THE obesity caused by what we eat has become an epidemic all over the world. Almost 40% of the adult population has this disease or is overweight, which leads to an increase in mortality as well as the susceptibility of suffering more than one disorder at the same time. Furthermore, it is closely related to the risk of developing Cancer.
Until today, most of the mechanisms involved in the deleterious effects of this pathology are still unknown, which makes it difficult to discard. therapeutic strategies viable or develop new treatments to combat it.
A high-fat diet increases CPEB4 expression in adipose tissue, which contributes to fat cell expansion, inflammation and increased body fat.
Now, researchers from the group of Translational Control of Liver Diseases and Cancer of the Institut d’Investigacions Biomédiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), directed by Mercedes Fernandez-Lobato, identified the CPEB4 protein as a potential therapeutic target against obesity.
According to the results published in the magazine Molecular Metabolism, a high-fat diet increases CPEB4 expression in adipose tissue of humans and mice. This activates a set of genes involved in the expansion of fat cells, inflammation and increase in body fat.
In addition, CPEB4 contributes to changing the gut microbiota associated with obesity, as it increases the proportion of bacterial species considered pathological. However, its elimination in mice inhibits the differentiation of the adipocytes.
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Likewise, it also reduces lipid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, adipose tissue inflammation and weight gain, even if the animals are fed a high-fat diet. Finally, the absence of protein normalizes the composition of the microbiota and favors the presence of bacteria that protect the intestinal barrier.
“Our work reveals the existence of a circuit that regulates the process of translating RNA into proteins, directed by CPEB4, which until then was unknown”, he explains. Fernandez-Lobato.
The absence of CPEB4 reduces the accumulation of lipids in the body and normalizes the composition of the microbiota, despite the animals receiving a high-fat diet.
“This is an important novelty, as research is currently focused mainly on the previous stage, that is, the synthesis of RNA from DNA. Thus, our results promote a paradigm shift towards translational control, which may open new avenues for research to develop better treatments against obesity”, adds the researcher.
The study, signed by Nuria Pell As a first author, it is a first step that will allow the group to deepen and understand the mechanisms that increase the risk of suffering. liver cancer in obese people.
Reference:
Pell et al. “Targeting the CPEB4 cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein protects against diet-induced obesity and microbiome dysbiosis “. Molecular Metabolism, November 10, 2021; 54: 101388. doi: 10.1016 / j.molmet.2021.101388
Rights: Creative Commons.
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