Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation01:29

Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation

584
Although not a source of energy, cholesterol plays a significant role as a foundational structure for bile salts, steroid hormones, and vitamin D, as well as being a crucial component of plasma membranes. Approximately 15% of blood cholesterol is derived from our diet, with the remainder synthesized from acetyl CoA by the liver and intestines. Cholesterol is eliminated from the body through its conversion into bile salts, which are eventually discarded in the feces.
Considering cholesterol and...
584
Lipid Catabolism01:25

Lipid Catabolism

57
Triglycerides serve as crucial long-term energy storage molecules in microorganisms, providing a dense source of metabolic energy. Their breakdown is mediated by lipases, which hydrolyze triglycerides into glycerol and free fatty acids. Each of these components follows distinct metabolic pathways, ultimately contributing to ATP synthesis and cellular energy homeostasis.Glycerol MetabolismGlycerol, released from triglyceride hydrolysis, is phosphorylated by glycerol kinase to form...
57
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting01:45

Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting

2.4K
Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...
2.4K
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism01:28

Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism

30.8K
Lipids also are sources of energy that power cellular processes. Like carbohydrates, lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but these atoms are arranged differently. Most lipids are nonpolar and hydrophobic. Major types include fats and oils, waxes, phospholipids, and steroids.
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
30.8K
Lipid Digestion01:06

Lipid Digestion

92.1K
Lipids are large molecules that are generally not water-soluble. Since most of the digestive enzymes in the human body are water-based, there are specific steps the body must take to break down lipids and make them available for use.
92.1K
Regulation of Metabolism01:19

Regulation of Metabolism

9.5K
Cellular needs and conditions vary from cell to cell and change within individual cells over time. For example, the required enzymes and energetic demands of stomach cells are different from those of fat storage cells, skin cells, blood cells, and nerve cells. Furthermore, a digestive cell works much harder to process and break down nutrients during the time that closely follows a meal compared with many hours after a meal. As these cellular demands and conditions vary, so do the amounts and...
9.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Adipocyte Myoglobin Is a Determinant of Energy Expenditure and a Potential Target to Limit Obesity.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026
Same author

A deep-learning framework reveals whole-body perturbations at cell level.

Nature·2026
Same author

Publisher Correction: GLP-1R-GIPR-PPARα/γ/δ quintuple agonism corrects obesity and diabetes in mice.

Nature·2026
Same author

Inhibition of ceramide synthesis ameliorates body wasting in a cancer cachexia model.

The Journal of clinical investigation·2026
Same author

Spatial transcriptomics maps distinct signatures of human intermuscular adipose expansion in mice.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026
Same author

GLP-1R-GIPR-PPARα/γ/δ quintuple agonism corrects obesity and diabetes in mice.

Nature·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Quantitative Determination of De Novo Fatty Acid Synthesis in Brown Adipose Tissue Using Deuterium Oxide
07:34

Quantitative Determination of De Novo Fatty Acid Synthesis in Brown Adipose Tissue Using Deuterium Oxide

Published on: May 12, 2023

1.1K

Fasting-sensitive SUMO-switch on Prox1 controls hepatic cholesterol metabolism.

Ana Jimena Alfaro1,2,3, Claudia Dittner4, Janina Becker4

  • 1Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany.

EMBO Reports
|August 10, 2023
PubMed
Summary

SUMOylation of Prox1, a key transcription factor, regulates liver fasting metabolism. Impaired SUMOylation in obesity disrupts this, but targeting Prox1 SUMOylation may offer new metabolic health strategies.

Keywords:
Bile acidsCholesterolLiverProx1SUMOylation

More Related Videos

LDL Cholesterol Uptake Assay Using Live Cell Imaging Analysis with Cell Health Monitoring
08:45

LDL Cholesterol Uptake Assay Using Live Cell Imaging Analysis with Cell Health Monitoring

Published on: November 17, 2018

13.4K
SUMO-Binding Entities SUBEs as Tools for the Enrichment, Isolation, Identification, and Characterization of the SUMO Proteome in Liver Cancer
08:29

SUMO-Binding Entities SUBEs as Tools for the Enrichment, Isolation, Identification, and Characterization of the SUMO Proteome in Liver Cancer

Published on: November 1, 2019

7.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Quantitative Determination of De Novo Fatty Acid Synthesis in Brown Adipose Tissue Using Deuterium Oxide
07:34

Quantitative Determination of De Novo Fatty Acid Synthesis in Brown Adipose Tissue Using Deuterium Oxide

Published on: May 12, 2023

1.1K
LDL Cholesterol Uptake Assay Using Live Cell Imaging Analysis with Cell Health Monitoring
08:45

LDL Cholesterol Uptake Assay Using Live Cell Imaging Analysis with Cell Health Monitoring

Published on: November 17, 2018

13.4K
SUMO-Binding Entities SUBEs as Tools for the Enrichment, Isolation, Identification, and Characterization of the SUMO Proteome in Liver Cancer
08:29

SUMO-Binding Entities SUBEs as Tools for the Enrichment, Isolation, Identification, and Characterization of the SUMO Proteome in Liver Cancer

Published on: November 1, 2019

7.2K

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Metabolic Diseases

Background:

  • Excess nutrient accumulation impairs liver function and is linked to obesity-related nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
  • The molecular signals mediating hepatocyte adaptation to obesogenic diets are not fully understood.
  • Post-translational modification by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) dynamically regulates cellular processes, including gene expression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Prox1 SUMOylation in regulating hepatic fasting metabolism.
  • To determine if nutrient-sensitive SUMOylation of Prox1 is altered in diet-induced obesity.
  • To explore therapeutic potential of modulating Prox1 SUMOylation for metabolic health.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Prox1 SUMOylation status in mice under different feeding conditions (ad libitum, refed, fasted).
  • Generation and use of hepatocyte-selective SUMOylation-deficient Prox1 mutant mice.
  • High-fat/high-fructose diet feeding to induce obesity.
  • Measurement of systemic cholesterol levels and liver bile acid detoxifying pathways.

Main Results:

  • Prox1 SUMOylation at lysine 556 is sensitive to fasting cues in normal mice but becomes less sensitive in diet-induced obesity.
  • Hepatocyte-specific knock-in of a SUMOylation-deficient Prox1 mutant reduced systemic cholesterol.
  • This genetic modification induced liver bile acid detoxifying pathways during fasting in obese mice.

Conclusions:

  • Prox1 SUMOylation acts as a nutrient-sensitive regulator of hepatic fasting metabolism.
  • Dysregulated Prox1 SUMOylation in obesity contributes to metabolic dysfunction.
  • Targeting the Prox1 SUMOylation switch could be a novel therapeutic strategy for metabolic diseases.