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Kong, Dong

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Kong, Dong

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2012 - 20132

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Author's Publications: search.filters.isAuthorOfPublication.50569e64-efa5-4ad6-9be8-3e8cbae96e68

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    UCP2 Regulates the Glucagon Response to Fasting and Starvation
    (American Diabetes Association, 2013) Allister, Emma M.; Robson-Doucette, Christine A.; Prentice, Kacey J.; Hardy, Alexandre B.; Sultan, Sobia; Gaisano, Herbert Y.; Kong, Dong; Gilon, Patrick; Herrera, Pedro L.; Lowell, Bradford; Wheeler, Michael B.
    Glucagon is important for maintaining euglycemia during fasting/starvation, and abnormal glucagon secretion is associated with type 1 and type 2 diabetes; however, the mechanisms of hypoglycemia-induced glucagon secretion are poorly understood. We previously demonstrated that global deletion of mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2−/−) in mice impaired glucagon secretion from isolated islets. Therefore, UCP2 may contribute to the regulation of hypoglycemia-induced glucagon secretion, which is supported by our current finding that UCP2 expression is increased in nutrient-deprived murine and human islets. Further to this, we created α-cell–specific UCP2 knockout (UCP2AKO) mice, which we used to demonstrate that blood glucose recovery in response to hypoglycemia is impaired owing to attenuated glucagon secretion. UCP2-deleted α-cells have higher levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to enhanced mitochondrial coupling, which translated into defective stimulus/secretion coupling. The effects of UCP2 deletion were mimicked by the UCP2 inhibitor genipin on both murine and human islets and also by application of exogenous ROS, confirming that changes in oxidative status and electrical activity directly reduce glucagon secretion. Therefore, α-cell UCP2 deletion perturbs the fasting/hypoglycemic glucagon response and shows that UCP2 is necessary for normal α-cell glucose sensing and the maintenance of euglycemia.
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    Rho-kinase Regulates Energy Balance by Targeting Hypothalamic Leptin Receptor Signaling
    (2012) Huang, Hu; Kong, Dong; Byun, Kyung Hee; Ye, Chianping; Koda, Shuichi; Lee, Dae Ho; Oh, Byung-Chul; Lee, Sam; Lee, Bonghee; Zabolotny, Janice M.; Kim, Min Seon; Bjørbæk, Christian; Lowell, Bradford; Kim, Young-Bum
    Leptin regulates energy balance. However, knowledge of the critical intracellular transducers of leptin signaling remains incomplete. Here we report that Rho-kinase 1 (ROCK1) regulates leptin action on body weight homeostasis by activating JAK2, an initial trigger of leptin receptor signaling. Leptin promotes the physical interaction of JAK2 and ROCK1, thereby increasing phosphorylation of JAK2 and downstream activation of Stat3 and FOXO1. Mice lacking ROCK1 in either POMC or AgRP neurons, mediators of leptin action, display obesity and impaired leptin sensitivity. In addition, deletion of ROCK1 in the arcuate nucleus markedly enhances food intake, resulting in severe obesity. Of note, ROCK1 is a specific mediator of leptin, but not insulin, regulation of POMC neuronal activity. Our data identify ROCK1 as a key regulator of leptin action on energy homeostasis.