Biology subjects

Parihar, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Parihar, R..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Myeloid Gi signaling acts as a weight-independent immunometabolic switch controlling systemic insulin sensitivity

Metabolic dysfunction does not necessarily correlate with adiposity. Metabolically healthy obese individuals and insulin-resistant lean individuals represent a fundamental paradox that implicates immune cell intrinsic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Here, we identify myeloid Gi signaling as a previously unrecognized determinant of whole-body glucose homeostasis. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of adipose tissue macrophages from obese mice and humans reveals marked alteration in Gnai isoform, suggesting that myeloid Gi signaling is functionally engaged during metabolic disease. Using complementary myeloid-specific rodent models of Gi inhibition (pertussis toxin) and chemogenetic Gi activation (DREADD), we demonstrate that inhibition of Gi signaling improves glucose tolerance and enhances insulin sensitivity under both regular chow and high-fat diet conditions, independent of body weight and energy expenditure. Whereas acute Gi activation in lean mice modestly enhances glucose disposal, the same intervention during diet-induced obesity markedly impairs systemic glucose homeostasis, revealing context-dependent pathway function. Mechanistically, Gi inhibition amplifies macrophage cAMP-CREB signaling to drive IL-6 production, engaging STAT3- and AMPK-dependent pathways in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle to support insulin action. Conversely, Gi activation engages a previously uncharacterized G{beta}{gamma}-mTOR/AKT-JNK cascade, driving IL-1{beta} secretion that directly impairs insulin signaling in adipocytes and myotubes. Pharmacological IL-6 receptor blockade abolishes the metabolic benefits of Gi inhibition, whereas IL-1 receptor antagonism fully rescues Gi activation-induced metabolic dysfunction, establishing these cytokines as obligate downstream effectors. This signaling architecture is conserved in human macrophages, and ATAC-seq profiling reveals chromatin remodeling at cAMP-CREB and IL-6 regulatory pathway loci, consistent with the observed transcriptional reprogramming. Together, these findings establish myeloid Gi signaling as a weight-independent immunometabolic switch that couples opposing cytokine programs to systemic insulin sensitivity and identify this pathway as a therapeutic target in obesity-associated metabolic disease. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=141 SRC="FIGDIR/small/713834v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (56K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@15e4576org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@224cd5org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1e24888org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1080bf3_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG Graphical Abstract C_FIG

physiology↗

bioRxiv2026

Aging associated RNA loss impairs the dynamics of RNA and protein condensates

Altered biomolecular condensate dynamics are increasingly implicated in age-associated neurodegenerative disorders, yet the molecular principles governing these changes remain incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that aged cells across diverse cellular and organismal models harbor pre-formed, viscous, and persistent stress granules (SGs), which we term alt-SGs. These persistent condensates confer protection to senescent cells under fluctuating stress conditions. Comparative analyses reveal that alt-SGs exhibit elevated RNA-binding protein (RBP)-to-RNA ratios, underscoring a shift in condensate stoichiometry. By quantifying SG composition and dynamics in live cells and in vitro, we establish that RNA concentration is a key determinant of condensate material properties, molecular composition, and dissolution capacity. Importantly, aging cells display diminished absolute RNA concentrations due to reduced RNA metabolic activity. Reactivation of RNA metabolism restores RNA/RBP ratios within SGs and alleviates aging-associated phenotypes. Together, our findings highlight RNA metabolism as a central regulator of condensate stoichiometry and function, linking metabolic decline to altered phase behavior and cellular aging. Key findingsO_LIAging and senescence have Alt-SGs with increased protein/RNA Ratio C_LIO_LIAlt-SGs are persistent after stress removal in aging C_LIO_LIAging is associated with reduced total cellular RNA C_LIO_LIReactivating RNA metabolism rescues SG phenotypes C_LIO_LIAlt-SGs are protective for senescent cell C_LI

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Acute activation of Gq-signaling in islet macrophages inhibits β-cell insulin secretion through AMPK-sphingolipid axis

Obesity-associated inflammation disrupts pancreatic {beta}-cell function, but the immune-derived signals that directly regulate insulin secretion remain incompletely defined. Here, we identify myeloid Gq signaling as a critical immunometabolic node that links macrophage activation to {beta}-cell dysfunction. For the first time, we employed a chemogenetic approach (DREADDs) to selectively and temporally activate Gq-coupled GPCR signaling in myeloid cells to examine its effect on islet function. Our findings reveal that acute Gq activation in islet-resident macrophages impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, uncovering a previously unrecognized immune-endocrine axis. Conversely, myeloid-specific Gq deletion improves systemic glucose homeostasis, underscoring the physiological relevance of this pathway. Mechanistic analysis revealed that Gq activation in macrophages stimulates AMPK signaling and drives the secretion of sphingolipids. These lipids suppress insulin secretion and introduce a new mechanism for immune-islet communication, extending beyond traditional cytokine-based models. We further identify the lipid-sensing receptor GPR18 as an upstream activator of the Gq-AMPK pathway in macrophages. GPR18 stimulation recapitulated the Gq-dependent sphingolipid secretion and {beta}-cell inhibitory phenotype, which was abolished in myeloid Gq-deficient mice. Collectively, these findings establish a mechanistic framework whereby macrophage Gq signaling integrates lipid sensing and metabolic stress to modulate {beta}-cell function. This work reveals a previously unrecognized macrophage-{beta}-cell communication axis with therapeutic potential for restoring insulin secretion in metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=109 SRC="FIGDIR/small/680858v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (44K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@790c4dorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@116cceborg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1e76631org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@e65770_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

physiology↗