Project description:Brown Adipose YY1 Deficiency Activates Expression of Secreted Proteins Linked to Energy Expenditure and Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity [IWAT]
Project description:Brown Adipose YY1 Deficiency Activates Expression of Secreted Proteins Linked to Energy Expenditure and Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity [BAT]
Project description:Brown Adipose YY1 Deficiency Activates Expression of Secreted Proteins Linked to Energy Expenditure and Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity
Project description:Brown Adipose YY1 Deficiency Activates Expression of Secreted Proteins Linked to Energy Expenditure and Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity [BAT]
Project description:A persistent influx of energy due to intake over expenditure leads to obesity. Increasing energy expenditure through activation of brown fat thermogenesis is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of obesity. Epigenetic regulation has emerged as a key player in regulating brown fat development and thermogenic program. Here we aimed to study the role of DNA methyltransferase 3b (Dnmt3b), a DNA methyltransferase involved in de novo DNA methylation, in the regulation of brown fat function and energy homeostasis during diet-induced obesity (DIO). We have generated a genetic model with Dnmt3b deletion in brown fat-skeletal lineage precursor cells (3bKO mice) by crossing Dnmt3b-floxed (fl/fl) mice with Myf5-Cre mice. Female 3bKO mice were prone to diet-induced obesity and were insulin resistant. This was associated with decreased energy expenditure, which may largely account for the obese phenotype as there was no difference in food intake and locomotor activity between 3bKO and fl/fl mice. Dnmt3b deficiency impaired mitochondrial and thermogenic program in brown fat. Surprisingly, further RNA-seq analysis revealed a profound up-regulation of myogenic markers in the brown fat of 3bKO mice, suggesting a myocyte-like remodeling in brown fat, which may explain the impaired thermogenic program in brown fat. Further motif enrichment and pyrosequencing analysis suggested myocyte enhancer factor 2C (Mef2c) as a mediator for the myogenic alteration in Dnmt3b-deficient brown fat as indicated by decreased methylation at its promoter. Our data demonstrate that brown fat Dnmt3b is a key regulator of brown fat development, energy metabolism and obesity in female mice.
Project description:Brown adipose tissue (BAT) protects against obesity by promoting energy expenditure via uncoupled respiration. To uncover BAT-specific long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), we used RNA-seq to reconstruct de novo transcriptomes of mouse brown, inguinal white, and epididymal white fat and identified ~1500 lncRNAs, including 127 BAT-restricted loci induced during differentiation and often targeted by key regulators PPARγ, C/EBPα and C/EBPβ. One of them, lnc-BATE1, is required for establishment and maintenance of BAT identity and thermogenic capacity. lnc-BATE1 inhibition impairs concurrent activation of brown fat and repression of white fat genes, and is partially rescued by exogenous lnc-BATE1 with mutated siRNA-targeting sites, demonstrating a function in trans. We show that lnc-BATE1 binds heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U and that both are required for brown adipogenesis. Our work provides an annotated catalog for the study of fat depot-selective lncRNAs, available online, and establishes lnc-BATE1 as a novel regulator of BAT development and physiology. Total RNA profiles of BAT, iWAT and eWAT samples were sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform
Project description:Adipose tissue is the major depot for energy storage. Recent studies have shown that at least three types of adipocytes can be distinguished depending on their anatomical locations : 1) The classic brown adipocytes, i.e., brown adipose tissue (BAT); 2) The 'brite' (brown-in-white) adipocytes, i.e. inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT); 3) The 'true' white adipocytes, i.e., epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). Two strains of mice (SV129 and C57BL/6J) were used in this study. SV strain is resistant to obesity and latter is prone to obesity. Pre-adipocyte cells were isolated from subcutaneous tissue (iWAT) to create four groups of cell cultures per strain of mouse.
Project description:Analysis of subcutaneous adipose tissue (IWAT) from Yin Yang 1 brown fat specific knockout mice fed a high fat diet for 2 weeks. The goal was to identify a gene signature of IWAT browning in YY1 mutant mice. Control mice YY1flox/flox versus YY1flox/flox; Ucp1Cre were fed a high fat diet for 2 weeks
Project description:Analysis of subcutaneous adipose tissue (IWAT) from Yin Yang 1 brown fat specific knockout mice fed a high fat diet for 2 weeks. The goal was to identify a gene signature of IWAT browning in YY1 mutant mice.
Project description:Brown adipose tissue (BAT) functions in energy expenditure in part due its role in thermoregulation. The prominent capacity of BAT to enhance fuel utilization and energy expenditure makes it an attractive target for treating obesity and metabolic disorders. Prolonged cold exposure induces de novo recruitment of brown adipocytes and activates their thermogenic activity. However, the exact source of cold-induced brown adipocytes is not completely understood. In this study, we sought to investigate the cellular origin of cold-induced brown adipocytes using single-cell RNA sequencing. We identified two distinct types of adipocyte progenitors that contribute to de novo recruitment of brown adipocytes in response to cold challenge. One is the previously known Pdgfra-expressing mesenchymal progenitors and the other is a vascular smooth muscle-derived adipocyte progenitor (VSM-APC) population, which expresses the temperature-sensitive ion channel transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (Trpv1). Using flow cytometry and lineage tracing, we demonstrated that the Trpv1pos VSM-APCs were indeed distinct from the Pdgfrapos progenitors and could contribute to brown adipocytes with greater thermogenic potential. Together, these findings illustrate a landscape of thermogenic adipose niche at the single cell resolution and identify a new cellular origin for the development of brown adipocytes.