@article {49291, title = {Monitoring the effects of pharmacological reagents on mitochondrial morphology.}, journal = {Current Protocols in Cell Biology}, volume = {79}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 Jun}, pages = {e45}, abstract = {

This protocol describes how to apply appropriate pharmacological controls to induce mitochondrial fusion or fission in studies of mitochondria morphology for four different mammalian cell types, HepG2 human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cells, MCF7 human breast adenocarcinoma cells, HEK293 human embryonic kidney cells, and collagen sandwich culture of primary rat hepatocytes. The protocol provides methods of treating cells with these pharmacological controls, staining mitochondria with commercially available MitoTracker Green and TMRE dyes, and imaging the mitochondrial morphology in live cells using a confocal fluorescent microscope. It also describes the cell culture methods needed for this protocol. {\textcopyright} 2018 by John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.

}, issn = {1934-2616}, doi = {10.1002/cpcb.45}, author = {Fu, Dong and Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer} } @article {47994, title = {AMPK activation prevents and reverses drug-induced mitochondrial and hepatocyte injury by promoting mitochondrial fusion and function.}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {11}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Oct 31}, pages = {e0165638}, abstract = {

Mitochondrial damage is the major factor underlying drug-induced liver disease but whether conditions that thwart mitochondrial injury can prevent or reverse drug-induced liver damage is unclear. A key molecule regulating mitochondria quality control is AMP activated kinase (AMPK). When activated, AMPK causes mitochondria to elongate/fuse and proliferate, with mitochondria now producing more ATP and less reactive oxygen species. Autophagy is also triggered, a process capable of removing damaged/defective mitochondria. To explore whether AMPK activation could potentially prevent or reverse the effects of drug-induced mitochondrial and hepatocellular damage, we added an AMPK activator to collagen sandwich cultures of rat and human hepatocytes exposed to the hepatotoxic drugs, acetaminophen or diclofenac. In the absence of AMPK activation, the drugs caused hepatocytes to lose polarized morphology and have significantly decreased ATP levels and viability. At the subcellular level, mitochondria underwent fragmentation and had decreased membrane potential due to decreased expression of the mitochondrial fusion proteins Mfn1, 2 and/or Opa1. Adding AICAR, a specific AMPK activator, at the time of drug exposure prevented and reversed these effects. The mitochondria became highly fused and ATP production increased, and hepatocytes maintained polarized morphology. In exploring the mechanism responsible for this preventive and reversal effect, we found that AMPK activation prevented drug-mediated decreases in Mfn1, 2 and Opa1. AMPK activation also stimulated autophagy/mitophagy, most significantly in acetaminophen-treated cells. These results suggest that activation of AMPK prevents/reverses drug-induced mitochondrial and hepatocellular damage through regulation of mitochondrial fusion and autophagy, making it a potentially valuable approach for treatment of drug-induced liver injury.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0165638}, author = {Kang, Sun Woo Sophie and Haydar, Ghada and Taniane, Caitlin and Farrell, Geoffrey and Arias, Irwin M and Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer and Fu, Dong} } @article {47630, title = {LKB1/AMPK and PKA control ABCB11 trafficking and polarization in hepatocytes.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {2014}, pages = {e91921}, abstract = {

Polarization of hepatocytes is manifested by bile canalicular network formation and activation of LKB1 and AMPK, which control cellular energy metabolism. The bile acid, taurocholate, also regulates development of the canalicular network through activation of AMPK. In the present study, we used collagen sandwich hepatocyte cultures from control and liver-specific LKB1 knockout mice to examine the role of LKB1 in trafficking of ABCB11, the canalicular bile acid transporter. In polarized hepatocytes, ABCB11 traffics from Golgi to the apical plasma membrane and endogenously cycles through the rab 11a-myosin Vb recycling endosomal system. LKB1 knockout mice were jaundiced, lost weight and manifested impaired bile canalicular formation and intracellular trafficking of ABCB11, and died within three weeks. Using live cell imaging, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), particle tracking, and biochemistry, we found that LKB1 activity is required for microtubule-dependent trafficking of ABCB11 to the canalicular membrane. In control hepatocytes, ABCB11 trafficking was accelerated by taurocholate and cAMP; however, in LKB1 knockout hepatocytes, ABCB11 trafficking to the apical membrane was greatly reduced and restored only by cAMP, but not taurocholate. cAMP acted through a PKA-mediated pathway which did not activate AMPK. Our studies establish a regulatory role for LKB1 in ABCB11 trafficking to the canalicular membrane, hepatocyte polarization, and canalicular network formation.

}, keywords = {AMP-Activated Protein Kinases, Animals, ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters, Bile Acids and Salts, Cell Membrane, Cell Polarity, Cyclic AMP, Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases, Endosomes, Gene Expression Regulation, Golgi Apparatus, Hepatocytes, Mice, Mice, Knockout, Myosin Type V, Primary Cell Culture, Protein Transport, Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases, rab GTP-Binding Proteins, Signal Transduction, Taurocholic Acid}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0091921}, author = {Homolya, L{\'a}szl{\'o} and Fu, Dong and Sengupta, Prabuddha and Jarnik, Michal and Gillet, Jean-Pierre and Vitale-Cross, Lynn and Gutkind, J Silvio and Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer and Arias, Irwin M} } @article {47640, title = {Coordinated elevation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and autophagy help drive hepatocyte polarization.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {110}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Apr 30}, pages = {7288-93}, abstract = {

Cell polarization requires increased cellular energy and metabolic output, but how these energetic demands are met by polarizing cells is unclear. To address these issues, we investigated the roles of mitochondrial bioenergetics and autophagy during cell polarization of hepatocytes cultured in a collagen sandwich system. We found that as the hepatocytes begin to polarize, they use oxidative phosphorylation to raise their ATP levels, and this energy production is required for polarization. After the cells are polarized, the hepatocytes shift to become more dependent on glycolysis to produce ATP. Along with this central reliance on oxidative phosphorylation as the main source of ATP production in polarizing cultures, several other metabolic processes are reprogrammed during the time course of polarization. As the cells polarize, mitochondria elongate and mitochondrial membrane potential increases. In addition, lipid droplet abundance decreases over time. These findings suggest that polarizing cells are reliant on fatty acid oxidation, which is supported by pharmacologic inhibition of β-oxidation by etomoxir. Finally, autophagy is up-regulated during cell polarization, with inhibition of autophagy retarding cell polarization. Taken together, our results describe a metabolic shift involving a number of coordinated metabolic pathways that ultimately serve to increase energy production during cell polarization.

}, keywords = {Adenosine Triphosphate, Adenylate Kinase, Animals, Autophagy, Cell Polarity, Energy Metabolism, Fatty Acids, Glycolysis, Hepatocytes, Lipids, Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial, Mitochondria, Mitochondrial Dynamics, Mitochondrial Proteins, Oxidation-Reduction, Oxidative Phosphorylation, Rats, Up-Regulation}, issn = {1091-6490}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1304285110}, author = {Fu, Dong and Mitra, Kasturi and Sengupta, Prabuddha and Jarnik, Michal and Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer and Arias, Irwin M} } @article {47636, title = {Increased mitochondrial fusion and autophagy help isolated hepatocytes repolarize in collagen sandwich cultures.}, journal = {Autophagy}, volume = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Dec}, pages = {2154-5}, abstract = {

Freshly isolated, depolarized rat hepatocytes can repolarize into bile canalicular networks when plated in collagen sandwich cultures. We studied the events underlying this repolarization process, focusing on how hepatocytes restore ATP synthesis and resupply biosynthetic precursors after the stress of being isolated from liver. We found that soon after being plated in collagen sandwich cultures, hepatocytes converted their mitochondria into highly fused networks. This occurred through a combination of upregulation of mitochondrial fusion proteins and downregulation of a mitochondrial fission protein. Mitochondria also became more active for oxidative phosphorylation, leading to overall increased ATP levels within cells. We further observed that autophagy was upregulated in the repolarizing hepatocytes. Boosted autophagy levels likely served to recycle cellular precursors, supplying building blocks for repolarization. Repolarizing hepatocytes also extensively degraded lipid droplets, whose fatty acids provide precursors for ?-oxidation to fuel oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. Thus, through coordination of mitochondrial fusion, autophagy, and lipid droplet consumption, depolarized hepatocytes are able to boost ATP synthesis and biosynthetic precursors to efficiently repolarize in collagen sandwich cultures.

}, keywords = {Animals, Autophagy, Cell Culture Techniques, Cell Polarity, Cell Separation, Cells, Cultured, Collagen, Hepatocytes, Mitochondrial Dynamics, Primary Cell Culture, Rats, Tissue Scaffolds}, issn = {1554-8635}, doi = {10.4161/auto.26167}, author = {Fu, Dong and Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer and Arias, Irwin M} } @article {47674, title = {Bile acid stimulates hepatocyte polarization through a cAMP-Epac-MEK-LKB1-AMPK pathway.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {108}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Jan 25}, pages = {1403-8}, abstract = {

This study describes a unique function of taurocholate in bile canalicular formation involving signaling through a cAMP-Epac-MEK-Rap1-LKB1-AMPK pathway. In rat hepatocyte sandwich cultures, polarization was manifested by sequential progression of bile canaliculi from small structures to a fully branched network. Taurocholate accelerated canalicular network formation and concomitantly increased cAMP, which were prevented by adenyl cyclase inhibitor. The cAMP-dependent PKA inhibitor did not prevent the taurocholate effect. In contrast, activation of Epac, another cAMP downstream kinase, accelerated canalicular network formation similar to the effect of taurocholate. Inhibition of Epac downstream targets, Rap1 and MEK, blocked the taurocholate effect. Taurocholate rapidly activated MEK, LKB1, and AMPK, which were prevented by inhibition of adenyl cyclase or MEK. Our previous study showed that activated-LKB1 and AMPK participate in canalicular network formation. Linkage between bile acid synthesis, hepatocyte polarization, and regulation of energy metabolism is likely important in normal hepatocyte development and disease.

}, keywords = {Adenylate Kinase, Animals, Bile Acids and Salts, Blotting, Western, Cell Polarity, Cells, Cultured, Chenodeoxycholic Acid, Cholagogues and Choleretics, Cyclic AMP, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Green Fluorescent Proteins, Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors, Hepatocytes, Imines, Microscopy, Confocal, Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases, Models, Biological, Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases, rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Signal Transduction, Taurocholic Acid, Ursodeoxycholic Acid}, issn = {1091-6490}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1018376108}, author = {Fu, Dong and Wakabayashi, Yoshiyuki and Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer and Arias, Irwin M} } @article {47657, title = {Cellular mechanism of bile acid-accelerated hepatocyte polarity.}, journal = {Small GTPases}, volume = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Nov 1}, pages = {314-317}, abstract = {

We recently discovered that the major mammalian bile acid, taurocholate, accelerated polarity in primary rat hepatocytes. Taurocholate increased cellular cAMP and signals through an Epac-Rap1-MEK-LKB1-AMPK pathway for its polarity effect. This review discusses possible mechanisms for how taurocholate affects different cell polarity factors, particularly AMPK, and thereby regulates events that generate polarity. These include tight junction formation, apical trafficking, recycling endosome dynamics, and cytoskeleton rearrangement. We also discuss whether the effects of taurocholate are mediated by other LKB1 downstream kinases, such as Par1 and NUAK1.

}, issn = {2154-1256}, doi = {10.4161/sgtp.18087}, author = {Fu, Dong and Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer and Arias, Irwin M} } @article {47679, title = {Regulation of bile canalicular network formation and maintenance by AMP-activated protein kinase and LKB1.}, journal = {Journal of cell science}, volume = {123}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Oct 1}, pages = {3294-302}, abstract = {

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a cellular metabolic sensor, is essential in energy regulation and metabolism. Hepatocyte polarization during liver development and regeneration parallels increased metabolism. The current study investigates the effects of AMPK and its upstream activator LKB1 on polarity and bile canalicular network formation and maintenance in collagen sandwich cultures of rat hepatocytes. Immunostaining for the apical protein ABCB1 and the tight junction marker occludin demonstrated that canalicular network formation is sequential and is associated with activation of AMPK and LKB1. AMPK and LKB1 activators accelerated canalicular network formation. Inhibition of AMPK or LKB1 by dominant-negative AMPK or kinase-dead LKB1 constructs blocked canalicular network formation. AICAR and 2-deoxyglucose, which activate AMPK, circumvented the inhibitory effect of kinase-dead LKB1 on canalicular formation, indicating that AMPK directly affects canalicular network formation. After the canalicular network was formed, inhibition of AMPK and LKB1 by dominant-negative AMPK or kinase-dead LKB1 constructs resulted in loss of canalicular network, indicating that AMPK and LKB1 also participate in network maintenance. In addition, activation of AMPK and LKB1 prevented low-Ca(2+)-mediated disruption of the canalicular network and tight junctions. These studies reveal that AMPK and its upstream kinase, LKB1, regulate canalicular network formation and maintenance.

}, keywords = {Animals, Bile Canaliculi, Cell Polarity, Cells, Cultured, Cloning, Molecular, Enzyme Activation, Hepatocytes, Male, Mutant Proteins, Organ Culture Techniques, Organogenesis, Protein Kinases, Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley}, issn = {1477-9137}, doi = {10.1242/jcs.068098}, author = {Fu, Dong and Wakabayashi, Yoshiyuki and Ido, Yasuo and Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer and Arias, Irwin M} }