Volume 1 Issue 6, June 2019

The entry of remnants of cholesterol-rich lipoproteins, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL), from the blood stream into the intima of large arteries initiates and then perpetuates atherosclerosis. A study published in Nature sheds new light on this important process by identifying scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI) as a major receptor that mediates LDL delivery across the endothelium into arteries.

The gut hormone FGF19 and its mouse orthologue Fgf15 are important mediators of the metabolic transition between the fasted and fed state. Here, Gadaleta and Moschetta provide a concise overview of the history of FGF15/FGF19, their physiological role and their molecular mechanism of action.

Here the authors report the results of a first-in-human trial with urolithin A in healthy elderly individuals, demonstrating that the compound is well tolerated and bioavailable after oral administration. They also provide clinical data indicating that urolithin A may improve mitochondrial and cellular health in human muscle.

Non-alcoholic steatosis is characterized by lipid accumulation within hepatocytes and can progress to NASH. Haas and colleagues demonstrate that livers from people with NASH show a distinct but reversible gene profile from simple steatosis and accumulation of intrahepatic cDC and CD8 T cells.

Pancreatic β-cells are highly connected, and this network is crucial for the pulsatile release of insulin. Here Salem and colleagues demonstrated the existence of leader β-cells that respond first to glucose and are more closely linked to the other β-cells. They also showed that glucose increases β-cell calcium dynamics and connectivity between the leader and non-leader β-cells.

In this study, the authors use ATAC-seq and promoter capture Hi-C data from human adipocytes treated with fatty acids to identify gene–environment (G×E) interactions that influence body-mass index in humans. They report 154 genes that respond to saturated fat and discover 38 new G×E variants for body-mass index in data from the UK Biobank.

Bioproduct synthesis via reductive metabolism occurs with different efficiencies according to the availability of carbons, ATP and reducing agents. To maximize overall product synthesis efficiency, the authors develop a substrate cofeeding strategy, which circumvents catabolite repression and drives synergy in lipid synthesis from CO₂ using two microbes.