adipose tissue, heart, and skeletal muscle. Here, we demonstrate that systemic deficiency of Acsl1 caused severe skin barrier defects, leading to embryonic lethality. Acsl1 mRNA and protein are expressed in the Acsl1+/+ epidermis, which are absent in Acsl1-/- mice. In Acsl1-/- mice, epidermal ceramide [EOS] (Cer[EOS]) containing ω-O-esterified linoleic acid, a lipid essential for the skin barrier, was significantly reduced. Conversely, ω-hydroxy ceramide (Cer[OS]), a precursor of Cer[EOS], was increased. Moreover, the levels of triglyceride (TG) species containing linoleic acids were lower in Acsl1-/- mice, whereas those not containing linoleic acid were comparable to Acsl1+/+ mice. As TG is considered to work as a reservoir of linoleic acid for the biosynthesis of Cer[EOS] from Cer[OS], our results suggest that Acsl1 plays an essential role in ω-O-acylceramide synthesis by providing linoleic acid for ω-O-esterification. Therefore, our findings identified a new biological role of Acsl1 as a regulator of the skin barrier.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y5 receptor plays a key role in the effects of NPY, an important neurotransmitter in the control of energy homeostasis including stimulation of food intake and inhibition of energy expenditure. The NPY-Y5 receptor system has been an attractive drug target for potential use in treating obesity. Here we report the discovery and characterization of two novel Y5 receptor antagonists, S-2367 and S-234462. Both compounds displayed high affinity for the Y5 receptor in the radio-ligand binding assay, while in the cell-based functional assay, S-2367 and S-234462 showed, respectively, surmountable and insurmountable antagonism. In cell-based washout experiments, S-234462 dissociated from the Y5 receptor more slowly than S-2367. In vivo study showed that S-234462 effectively suppressed food intake induced by acute central injection of a selective Y5 receptor agonist. Furthermore, high-fat diet-induced obese (DIO) mice treated with S-234462 for 5 weeks showed a significant decrease in body weight gain and food intake compared to those treated with S-2367. In conclusion, S-234462 exhibits insurmountable antagonism of NPY Y5 receptor in vitro and superior anti-obesity effects to the surmountable NPY Y5 antagonist S-2367 in DIO mice.

Intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) accumulation in skeletal muscle greatly contributes to lipid-induced insulin resistance. Because acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) carboxylase (ACC) 2 negatively modulates mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in skeletal muscle, ACC2 inhibition is expected to reduce IMCL via elevation of FAO and to attenuate insulin resistance. However, the concept of substrate competition suggests that enhanced FAO results in reduced glucose use because of an excessive acetyl-CoA pool in mitochondria. To identify how ACC2-regulated FAO affects IMCL accumulation and glucose metabolism, we generated ACC2 knockout (ACC2-/-) mice and investigated skeletal muscle metabolites associated with fatty acid and glucose metabolism, as well as whole-body glucose metabolism. ACC2-/- mice displayed higher capacity of glucose disposal at the whole-body levels. In skeletal muscle, ACC2-/- mice exhibited enhanced acylcarnitine formation and reduced IMCL levels without alteration in glycolytic intermediate levels. Notably, these changes were accompanied by decreased acetyl-CoA content and enhanced mitochondrial pathways related to acetyl-CoA metabolism, such as the acetylcarnitine production and tricarboxylic acid cycle. Furthermore, ACC2-/- mice exhibited lower levels of IMCL and acetyl-CoA even under HFD conditions and showed protection against HFD-induced insulin resistance. Our findings suggest that ACC2 deletion leads to IMCL reduction without suppressing glucose use via an elevation in acetyl-CoA metabolism even under HFD conditions and offer new mechanistic insight into the therapeutic potential of ACC2 inhibition on insulin resistance.

Excess intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) deposition in skeletal muscle is closely associated with insulin resistance. Pharmacological inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) 2 offers a promising approach to treat insulin resistance through stimulation of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and reduction of IMCL deposition. Previously reported experimental ACC2 inhibitors exhibited plasma glucose-lowering effects in diabetic rodents. However, their antidiabetic action may be potentially biased by off-target effects on triglyceride metabolism or by neurologic side effects. In this study, we investigated a safety profile, target dependency of its action, and antidiabetic efficacy of compound 2e, a novel olefin derivative potent ACC2 selective inhibitor. Four-day administration of suprapharmacological dose of compound 2e did not exhibit any obvious side effects in Sprague-Dawley rats. In db/db mice, single administration of compound 2e led to significantly elevated FAO and reduced IMCL deposition in skeletal muscle. In ACC2 knockout mice, treatment with pharmacological doses of compound 2e did not reduce plasma triglyceride levels, whereas A-908292, a previously reported ACC2 inhibitor, caused a significant triglyceride reduction, showing that compound 2e was devoid of off-target triglyceride-lowering activity. Chronic treatment of db/db mice with compound 2e improved hyperglycemia but did not decrease plasma triglyceride levels. Additionally, compound 2e showed significant improvements of whole-body insulin resistance in the clamp study and insulin tolerance test. Collectively, compound 2e demonstrated a good safety profile and significant antidiabetic effects through inhibition of ACC2-dependent pathways. These findings provide further evidence that selective inhibition of ACC2 is an attractive strategy against insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study shows that pharmacological inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) 2 leads to significant improvements in whole-body glucose homeostasis, independently of off-target metabolic pathways and toxicity, which were observed in previously reported ACC2 inhibitors. These findings support the concept that ACC2-selective inhibitors will be a novel remedy for treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) accumulation in skeletal muscle is closely associated with the development of insulin resistance. In particular, bioactive lipids such as diacylglycerol (DAG) and ceramide (Cer) have great impact on muscle insulin action. We have recently demonstrated that inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 (ACC2), which negatively modulates mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle, reduced IMCL levels and improved glucose metabolism in rodents. To further investigate the underlying mechanism, we examined the impact of pharmacological ACC2 inhibition on bioactive lipid composition and metabolic functions in skeletal muscle of rats, using an ACC2 selective inhibitor, compound A. As compared with vehicle treatment, chronic treatment with compound A significantly reduced both DAG and Cer levels in skeletal muscle of nondiabetic rats, which were strongly correlated with IMCL levels. Compound A also reduced the acyl-CoA pool along with enhanced acylcarnitine formation in skeletal muscle, while there were no differences in other bioactive lipid levels and DAG or Cer synthetic gene expression levels. Similarly, in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats, compound A reduced both DAG and Cer levels in skeletal muscle without suppressing the synthetic gene expression levels. Treatment with compound A led to improved hyperinsulinemia and upregulated expression of key regulators in energy metabolism, such as Glut4 and Pgc1α, in skeletal muscle. Moreover, these positive effects on glucose metabolism were strongly correlated with diacylglycerol and ceramide reductions. Collectively, these findings suggest that ACC2 inhibition leads to preferential reductions of DAG and Cer by directly decreasing acyl-CoA pool via fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle, and these lipid reductions are closely linked to the improvement of glucose metabolism by ACC2 inhibition. Disclosure H. Takagi: None. T. Ikehara: None. K. Hashimoto: None. A. Shimazaki: None. Y. Kashiwagi: None. Y. Nishiura: None. M. Notoya: None. H. Yukioka: None.

A close relationship between acylated-ghrelin and sucrose intake has been reported. However, little has been examined about the physiological action of ghrelin on preference for different types of carbohydrate such as glucose, fructose, and starch. The current study was aimed to investigate the role of acylated-ghrelin in the determinants of the choice of carbohydrates, and pathogenesis of chronic disorders, including obesity and insulin resistance. In a two-bottle-drinking test, ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) knockout (KO) mice consumed a less amount of glucose and maltodextrin, and almost the same amount of fructose and saccharin solution compared to WT littermates. The increased consumption of glucose and maltodextrin was observed when acylated-ghrelin, but not unacylated-ghrelin, was exogeneously administered in normal C57BL/6J mice, suggesting an association of acylated-ghrelin with glucose-containing carbohydrate intake. When fed a diet rich in maltodextrin, starch and fat for 12 weeks, GOAT KO mice showed less food intake and weight gain, as well as improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity than WT mice. Our data suggests that blockade of GOAT activity may offer a therapeutic option for treatment of obesity and its associated metabolic syndrome by preventing from overconsumption of carbohydrate-rich food.

Ghrelin is an appetite-stimulating hormone secreted from stomach. Since the discovery that acylation of the serine-3 residue by ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) is essential for exerting its functions, GOAT has been regarded as an therapeutic target for attenuating appetite, and thus for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. However, contrary to the expectations, GOAT-knockout (KO) mice have not shown meaningful body weight reduction, under high-fat diet. Here, in this study, we sought to determine whether GOAT has a role in body weight regulation and glucose metabolism with a focus on dietary sucrose, because macronutrient composition of diet is important for appetite regulation. We found that peripherally administered acylated-ghrelin, but not unacylated one, stimulated sucrose consumption in a two-bottle-drinking test. The role of acylated-ghrelin in sucrose preference was further supported by the finding that GOAT KO mice consumed less sucrose solution compared with WT littermates. Then, we investigated the effect of dietary composition of sucrose on food intake and body weight in GOAT KO and WT mice. As a result, when fed on high-fat diet, food intake and body weight were similar between GOAT KO and WT mice. However, when fed on high-fat, high-sucrose diet, GOAT KO mice showed significantly reduced food intake and marked resistance to obesity, leading to amelioration of glucose metabolism. These results suggest that blockade of acylated-ghrelin production offers therapeutic potential for obesity and metabolic disorders caused by overeating of palatable food.

The octanoyl modification of ghrelin by ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) is essential for exerting its physiologic actions. Since exogenous acylated-ghrelin has shown to stimulate food intake in humans and rodents, GOAT has been regarded as a promising target for modulating appetite, thereby treating obesity and diabetes. However, GOAT-knockout (KO) mice have been reported to show no meaningful body weight reduction, when fed a high-fat diet. In this study, we sought to determine whether GOAT has a role in the regulation of body weight and food intake when fed a dietary sucrose. We found that GOAT KO mice showed significantly reduced food intake and marked resistance to obesity, when fed a high-fat + high-sucrose diet. In addition, GOAT KO mice fed a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) + high-sucrose diet showed a marked resistance to obesity and reduced feed efficiency. These results suggest that blockade of acylated-ghrelin production offers therapeutic potential for obesity caused by overconsumption of palatable food.

Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) catalyses the reaction between nicotinamide (NAM) and S-adenosylmethionine to produce 1-methylnicotinamide and S-adenosylhomocysteine. Recently, this enzyme has also been reported to modulate hepatic nutrient metabolism, but its role in the liver has not been fully elucidated. We developed transgenic mice overexpressing NNMT to elucidate its role in hepatic nutrient metabolism. When fed a high fat diet containing NAM, a precursor for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)

Optimization of HTS hit 1 for NPY Y5 receptor binding affinity, CYP450 inhibition, solubility and metabolic stability led to the identification of some orally available oxygen-linker derivatives for in vivo study. Among them, derivative 4i inhibited food intake induced by the NPY Y5 selective agonist, and chronic oral administration of 4i in DIO mice caused a dose-dependent reduction of body weight gain.

Optimization of our HTS hit 1, mainly focused on modification at the C-2 position of the benzimidazole core, is described. Elimination of the flexible and metabolically labile -S-CH(2)- part and utilization of less lipophilic pyridone substructure led to identification of novel NPY Y5 receptor antagonists 6, which have low to sub-nanomolar Y5 receptor binding affinity with improved CYP450 inhibition profiles, good solubilities and high metabolic stabilities.

Steatosis is one of the most common liver diseases and is associated with the metabolic syndrome. A line of evidence suggests that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and PPARgamma are involved in its pathogenesis. Hepatic overexpression of PPARgamma1 in mice provokes steatosis, whereas liver-specific PPARgamma disruption ameliorates steatosis in ob/ob mice, suggesting that hepatic PPARgamma functions as an aggravator of steatosis. In contrast, PPARalpha-null mice are susceptible to steatosis because of reduced hepatic fatty acid oxidation. PPARgamma with mutations in its C-terminal ligand-binding domain (L468A/E471A mutant PPARgamma1) have been reported as a constitutive repressor of both PPARalpha and PPARgamma activities in vitro. To elucidate the effect of co-suppression of PPARalpha and PPARgamma on steatosis, we generated mutant PPARgamma transgenic mice (Liver mt PPARgamma Tg) under the control of liver-specific human serum amyloid P component promoter. In the liver of transgenic mice, PPARalpha and PPARgamma agonist-induced augmentation of the expression of downstream target genes of PPARalpha and PPARgamma, respectively, was significantly attenuated, suggesting PPARalpha and PPARgamma co-suppression in vivo. Suppression of PPARalpha and PPARgamma target genes was also observed in the fasted and high-fat-fed conditions. Liver mt PPARgamma Tg were susceptible to fasting-induced steatosis while being protected against high-fat diet-induced steatosis. The opposite hepatic outcomes in Liver mt PPARgamma Tg as a result of fasting and high-fat feeding may indicate distinct roles of PPARalpha and PPARgamma in 2 different types of nutritionally provoked steatosis.

In the course of study to develop new herbicidal compounds, we found that some 4-thiazolone derivatives possessed herbicidal activity against several paddy weeds. As a result of a structure-activity relation study, 5-(2-chloroethyl)-5-methyl-2-(3-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzoxazin-4-yl)-4-thiazolone (CMT) was selected as one of the potential herbicides for rice. CMT showed potent herbicidal activity against paddy weeds, especially barnyardgrass (Echinochloa oryzicola) and three-square grass (Scirpus juncoides). The herbicidal activity of CMT appeared to be caused by specific inhibition in the growing tissues. Electron microscopic observations of CMT-treated barnyardgrass revealed that exposure to 10 μM CMT for 4 hr caused swelling of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus, the separation of plasma membranes from cell walls, and an accumulation of small vesicles in the plasma membrane-cell wall interspace. These findings suggest that CMT acts primarily as an inhibitor of the secretory pathway, resulting in a dysfunction of cell wall biosynthesis.

(E)-2-Methoxyimino-N-methyl-2-[2-(2,5-dimethylphenoxymethyl)phenyl]acetamide (SSF129) has been developed as a broad-spectrum systemic fungicide for control of cereal and fruit diseases. This compound inhibited NADH-oxidation by submitochondrial particles from mycelial cells of Botrytis cinerea, with an EC 50 value of 14.5 nM, due to blockage of electron transport through the cytochrome bc 1 complex in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. However, SSF129 did not suppress, but rather increased, oxygen consumption by mycelial cells of the fungus. This was because mycelial cells contain an alternative oxidase protein and the cells have the ability to rapidly switch electron flux from the main cytochrome pathway to the alternative pathway on blockage of the former by SSF129. The alternative pathway of the mycelia seems not to be operative when the cytochrome pathway is functional. Naturally occurring flavonoids inhibited the alternative oxidase of the mycelial cells in a dose-dependent manner, with EC 50 values of 68.4 μM for flavone and 63.7 μM for flavanone. These observations suggested that plant components play an important role in control of gray mould by SSF129.

The fungicide SSF-126 [(E)-2-methoxyimino-N-methyl-2-(2-phenoxyphenyl) acetamide] induces cyanide-resistant, alternative respiration in the fungus Magnaporthe grisea. The activity of alternative respiration correlates with the expression level of alternative oxidase (AOX). Seven SSF-126-sensitive mutants (named MS) of M. grisea were completely deficient in alternative respiratory activity. Here, a genomic copy for the alternative oxidase gene (AOX) was isolated and analyzed. A 2661-bp AOX genomic DNA fragment containing a 613-bp of the promoter region of AOX was isolated from M. grisea wild type strain by using an inverse PCR method. The AOX was organized as three exons that are separated by short introns. Several cis-acting elements were detected in the 5'-upstream region of AOX. Northern blot analysis of AOX in MS mutants revealed that all the mutants expressed AOX mRNA in response to SSF-126 treatment, but the levels of mRNA in MS2, 5, 8, 9 and 11 were reduced several fold relative to the wild-type. All seven mutants had altered sequences in the AOX gene. These results demonstrate that sensitivity to SSF-126 and activity of alternative respiration in M. grisea are regulated by the AOX gene.

Water-soluble extracellular materials from germlings of Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei (a pathogen of barley) suppressed infection by the fungus in barley coleoptiles by 23-54% depending on the concentrations applied. The suppressive activity was associated with a low molecular weight (

Optimization of lead compound 2 is described, mainly focusing on modification at the C-2 position of the benzimidazole core. Replacement of the phenyl linker of 2 with saturated rings resulted in identification of compound 8b which combines high Y5 receptor binding affinity with a good ADME profile leading to in vivo efficacy.

We report a hit to lead study on a novel benzoxazole NPY Y5 antagonist. Starting from HTS hit 1, structure–activity relationships were developed. Compound 12 showed reduction of food intake and a tendency to suppress body weight gain over the 21-day experimental period.

ニューロペプチドY（NPY）は摂食を亢進し，エネルギー消費を抑制する神経ペプチドである．NPYには少なくとも4つの受容体の存在が確認されており，このうちY5受容体がエネルギー代謝に重要な役割を果たすことが知られている．したがって，この受容体を介したNPYのシグナルを遮断することによって体重の減少，すなわち抗肥満作用が期待できる．我々はこの仮説を検証すべく，Y5受容体アンタゴニストS-2367を創製し，抗肥満作用を検討してきた．Y5受容体過剰発現細胞を用いた検討で，S-2367はヒトY5受容体に対して高い結合親和性を示し，フォルスコリンが誘導するサイクリックAMP産生に対するNPYの抑制効果に対し，拮抗作用を示した．また，ラットの脳室内にY5受容体に特異的なペプチドアゴニストを注入した際に誘導される摂食行動は，S-2367の事前投与により顕著に阻害された．以上の結果から，S-2367は経口投与可能なY5受容体アンタゴニストであることが確認された．また，あらかじめ高脂肪食を負荷して肥満を誘導したマウスにS-2367を反復経口投与したところ，体重，腹腔内脂肪量，肝臓の中性脂肪含量が有意に抑制された．さらに，米国で実施された1年間の臨床試験でS-2367投与群では偽薬群と比較して有意な体重減少が観察され，肥満治療におけるY5受容体アンタゴニストの有用性が確認された．

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is known to be an important regulator for feeding and energy balance. MCH was recently reported to stimulate water intake independent of food intake. The purpose of the present study is to examine the dipsogenic response of MCH with special emphasis on sweetened beverages, the preference for which is well documented in diabetic animals. Our results showed that intracerebroventricular injection of MCH acutely increased food as well as water intake. Human (h)MCH and salmon (s)MCH increased water intake independent of food intake, which was not suppressed by angiotensin antagonists. hMCH and sMCH significantly increased both sucrose solution and food intake; on the other hand, agouti-related protein (AgRP) stimulated food but not sucrose intake when provided simultaneously. MCH-treated rats significantly increased the ingestion of sucrose and glucose solution, but not of saccharin, indicating that MCH-induced dipsogenic response is more related to caloric content than sweet taste per se. Significant correlation was observed between the sucrose intake and the mRNA expression of MCH and MCHR1 in normal rats. These results indicate that MCH may be an important regulator of sugar intake in normal as well as in obese diabetic animals.

The cDNA of extracellular alpha-l-arabinofuranosidase (alpha-l-AFase, EC 3.2.1.55) secreted from suspension-cultured carrot cells (Daucus carota L. cv. Kintoki) was isolated and characterized. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA (2.4 kb) revealed an open reading frame consisting of 655 amino acid residues. Sequence homology research showed 28.4% identity to the alpha-l-AFase A protein of Aspergillus niger. The genomic DNA was cloned by PCR, and the nucleotide ligature sequence showed 18 exons and 17 introns. The first intron was upstream of the initiation codon. In situ hybridization revealed that the alpha-l-AFase gene is expressed in the root meristem, elongation zone and the root hair of carrot seedlings, indicating that this enzyme may participate in cell proliferation and development of carrot root cells.

Exopolygalacturonase (exo-PGase, EC 3.2.1.67) attacks the non-reducing terminus of the polygalacturonic acid in pectic molecules, releasing galacturonic acid. We cloned the cDNA of exo-PGase purified from cell homogenates of suspension-cultured carrot ( Daucus carota L. cv. Kintoki) cells. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA (1.4 kb) contains an open reading frame that encodes a 391-amino-acid polypeptide. Sequence homology research showed 97.9% identity to the glycoprotein EP4 obtained from cultured carrot cells and 49.3% identity to the ENOD8 gene product of alfalfa ( Medicago sativa). However, no significant similarity was found to known PGases. The Southern hybridization pattern indicated that this exo-PGase protein is a member of a small-sized gene family. Predominant expression of the exo-PGase gene was detected by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in the root apical meristem and in the elongation region, but not in the root cap. A cross-immunoresponse with anti-exo-PGase also occurred in the root nodule meristem of alfalfa. These results suggest that this exo-PGase plays a role in the degradation of pectic molecules during root development.

Alternative oxidase (AOX) is dramatically induced when the fungus Magnaporthe grisea is incubated with the fungicide SSF-126, which interacts with the cytochrome bc1 complex in the electron transport system of mitochondria. A full-length cDNA for the alternative oxidase gene (AOX) was obtained, and the deduced amino acid sequence revealed marked similarity to other AOXs, but lacks two cysteine residues at corresponding sites which are conserved in plant AOXs and play essential roles in the post-translational regulation. Northern blot experiments showed that treatment of M. grisea cells with SSF-126 induces accumulation of AOX mRNA in a dose-dependent manner, and the level was correlated with the activity of alternative respiration. H2O2 also induced the accumulation of the transcript with a short half-life (

The phytopathogenic fungus Magnaporthe grisea has a cyanide-resistant respiratory pathway. The fungicide SSF-126 ((E)-2-methoxyimino-N-methyl-2-(2-phenoxyphenyl) acetamide) blocks the cytochrome electron transport of M. grisea and induces the alternative respiratory pathway. Twelve mutants of M. grisea more susceptible to SSF-126 than wild type were identified after N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis. Five mutants retained a reduced alternative respiration activity, and seven mutants lacked alternative pathway activity. A monoclonal antibody against the maize alternative oxidase cross-reacted against a 40-kDa mitochondrial protein of M. grisea, indicating that the 40-kDa protein is an alternative oxidase. Immunoblot analysis indicated that the seven completely deficient mutants grouped into two classes: four mutants produced the 40-kDa proteins while the other three mutants failed to produce the functional protein. Copyright 1997 Academic Press. Copyright 1997 Academic Press