CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha is sufficient to initiate the 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation program.

Previous studies showed that CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBP alpha) is required for differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes induced by exogenous hormonal agents. It was not possible to ascertain, however, whether C/EBP alpha alone is sufficient to induce differentiation because its antimitogenic activity precluded propagating 3T3-L1 cell lines that constitutively express C/EBP alpha at high levels. This problem was circumvented by using 3T3-L1 preadipocytes stably transfected with an isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG)-inducible p42 C/EBP alpha expression vector system. IPTG-induced expression of the 42-kDa isoform of C/EBP alpha in preadipocytes caused expression of several endogenous adipocyte-specific genes (genes encoding the 422 adipose P2 protein, glucose transporter 4, and C/EBP alpha) and the accumulation of cytoplasmic triglyceride. Thus, C/EBP alpha is not only necessary but also is sufficient to trigger differentiation of growth-arrested 3T3-L1 preadipocytes without use of exogenous hormonal agents.     

Mechanism of regulation of the 422(aP2) gene by cAMP during preadipocyte differentiation.

During differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes, expression of the gene encoding adipocyte 422(aP2) protein is activated. We have shown that the first 248 base pairs of the 422(aP2) gene promoter (which lacks a consensus cAMP response element) are sufficient to confer inducibility of a reporter gene by cAMP in preadipocytes. We now demonstrate by deletion analysis that this DNA segment contains overlapping negative and positive regulatory elements. The positive regulatory element contains a consensus activator protein 1 (AP-1) binding sequence. The effect of the negative regulatory element is observed in preadipocytes but not in fully differentiated adipocytes, suggesting that it is an important component of the regulatory mechanism governing expression of the 422(aP2) gene during differentiation. cAMP activates the 422(aP2) promoter in confluent preadipocytes but not in proliferating preadipocytes or fully differentiated adipocytes. The stimulatory effect of cAMP is abolished by deletions that enter the negative element, suggesting that cAMP increases expression by relieving the inhibitory effect of the negative regulatory element.     

S100A16基因促进3T3-L1前脂肪细胞分化

目的 研究S100A16基因在3T3-L1前脂肪细胞分化过程中的作用及机制.方法 构建过表达S100A16的慢病毒载体(PLJMI-S100A16-GFP),转染3T3-L1细胞.以Western印迹法检测S100A16正常3T3-L1细胞分化过程中S100A16的表达;采用油红O观察脂滴堆积情况;采用Western印迹和实时定量PCR方法检测前体脂肪细胞分化过程中相关基因的表达变化.免疫共沉淀方法检测S100A16是否与p53相互作用.结果 成功构建S100A16过表达3T3-L1细胞株;随着3T3-L1前脂肪细胞的分化,S100A16蛋白表达水平逐渐升高;高表达S100A16能够促进3T3-L1前脂肪细胞分化,促进甘油三酯在脂肪细胞内聚集(P＜0.01),同时上调脂肪细胞分化标志基因PPARy、CCAAT增强子结合蛋白α(C/EBP-α)、脂蛋白脂酶、脂肪细胞脂肪酸结合蛋白(aP2)及脂肪酸合成酶的表达(P＜0.05或P＜0.01);免疫共沉淀结果提示,S100A16蛋白与p53相互作用.结论 S100A16通过抑制p53活性进而促进3T3-L1前脂肪细胞的分化.     

Knockdown of macrophage migration inhibitory factor disrupts adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells

Obesity is a condition in which adipose tissue mass is expanded. Increases in both adipocyte size and number contribute to enlargement of adipose tissue. The increase in cell number is thought to be caused by proliferation and differentiation of preadipocytes. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is expressed in adipocytes, and intracellular MIF content is increased during adipogenesis. Therefore, we hypothesized that MIF is associated with adipocyte biology during adipogenesis and focused on the influence of MIF on adipogenesis. To examine the effects of MIF on adipocytes, MIF expression in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes was inhibited by RNA interference, and cell differentiation was induced by standard procedures. The triglyceride content of MIF small interfering RNA (siRNA)-transfected 3T3-L1 cells was smaller than that of nonspecific siRNA-transfected cells. In addition, MIF knockdown apparently abrogated increases in adiponectin mRNA levels during differentiation. Gene expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)gamma, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)alpha, and C/EBPdelta decreased with MIF siRNA transfection, but C/EBPbeta expression increased. Cell number and incorporation of 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine into cells decreased from 1-3 d and from 14-20 h, respectively, after induction of differentiation in MIF siRNA-transfected cells, thus suggesting that MIF siRNA inhibits mitotic clonal expansion. Taken together, these results indicated that MIF regulates differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, at least partially, through inhibition of mitotic clonal expansion and/or C/EBPdelta expression.     

Sequence, tissue distribution, and differential expression of mRNA for a putative insulin-responsive glucose transporter in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

The cDNAs for two putative glucose transporters from mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes were isolated and sequenced. One of these cDNAs encodes the murine homolog of the human hepG2/erythrocyte glucose transporter, termed GT1. GT1 mRNA is most abundant in mouse brain and is expressed in both 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and adipocytes. The other cDNA encodes a glucose transporter-like protein, termed GT2, that has a unique amino acid sequence and tissue distribution. GT2 cDNA encodes a protein with 63% amino acid sequence identity and a similar structural organization to GT1. GT2 mRNA is found at high levels in mouse skeletal muscle, heart, and adipose tissue, all of which exhibit insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. GT2 mRNA is absent from 3T3-L1 preadipocytes but is induced dramatically during differentiation into adipocytes. This increase in mRNA content correlates closely with the acquisition of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. We propose that GT2 is an insulin-regulated glucose transporter.