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Lipolysis is an essential metabolic process that releases unesterified fatty acids from neutral lipid stores to maintain energy homeostasis in living organisms. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) plays a key role in intracellular lipolysis and can be coactivated upon interaction with the protein comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58). The underlying molecular mechanism of ATGL stimulation by CGI-58 is incompletely understood. Based on analysis of evolutionary conservation, we used site directed mutagenesis to study a C-terminally truncated variant and full-length mouse ATGL providing insights in the protein coactivation on a per-residue level. We identified the region from residues N209-N215 in ATGL as essential for coactivation by CGI-58. ATGL variants with amino acids exchanges in this region were still able to hydrolyze triacylglycerol at the basal level and to interact with CGI-58, yet could not be activated by CGI-58. Our studies also demonstrate that full-length mouse ATGL showed higher tolerance to specific single amino acid exchanges in the N209-N215 region upon CGI-58 coactivation compared to C-terminally truncated ATGL variants. The region is either directly involved in protein-protein interaction or essential for conformational changes required in the coactivation process. Three-dimensional models of the ATGL/CGI-58 complex with the artificial intelligence software AlphaFold demonstrated that a large surface area is involved in the protein-protein interaction. Mapping important amino acids for coactivation of both proteins, ATGL and CGI-58, onto the 3D model of the complex locates these essential amino acids at the predicted ATGL/CGI-58 interface thus strongly corroborating the significance of these residues in CGI-58–mediated coactivation of ATGL.

Lipolysis is an essential metabolic process that releases unesterified fatty acids from neutral lipid stores to maintain energy homeostasis in living organisms. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) plays a key role in intracellular lipolysis and can be coactivated upon interaction with the protein comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58). The underlying molecular mechanism of ATGL stimulation by CGI-58 is incompletely understood. Based on analysis of evolutionary conservation, we used site directed mutagenesis to study a C-terminally truncated variant and full-length mouse ATGL providing insights in the protein coactivation on a per-residue level. We identified the region from residues N209-N215 in ATGL as essential for coactivation by CGI-58. ATGL variants with amino acids exchanges in this region were still able to hydrolyze triacylglycerol at the basal level and to interact with CGI-58, yet could not be activated by CGI-58. Our studies also demonstrate that full-length mouse ATGL showed higher tolerance to specific single amino acid exchanges in the N209-N215 region upon CGI-58 coactivation compared to C-terminally truncated ATGL variants. The region is either directly involved in protein-protein interaction or essential for conformational changes required in the coactivation process. Three-dimensional models of the ATGL/CGI-58 complex with the artificial intelligence software AlphaFold demonstrated that a large surface area is involved in the protein-protein interaction. Mapping important amino acids for coactivation of both proteins, ATGL and CGI-58, onto the 3D model of the complex locates these essential amino acids at the predicted ATGL/CGI-58 interface thus strongly corroborating the significance of these residues in CGI-58-mediated coactivation of ATGL., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cellular TG stores are efficiently hydrolyzed by adipose TG lipase (ATGL). Its coactivator comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) strongly increases ATGL-mediated TG catabolism in cell culture experiments. To investigate the consequences of CGI-58 deficiency in murine macrophages, we generated mice with a targeted deletion of CGI-58 in myeloid cells (macCGI-58−/− mice). CGI-58−/− macrophages accumulate intracellular TG-rich lipid droplets and have decreased phagocytic capacity, comparable to ATGL−/− macrophages. In contrast to ATGL−/− macrophages, however, CGI-58−/− macrophages have intact mitochondria and show no indications of mitochondrial apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress, suggesting that TG accumulation per se lacks a significant role in processes leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. Another notable difference is the fact that CGI-58−/− macrophages adopt an M1-like phenotype in vitro. Finally, we investigated atherosclerosis susceptibility in macCGI-58/ApoE-double KO (DKO) animals. In response to high-fat/high-cholesterol diet feeding, DKO animals showed comparable plaque formation as observed in ApoE−/− mice. In agreement, antisense oligonucleotide-mediated knockdown of CGI-58 in LDL receptor−/− mice did not alter atherosclerosis burden in the aortic root. These results suggest that macrophage function and atherosclerosis susceptibility differ fundamentally in these two animal models with disturbed TG catabolism, showing a more severe phenotype by ATGL deficiency.

The hydrolysis of triglycerides in adipocytes, termed lipolysis, provides free fatty acids as energy fuel. Murine lipolysis largely depends on the activity of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), which is regulated by two proteins annotated as comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) and G0/G1 switch gene-2 (G0S2). CGI-58 activates and G0S2 inhibits ATGL activity. In contrast to mice, the functional role of G0S2 in human adipocyte lipolysis is poorly characterized. Here we show that overexpression or silencing of G0S2 in human SGBS adipocytes decreases and increases lipolysis, respectively. Human G0S2 is upregulated during adipocyte differentiation and inhibits ATGL activity in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, C-terminally truncated ATGL mutants, which fail to localize to lipid droplets, translocate to the lipid droplet upon coexpression with G0S2, suggesting that G0S2 anchors ATGL to lipid droplets independent of ATGL's C-terminal lipid binding domain. Taken together, our results indicate that G0S2 also regulates human lipolysis by affecting enzyme activity and intracellular localization of ATGL. Increased lipolysis is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, and G0S2 expression has been shown to be reduced in poorly controlled type 2 diabetic patients. Our data indicate that downregulation of G0S2 in adipose tissue could represent one of the underlying causes leading to increased lipolysis in the insulin-resistant state.

Comparative Gene Identification-58 (CGI-58) is a member of the α/β-hydrolase family of proteins. Mutations in the human CGI-58 gene are associated with Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome, a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease in which excessive triglyceride (TG) accumulation occurs in multiple tissues. In this study, we investigated the role of CGI-58 in cellular lipid metabolism in several cell models and discovered a role for CGI-58 in promoting the packaging of cytoplasmic TG into secreted lipoprotein particles in hepatoma cells. Using both gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches, we demonstrate that CGI-58 facilitates the depletion of cellular TG stores without altering cellular cholesterol or phospholipid accumulation. This depletion of cellular TG is attributable solely to augmented hydrolysis, whereas TG synthesis was not affected by CGI-58. Furthermore, CGI-58-mediated TG hydrolysis can be completely inhibited by the known lipase inhibitors diethylumbelliferyl phosphate and diethyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate, but not by p-chloro-mercuribenzoate. Intriguingly, CGI-58-driven TG hydrolysis was coupled to increases in both fatty acid oxidation and secretion of TG. Collectively, this study reveals a role for CGI-58 in coupling lipolytic degradation of cytoplasmic TG to oxidation and packaging into TG-rich lipoproteins for secretion in hepatoma cells.

A lipid droplet (LD)-associated protein, perilipin, is a critical regulator of lipolysis in adipocytes. We previously showed that Comparative Gene Identification-58 (CGI-58), a product of the causal gene of Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome, interacts with perilipin on LDs. In this study, we investigated the function of CGI-58 using RNA interference. Notably, CGI-58 knockdown caused an abnormal accumulation of LDs in both 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and Hepa1 hepatoma cells. CGI-58 knockdown did not influence the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes but reduced the activity of both basal and cAMP-dependent protein kinase-stimulated lipolysis. In vitro studies showed that CGI-58 itself does not have lipase/esterase activity, but it enhanced the activity of adipose triglyceride lipase. Upon lipolytic stimulation, endogenous CGI-58 was rapidly dispersed from LDs into the cytosol along with small particulate structures. This shift in localization depends on the phosphorylation of perilipin, because phosphorylated perilipin lost the ability to bind CGI-58. During lipolytic activation, LDs in adipocytes vesiculate into micro-LDs. Using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy, we pursued the formation of micro-LDs in single cells, which seemed to occur in cytoplasmic regions distant from the large central LDs. CGI-58 is not required for this process. Thus, CGI-58 facilitates lipolysis in cooperation with perilipin and other factors, including lipases.

Highlights: [•] Mutations in ATGL or CGI-58 genes are associated with myocardial TG accumulation. [•] Lipid deposition was significantly higher in the hearts of db/db mice. [•] ATGL and CGI-58 expression was decreased in the hearts of db/db mice. [•] Reduced ATGL and CGI-58 expression may induce myocardial steatosis in diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of lipolysis is essential for regulating the catabolism of cellular fat stores. Therefore, knowledge of lipolysis contributes to improving porcine production, such as reducing back fat, enhancing lean meat, and controlling marbling. Comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) plays an important role in the multi-enzyme-mediated process of lipolysis. It was identified as the co-activator of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), which performs the first step in breaking down triacylglycerol and generating diacylglycerol and NEFA. We cloned and sequenced the CGI-58 cDNA and deduced the AA sequences in 3 breeds of swine (Duroc, Berkshire, and Landrace). Homologies were found with the human, mouse, and chicken for the lipid droplet binding domain, the a/p hydrolase domain, and the lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT) domain, which demonstrates conservation of CGI-58 across species. An alternatively spliced isoform with an exon 3 deletion was identified. Interestingly, this unique isoform contains the lipid droplet-binding domain but lacks the LPAAT domain due to an open reading frame (ORF) shift that creates a premature stop codon. Furthermore, porcine CGI-58 is expressed in multiple organs and tissues but is most predominant in adipose tissue. Porcine adipose and stromal-vascular (SV) cell fractionation reveals that CGI-58 and ATGL are highly expressed (P < 0.01) in mature adipocytes. The expressions of both CGI-58 and ATGL mRNA were found to increase (P < 0.05) at d 6 of SV cell culture, confirming their upregulation during adipogenesis and differentiation. Also, the results from in vitro cell culture showed that insulin decreased (P < 0.05) the expressions of both CGI-58 and ATGL in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, these results report the cDNA and AA sequences of porcine CGI-58 with identification of its unique alternatively spliced variant. The results of the study also reveal the developmental and hormonal regulation of porcine CGI-58 gene, which contributes to the understanding of the role of CGI-58 in lipid metabolism. These findings suggest that CGI-58 may be a new target for enhancing the quality of pork products as well as offering the potential of CGI-58 for human obesity treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of adipose tissue lipolysis has not been fully elucidated. Greater understanding of this process could allow for increased feed efficiency and reduced fat in poultry. Studies in avian species may provide important insight in developing therapies for human obesity, as lipolytic pathways are highly conserved. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) cleaves triacylglycols, releasing non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) into the bloodstream. Glucocorticoids have been shown to elevate circulating NEFA. To determine the regulation of ATGL and regulator proteins comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) and G(0)/G(1) switch gene 2 (G0S2) by glucocorticoid, 36 chickens received an injection of dexamethasone (4 mg/kg). Saline was administered to an additional 12 birds to determine any effect of stress during handling. Dexamethasone-injected birds were harvested at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after treatment; saline-treated birds were collected at 4 and 6 h. Abdominal and subcutaneous adipose tissue and blood were collected. Gene and protein expression were analyzed via quantitative real-time PCR and western blot. Compared with the saline group, ATGL expression increased in birds injected with dexamethasone. When dexamethasone response was compared to the untreated group up to 6 h following injection, an increase in ATGL protein was observed as quickly as 0.5 h and increased further from 1 to 6 h. Plasma NEFA and glucose increased gradually from 0 to 6 h, reaching statistical significance at 4 h. These data show that ATGL expression is stimulated by glucocorticoid in a time-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disturbances in lipid homeostasis can cause mitochondrial dysfunction and lipotoxicity. Perilipin 5 (PLIN5) decorates intracellular lipid droplets (LDs) in oxidative tissues and controls triacylglycerol (TG) turnover via its interactions with adipose triglyceride lipase and the adipose triglyceride lipase coactivator, comparative gene identification-58. Furthermore, PLIN5 anchors mitochondria to the LD membrane via the outermost part of the carboxyl terminus. However, the role of this LD-mitochondria coupling (LDMC) in cellular energy catabolism is less established. In this study, we investigated the impact of PLIN5-mediated LDMC in comparison to disrupted LDMC on cellular TG homeostasis, FA oxidation, mitochondrial respiration, and protein interaction. To do so, we established PLIN5 mutants deficient in LDMC whilst maintaining normal interactions with key lipolytic players. Radiotracer studies with cell lines stably overexpressing wild-type or truncated PLIN5 revealed that LDMC has no significant impact on FA esterification upon lipid loading or TG catabolism during stimulated lipolysis. Moreover, we demonstrated that LDMC exerts a minor if any role in mitochondrial FA oxidation. In contrast, LDMC significantly improved the mitochondrial respiratory capacity and metabolic flexibility of lipid-challenged cardiomyocytes, which was corroborated by LDMC-dependent interactions of PLIN5 with mitochondrial proteins involved in mitochondrial respiration, dynamics, and cristae organization. Taken together, this study suggests that PLIN5 preserves mitochondrial function by adjusting FA supply via the regulation of TG hydrolysis and that LDMC is a vital part of mitochondrial integrity., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Preeclampsia is an idiopathic disease of pregnancy, which seriously endangers the life of both the mother and the infant. The pathogenesis of preeclampsia has not been fully elucidated, although it is generally considered to be associated with abnormal lipid metabolism during pregnancy. Comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) are involved in the first step of triglyceride hydrolysis and serve an important role in lipid transport in the placenta. The present study aimed therefore to investigate the association between CGI-58 and LPL in the placentas of patients with or without preeclampsia and to evaluate blood lipid levels. The patient cohort was divided into two groups, pregnant women with preeclampsia and normal pregnant women (control). According to biochemical analyses, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry analysis and western blotting, the expression of CGI-58 and LPL in the placenta was detected, the blood lipid levels were evaluated and other clinical data were collected. Compared with the control group, triglycerides (TGs), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and atherosclerotic index (AI) were significantly higher in the preeclampsia group, whereas high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein A (ApoA) were significantly lower (P<0.05). Furthermore, the expression levels of CGI-58 and LPL in the placental tissue of the preeclampsia group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). Linear correlation analysis demonstrated that there was a positive association between CGI-58 and LPL (r=0.602; P<0.05), that CGI-58 was positively associated with HDL-C (r=0.63; P<0.01) but negatively associated with TG and ApoB (r=0.840; P<0.01; and r=0.514; P<0.05, respectively), that LPL was positively associated with HDL-C (r=0.524; P<0.01) but negatively associated with TG and AI (r=0.659; P<0.01; and r=0.496; P<0.01, respectively). These results suggested that the expression of CGI-58 and LPL in the placenta was associated with the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and maternal lipids and the risk of preeclampsia was increased with decreasing expression levels of CGI-58 and LPL. Hence, CGI-58 and LPL may be used as important indicators for the diagnosis of preeclampsia and for the prevention of preeclampsia in pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of our study was to examine the regulation of triacylglycerols (TG) metabolism in myocardium and heart perivascular adipose tissue in coronary atherosclerosis. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) is the major TG-hydrolase. The enzyme is activated by a protein called comparative gene identification 58 (CGI-58) and inhibited by a protein called G0/G1 switch protein 2 (G0S2). Samples of the right atrial appendage and perivascular adipose tissue were obtained from two groups of patients: 1—with multivessel coronary artery disease qualified for coronary artery bypass grafting (CAD), 2—patients with no atherosclerosis qualified for a valve replacement (NCAD). The mRNA and protein analysis of ATGL, HSL, CGI-58, G0S2, FABP4, FAT/CD36, LPL, β-HAD, CS, COX4/1, FAS, SREBP-1c, GPAT1, COX-2, 15-LO, and NFκβ were determined by using real-time PCR and Western Blot. The level of lipids (i.e., TG, diacylglycerol (DG), and FFA) was examined by GLC. We demonstrated that in myocardium coronary atherosclerosis increases only the transcript level of G0S2 and FABP4. Most importantly, ATGL, β-HAD, and COX4/1 protein expression was reduced and it was accompanied by over double the elevation in TG content in the CAD group. The fatty acid synthesis and their cellular uptake were stable in the myocardium of patients with CAD. Additionally, the expression of proteins contributing to inflammation was increased in the myocardium of patients with coronary stenosis. Finally, in the perivascular adipose tissue, the mRNA of G0S2 was elevated, whereas the protein content of FABP-4 was increased and for COX4/1 diminished. These data suggest that a reduction in ATGL protein expression leads to myocardial steatosis in patients with CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defective lipolysis in mice lacking adipose triglyceride lipase provokes severe cardiac steatosis and heart dysfunction, markedly shortening life span. Similarly, cardiac muscle (CM)-specific Plin5 overexpression (CM-Plin5) leads to severe triglyceride (TG) accumulation in cardiomyocytes via impairing TG breakdown. Interestingly, cardiac steatosis due to overexpression of Plin5 is compatible with normal heart function and life span indicating a more moderate impact of Plin5 overexpression on cardiac lipolysis and energy metabolism. We hypothesized that cardiac Plin5 overexpression does not constantly impair cardiac lipolysis. In line with this assumption, TG levels decreased in CM of fasted compared with nonfasted CM-Plin5 mice indicating that fasting may lead to a diminished barrier function of Plin5. Recent studies demonstrated that Plin5 is phosphorylated, and activation of adenylyl cyclase leads to phosphorylation of Plin5, suggesting that Plin5 is a substrate for PKA. Furthermore, any significance of Plin5 phosphorylation by PKA in the regulation of TG mobilization from lipid droplets (LDs) is unknown. Here, we show that the lipolytic barrier of Plin5-enriched LDs, either prepared from cardiac tissue of CM-Plin5 mice or Plin5-transfected cells, is abrogated by incubation with PKA. Notably, PKA-induced lipolysis of LDs enriched with Plin5 carrying a single mutation at serine 155 (PlinS155A) of the putative PKA phosphorylation site was substantially impaired revealing a critical role for PKA in Plin5-regulated lipolysis. The strong increase in protein levels of phosphorylated PKA in CM of Plin5 transgenic mice may partially restore fatty acid release from Plin5-enriched LDs, rendering these hearts compatible with normal heart function despite massive steatosis., (© 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Cellular TG stores are efficiently hydrolyzed by adipose TG lipase (ATGL). Its coactivator comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) strongly increases ATGL-mediated TG catabolism in cell culture experiments. To investigate the consequences of CGI-58 deficiency in murine macrophages, we generated mice with a targeted deletion of CGI-58 in myeloid cells (macCGI-58(-/-) mice). CGI-58(-/-) macrophages accumulate intracellular TG-rich lipid droplets and have decreased phagocytic capacity, comparable to ATGL(-/-) macrophages. In contrast to ATGL(-/-) macrophages, however, CGI-58(-/-) macrophages have intact mitochondria and show no indications of mitochondrial apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress, suggesting that TG accumulation per se lacks a significant role in processes leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. Another notable difference is the fact that CGI-58(-/-) macrophages adopt an M1-like phenotype in vitro. Finally, we investigated atherosclerosis susceptibility in macCGI-58/ApoE-double KO (DKO) animals. In response to high-fat/high-cholesterol diet feeding, DKO animals showed comparable plaque formation as observed in ApoE(-/-) mice. In agreement, antisense oligonucleotide-mediated knockdown of CGI-58 in LDL receptor(-/-) mice did not alter atherosclerosis burden in the aortic root. These results suggest that macrophage function and atherosclerosis susceptibility differ fundamentally in these two animal models with disturbed TG catabolism, showing a more severe phenotype by ATGL deficiency., (Copyright © 2014 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Pigment epithelium-derived factor is well known as a secreted glycoprotein with multiple functions, such as anti-angiogenic, neuroprotective and anti-tumor activities. However, its intracellular role remains unknown. The present study was performed to demonstrate the intracellular function of pigment epithelium-derived factor on triglyceride degradation. Hepatic pigment epithelium-derived factor levels increased at the early stage and subsequently decreased after 16 weeks in high-fat-diet-fed mice compared to those in chow-fed mice. Similarly, oleic acid led to long-term downregulation of pigment epithelium-derived factor in HepG2 cells. Endogenous pigment epithelium-derived factor was an intracellular protein with cytoplasmic distribution in hepatocytes by immunostaining. Exogenous FITC-labeled pigment epithelium-derived factor could be absorbed into hepatocytes. Both signal peptide deletion and full-length pigment epithelium-derived factor transfection HeLa cells and hepatocytes promoted triglyceride degradation. Intracellular pigment epithelium-derived factor co-immunoprecipitated with adipose triglyceride lipase and promoted triglyceride degradation in an adipose triglyceride lipase-dependent manner. Additionally, pigment epithelium-derived factor bound to the C-terminal of adipose triglyceride lipase (aa268-504) and adipose triglyceride lipase-G0/G1 switch gene-2 complex simultaneously, which facilitated adipose triglyceride lipase-G0/G1 switch gene-2 translocation onto lipid droplet using bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay. Moreover, knockdown of endogenous pigment epithelium-derived factor in hepatocytes diminished triglyceride degradation. Taken together, these results indicate that hepatic pigment epithelium-derived factor was decreased in obese mice accompanied with hepatic steatosis. Intracellular pigment epithelium-derived factor binds to and facilitates adipose triglyceride lipase translocation onto lipid droplet, which promotes triglyceride degradation. These findings suggest that a decreased level of hepatic pigment epithelium-derived factor may contribute to hepatic steatosis in obesity., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)