Sarah A Tersey

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA

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Publications (11)61.76 Total impact

  • Article: Deletion of 12/15-Lipoxygenase Alters Macrophage and Islet Function in NOD-Alox15(null) Mice, Leading to Protection against Type 1 Diabetes Development.
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    ABSTRACT: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by autoimmune depletion of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. We showed previously that deletion of the 12/15-lipoxygenase enzyme (12/15-LO, Alox15 gene) in NOD mice leads to nearly 100 percent protection from T1D. In this study, we test the hypothesis that cytokines involved in the IL-12/12/15-LO axis affect both macrophage and islet function, which contributes to the development of T1D. 12/15-LO expression was clarified in immune cells by qRT-PCR, and timing of expression was tested in islets using qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Expression of key proinflammatory cytokines and pancreatic transcription factors was studied in NOD and NOD-Alox15(null) macrophages and islets using qRT-PCR. The two mouse strains were also assessed for the ability of splenocytes to transfer diabetes in an adoptive transfer model, and beta cell mass. 12/15-LO is expressed in macrophages, but not B and T cells of NOD mice. In macrophages, 12/15-LO deletion leads to decreased proinflammatory cytokine mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, splenocytes from NOD-Alox15(null) mice are unable to transfer diabetes in an adoptive transfer model. In islets, expression of 12/15-LO in NOD mice peaks at a crucial time during insulitis development. The absence of 12/15-LO results in maintenance of islet health with respect to measurements of islet-specific transcription factors, markers of islet health, proinflammatory cytokines, and beta cell mass. These results suggest that 12/15-LO affects islet and macrophage function, causing inflammation, and leading to autoimmunity and reduced beta cell mass.
    PLoS ONE 01/2013; 8(2):e56763. · 4.09 Impact Factor
  • Article: Islet β-cell endoplasmic reticulum stress precedes the onset of type 1 diabetes in the nonobese diabetic mouse model.
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    ABSTRACT: Type 1 diabetes is preceded by islet β-cell dysfunction, but the mechanisms leading to β-cell dysfunction have not been rigorously studied. Because immune cell infiltration occurs prior to overt diabetes, we hypothesized that activation of inflammatory cascades and appearance of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in β-cells contributes to insulin secretory defects. Prediabetic nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice and control diabetes-resistant NOD-SCID and CD1 strains were studied for metabolic control and islet function and gene regulation. Prediabetic NOD mice were relatively glucose intolerant and had defective insulin secretion with elevated proinsulin:insulin ratios compared with control strains. Isolated islets from NOD mice displayed age-dependent increases in parameters of ER stress, morphologic alterations in ER structure by electron microscopy, and activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) target genes. Upon exposure to a mixture of proinflammatory cytokines that mimics the microenvironment of type 1 diabetes, MIN6 β-cells displayed evidence for polyribosomal runoff, a finding consistent with the translational initiation blockade characteristic of ER stress. We conclude that β-cells of prediabetic NOD mice display dysfunction and overt ER stress that may be driven by NF-κB signaling, and strategies that attenuate pathways leading to ER stress may preserve β-cell function in type 1 diabetes.
    Diabetes 04/2012; 61(4):818-27. · 8.29 Impact Factor
  • Article: Mouse Islet of Langerhans Isolation using a Combination of Purified Collagenase and Neutral Protease.
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    ABSTRACT: The interrogation of beta cell gene expression and function in vitro has squarely shifted over the years from the study of rodent tumorigenic cell lines to the study of isolated rodent islets. Primary islets offer the distinct advantage that they more faithfully reflect the biology of intracellular signaling pathways and secretory responses. Whereas the method of islet isolation using tissue dissociating enzyme (TDE) preparations has been well established in many laboratories(1-4), variations in the consistency of islet yield and quality from any given rodent strain limit the extent and feasibility of primary islet studies. These variations often occur as a result of the crude partially purified TDEs used in the islet isolation procedure; TDEs frequently exhibit lot-to-lot variations in activity and often require adjustments to the dose of enzyme used. A small number of reports have used purified TDEs for rodent cell isolations(5, 6), but the practice is not widespread despite the routine use and advantages of purified TDEs for human islet isolations. In collaboration with VitaCyte, LLC (Indianapolis, IN), we developed a modified mouse islet isolation protocol based on that described by Gotoh(7, 8), in which the TDEs are perfused directly into the pancreatic duct of mice, followed by crude tissue fractionation through a Histopaque gradient(9), and isolation of purified islets. A significant difference in our protocol is the use of purified collagenase (CIzyme MA) and neutral protease (CIzyme BP) combination. The collagenase was characterized by the use of a(6) fluorescence collagen degrading activity (CDA) assay that utilized fluorescently labeled soluble calf skin fibrils as substrate(6). This substrate is more predictive of the kinetics of collagen degradation in the tissue matrix because it relies on native collagen as the substrate. The protease was characterized with a sensitive fluorescent kinetic assay(10). Utilizing these improved assays along with more traditional biochemical analysis enable the TDE to be manufactured more consistently, leading to improved performance consistency between lots. The protocol described in here was optimized for maximal islet yield and optimal islet morphology using C57BL/6 mice. During the development of this protocol, several combinations of collagenase and neutral proteases were evaluated at different concentrations, and the final ratio of collagenase:neutral protease of 35:10 represents enzyme performance comparable to Sigma Type XI. Because significant variability in average islet yields from different strains of rats and mice have been reported, additional modifications of the TDE composition should be made to improve the yield and quality of islets recovered from different species and strains.
    Journal of Visualized Experiments 01/2012;
  • Article: Deoxyhypusine synthase haploinsufficiency attenuates acute cytokine signaling.
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    ABSTRACT: Deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) catalyzes the post-translational formation of the amino acid hypusine. Hypusine is unique to the eukaryotic translational initiation factor 5A (eIF5A), and is required for its functions in mRNA shuttling, translational elongation, and stress granule formation. In recent studies, we showed that DHS promotes cytokine and ER stress signaling in the islet β cell and thereby contributes to its dysfunction in the setting of diabetes mellitus. Here, we review the evidence supporting a role for DHS (and hypusinated eIF5A) in cellular stress responses, and provide new data on the phenotype of DHS knockout mice. We show that homozygous knockout mice are embryonic lethal, but heterozygous knockout mice appear normal with no evidence of growth or metabolic deficiencies. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts from heterozygous knockout mice attenuate acute cytokine signaling, as evidenced by reduced production of inducible nitric oxide synthase, but show no statistically significant defects in proliferation or cell cycle progression. Our data are discussed with respect to the utility of sub-maximal inhibition of DHS in the setting of inflammatory states, such as diabetes mellitus.
    Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) 04/2011; 10(7):1043-9. · 5.36 Impact Factor
  • Article: Inhibition of Deoxyhypusine Synthase Enhances Islet β Cell Function and Survival in the Setting of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Type 2 Diabetes
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    ABSTRACT: Islet β cell dysfunction resulting from inflammation, ER stress, and oxidative stress is a key determinant in the progression from insulin resistance to type 2 diabetes mellitus. It was recently shown that the enzyme deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) promotes early cytokine-induced inflammation in the β cell. DHS catalyzes the conversion of lysine to hypusine, an amino acid that is unique to the translational elongation factor eIF5A. Here, we sought to determine whether DHS activity contributes to β cell dysfunction in models of type 2 diabetes in mice and β cell lines. A 2-week treatment of obese diabetic C57BLKS/J-db/db mice with the DHS inhibitor GC7 resulted in improved glucose tolerance, increased insulin release, and enhanced β cell mass. Thapsigargin treatment of β cells in vitro induces a picture of ER stress and apoptosis similar to that seen in db/db mice; in this setting, DHS inhibition led to a block in CHOP (CAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein) production despite >30-fold activation of Chop gene transcription. Blockage of CHOP translation resulted in reduction of downstream caspase-3 cleavage and near-complete protection of cells from apoptotic death. DHS inhibition appeared to prevent the cytoplasmic co-localization of eIF5A with the ER, possibly precluding the participation of eIF5A in translational elongation at ER-based ribosomes. We conclude that hypusination by DHS is required for the ongoing production of proteins, particularly CHOP, in response to ER stress in the β cell.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 12/2010; 285(51):39943-39952. · 4.77 Impact Factor
  • Article: Inhibition of deoxyhypusine synthase enhances islet {beta} cell function and survival in the setting of endoplasmic reticulum stress and type 2 diabetes.
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    ABSTRACT: Islet β cell dysfunction resulting from inflammation, ER stress, and oxidative stress is a key determinant in the progression from insulin resistance to type 2 diabetes mellitus. It was recently shown that the enzyme deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) promotes early cytokine-induced inflammation in the β cell. DHS catalyzes the conversion of lysine to hypusine, an amino acid that is unique to the translational elongation factor eIF5A. Here, we sought to determine whether DHS activity contributes to β cell dysfunction in models of type 2 diabetes in mice and β cell lines. A 2-week treatment of obese diabetic C57BLKS/J-db/db mice with the DHS inhibitor GC7 resulted in improved glucose tolerance, increased insulin release, and enhanced β cell mass. Thapsigargin treatment of β cells in vitro induces a picture of ER stress and apoptosis similar to that seen in db/db mice; in this setting, DHS inhibition led to a block in CHOP (CAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein) production despite >30-fold activation of Chop gene transcription. Blockage of CHOP translation resulted in reduction of downstream caspase-3 cleavage and near-complete protection of cells from apoptotic death. DHS inhibition appeared to prevent the cytoplasmic co-localization of eIF5A with the ER, possibly precluding the participation of eIF5A in translational elongation at ER-based ribosomes. We conclude that hypusination by DHS is required for the ongoing production of proteins, particularly CHOP, in response to ER stress in the β cell.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 10/2010; 285(51):39943-52. · 4.77 Impact Factor
  • Article: Hypusine: a new target for therapeutic intervention in diabetic inflammation.
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    ABSTRACT: Diabetes, a disorder of glucose homeostasis, has risen to near epidemic proportions world-wide and may be the single most important risk factor for cardiovascular, kidney, and eye disease. Dysfunction and destruction of islet beta cells, caused in part by the systemic or local release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, underlies all forms of diabetes. A major effort in diabetes research in recent years has been to identify new factors or pathways that can be therapeutically targeted to reduce cytokine action on the beta cell. Recent studies have suggested that an ancient and poorly understood protein, eIF5A, may be critical to cytokine release and signaling. Interestingly, eIF5A is the only protein to contain the unique amino acid hypusine, which is a polyamine-derived modification of amino acid lysine residue. This modification is catalyzed by the sequential actions of the inhibitable enzymes deoxyhypusine synthase and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase. Because the hypusine modification is absolutely required for eIF5A action in cytokine signaling, we propose that this modification could serve as a new drug target for islet beta cell protection in the setting of diabetic inflammation.
    Discovery medicine 07/2010; 10(50):18-23.
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    Article: The unique hypusine modification of eIF5A promotes islet beta cell inflammation and dysfunction in mice.
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    ABSTRACT: In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, pancreatic islet dysfunction results in part from cytokine-mediated inflammation. The ubiquitous eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A), which is the only protein to contain the amino acid hypusine, contributes to the production of proinflammatory cytokines. We therefore investigated whether eIF5A participates in the inflammatory cascade leading to islet dysfunction during the development of diabetes. As described herein, we found that eIF5A regulates iNOS levels and that eIF5A depletion as well as the inhibition of hypusination protects against glucose intolerance in inflammatory mouse models of diabetes. We observed that following knockdown of eIF5A expression, mice were resistant to beta cell loss and the development of hyperglycemia in the low-dose streptozotocin model of diabetes. The depletion of eIF5A led to impaired translation of iNOS-encoding mRNA within the islet. A role for the hypusine residue of eIF5A in islet inflammatory responses was suggested by the observation that inhibition of hypusine synthesis reduced translation of iNOS-encoding mRNA in rodent beta cells and human islets and protected mice against the development of glucose intolerance the low-dose streptozotocin model of diabetes. Further analysis revealed that hypusine is required in part for nuclear export of iNOS-encoding mRNA, a process that involved the export protein exportin1. These observations identify the hypusine modification of eIF5A as a potential therapeutic target for preserving islet function under inflammatory conditions.
    The Journal of clinical investigation 06/2010; 120(6):2156-70. · 15.39 Impact Factor
  • Article: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma activation restores islet function in diabetic mice through reduction of endoplasmic reticulum stress and maintenance of euchromatin structure.
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    ABSTRACT: The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma) is an important target in diabetes therapy, but its direct role, if any, in the restoration of islet function has remained controversial. To identify potential molecular mechanisms of PPAR-gamma in the islet, we treated diabetic or glucose-intolerant mice with the PPAR-gamma agonist pioglitazone or with a control. Treated mice exhibited significantly improved glycemic control, corresponding to increased serum insulin and enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin release and Ca(2+) responses from isolated islets in vitro. This improved islet function was at least partially attributed to significant upregulation of the islet genes Irs1, SERCA, Ins1/2, and Glut2 in treated animals. The restoration of the Ins1/2 and Glut2 genes corresponded to a two- to threefold increase in the euchromatin marker histone H3 dimethyl-Lys4 at their respective promoters and was coincident with increased nuclear occupancy of the islet methyltransferase Set7/9. Analysis of diabetic islets in vitro suggested that these effects resulting from the presence of the PPAR-gamma agonist may be secondary to improvements in endoplasmic reticulum stress. Consistent with this possibility, incubation of thapsigargin-treated INS-1 beta cells with the PPAR-gamma agonist resulted in the reduction of endoplasmic reticulum stress and restoration of Pdx1 protein levels and Set7/9 nuclear occupancy. We conclude that PPAR-gamma agonists exert a direct effect in diabetic islets to reduce endoplasmic reticulum stress and enhance Pdx1 levels, leading to favorable alterations of the islet gene chromatin architecture.
    Molecular and cellular biology 03/2009; 29(8):2053-67. · 6.06 Impact Factor
  • Article: Noninvasive assessment of pancreatic beta-cell function in vivo with manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
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    ABSTRACT: Loss of beta-cell function in type 1 and type 2 diabetes leads to metabolic dysregulation and inability to maintain normoglycemia. Noninvasive imaging of beta-cell function in vivo would therefore provide a valuable diagnostic and research tool for quantifying progression to diabetes and response to therapeutic intervention. Because manganese (Mn(2+)) is a longitudinal relaxation time (T1)-shortening magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent that enters cells such as pancreatic beta-cells through voltage-gated calcium channels, we hypothesized that Mn(2+)-enhanced MRI of the pancreas after glucose infusion would allow for noninvasive detection of beta-cell function in vivo. To test this hypothesis, we administered glucose and saline challenges intravenously to normal mice and mice given high or low doses of streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes. Serial inversion recovery MRI was subsequently performed after Mn(2+) injection to probe Mn(2+) accumulation in the pancreas. Time-intensity curves of the pancreas (normalized to the liver) fit to a sigmoid function showed a 51% increase in signal plateau height after glucose stimulation relative to saline (P < 0.01) in normal mice. In diabetic mice given a high dose of STZ, only a 9% increase in plateau signal intensity was observed after glucose challenge (P = not significant); in mice given a low dose of STZ, a 20% increase in plateau signal intensity was seen after glucose challenge (P = 0.02). Consistent with these imaging findings, the pancreatic insulin content of high- and low-dose STZ diabetic mice was reduced about 20-fold and 10-fold, respectively, compared with normal mice. We conclude that Mn(2+)-enhanced MRI demonstrates excellent potential as a means for noninvasively monitoring beta-cell function in vivo and may have the sensitivity to detect progressive decreases in function that occur in the diabetic disease process.
    AJP Endocrinology and Metabolism 01/2009; 296(3):E573-8. · 4.75 Impact Factor
  • Article: Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice congenic for a targeted deletion of 12/15-lipoxygenase are protected from autoimmune diabetes.
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    ABSTRACT: 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LO), one of a family of fatty acid oxidoreductase enzymes, reacts with polyenoic fatty acids to produce proinflammatory lipids. 12/15-LO is expressed in macrophages and pancreatic beta-cells. It enhances interleukin 12 production by macrophages, and several of its products induce apoptosis of beta-cells at nanomolar concentrations in vitro. We had previously demonstrated a role for 12/15-LO in beta-cell damage in the streptozotocin model of diabetes. Since the gene encoding 12/15-LO (gene designation Alox15) lies within the Idd4 diabetes susceptibility interval in NOD mice, we hypothesized that 12/15-LO is also a key regulator of diabetes susceptibility in the NOD mouse. We developed NOD mice carrying an inactivated 12/15-LO locus (NOD-Alox15(null)) using a "speed congenic" protocol, and the mice were monitored for development of insulitis and diabetes. NOD mice deficient in 12/15-LO develop diabetes at a markedly reduced rate compared with NOD mice (2.5 vs. >60% in females by 30 weeks). Nondiabetic female NOD-Alox15(null) mice demonstrate improved glucose tolerance, as well as significantly reduced severity of insulitis and improved beta-cell mass, when compared with age-matched nondiabetic NOD females. Disease resistance is associated with decreased numbers of islet-infiltrating activated macrophages at 4 weeks of age in NOD-Alox15(null) mice, preceding the development of insulitis. Subsequently, islet-associated infiltrates are characterized by decreased numbers of CD4(+) T cells and increased Foxp3(+) cells. These results suggest an important role for 12/15-LO in conferring susceptibility to autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice through its effects on macrophage recruitment or activation.
    Diabetes 02/2008; 57(1):199-208. · 8.29 Impact Factor