Project description:Thermogenic brown and beige adipocytes counteract obesity by enhancing energy dissipation via uncoupling proein-1 (Ucp1). However, the effect of genetic variation on these cells, a major source of disease susceptibility, has been less well studied. Here we examined beige adipocytes from obesity-prone C57BL/6J (B6) and obesity-resistant 129X1/SvJ (129) mouse strains and identified a cis-regulatory variant rs47238345 that is responsible for differential Ucp1 expression. The alternative T allele of rs47238345 at the Ucp1 -12kb enhancer in 129 facilitates the allele-specific binding of nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) to mediate allele-specific enhancer-promoter interaction and Ucp1 transcription. We also identified Lim homeobox protein 8 (Lhx8), whose expression is higher in 129 than in B6, as a trans-acting regulator of Ucp1 in mice and humans. These results demonstrate the cis- and trans-acting effects of genetic variation on Ucp1 expression that underlie phenotypic diversity.
Project description:Thermogenic brown and beige adipocytes counteract obesity by enhancing energy dissipation via uncoupling proein-1 (Ucp1). However, the effect of genetic variation on these cells, a major source of disease susceptibility, has been less well studied. Here we examined beige adipocytes from obesity-prone C57BL/6J (B6) and obesity-resistant 129X1/SvJ (129) mouse strains and identified a cis-regulatory variant rs47238345 that is responsible for differential Ucp1 expression. The alternative T allele of rs47238345 at the Ucp1 -12kb enhancer in 129 facilitates the allele-specific binding of nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) to mediate allele-specific enhancer-promoter interaction and Ucp1 transcription. We also identified Lim homeobox protein 8 (Lhx8), whose expression is higher in 129 than in B6, as a trans-acting regulator of Ucp1 in mice and humans. These results demonstrate the cis- and trans-acting effects of genetic variation on Ucp1 expression that underlie phenotypic diversity.
Project description:The transcription factor nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) is a regulator of brown adipocyte differentiation. Here we show that the C-terminal 17 amino acid residues of NFIA (which we named pro#3 domain) is required for transcriptional activity of NFIA. Full-length NFIA, but not deletion mutant lacking pro#3 domain rescued impaired Pparg expression and adipogenesis in NFIA-knockout cells. Mechanistically, the ability of NFIA to increase chromatin accessibility is mediated through pro#3 domain. However, the deletion mutant still binds to Myod1 enhancer to decrease chromatin accessibility and represses Myod1 as well as proximally transcribed non-coding RNA called DRReRNA, leading to suppression of myogenic gene program. Therefore, the negative effect of NFIA on myogenic gene program is, at least in part, independent from the positive effect on Pparg expression and its downstream adipogenic gene program. These results uncover multiple ways of action of NFIA to ensure optimal regulation of brown adipocyte differentiation.
Project description:We report mRNA seq during time course of white preadipocyte browning from WT and HMGN1 and HMGN2 double knockout (DKO) mice . Moreover, we support our finding that loss of HMGN promotes white adipocyte browning with RNA seq of WT and DKO MEFs transdifferentiation into brown-like adipocytes.
Project description:Thermogenic brown and beige adipocytes counteract obesity by enhancing energy dissipation via uncoupling proein-1 (Ucp1). However, the effect of genetic variation on these cells, a major source of disease susceptibility, has been less well studied. Here we examined beige adipocytes from obesity-prone C57BL/6J (B6) and obesity-resistant 129X1/SvJ (129) mouse strains and identified a cis-regulatory variant rs47238345 that is responsible for differential Ucp1 expression. The alternative T allele of rs47238345 at the Ucp1 -12kb enhancer in 129 facilitates the allele-specific binding of nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) to mediate allele-specific enhancer-promoter interaction and Ucp1 transcription. We also identified Lim homeobox protein 8 (Lhx8), whose expression is higher in 129 than in B6, as a trans-acting regulator of Ucp1 in mice and humans. These results demonstrate the cis- and trans-acting effects of genetic variation on Ucp1 expression that underlie phenotypic diversity.
Project description:Thermogenic brown and beige adipocytes counteract obesity by enhancing energy dissipation via uncoupling proein-1 (Ucp1). However, the effect of genetic variation on these cells, a major source of disease susceptibility, has been less well studied. Here we examined beige adipocytes from obesity-prone C57BL/6J (B6) and obesity-resistant 129X1/SvJ (129) mouse strains and identified a cis-regulatory variant rs47238345 that is responsible for differential Ucp1 expression. The alternative T allele of rs47238345 at the Ucp1 -12kb enhancer in 129 facilitates the allele-specific binding of nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) to mediate allele-specific enhancer-promoter interaction and Ucp1 transcription. We also identified Lim homeobox protein 8 (Lhx8), whose expression is higher in 129 than in B6, as a trans-acting regulator of Ucp1 in mice and humans. These results demonstrate the cis- and trans-acting effects of genetic variation on Ucp1 expression that underlie phenotypic diversity.