A smooth muscle-like origin for beige adipocytes

Jonathan Z Long; Katrin J Svensson; Linus Tsai; Xing Zeng; Hyun C Roh; Xingxing Kong; Rajesh R Rao; Jesse Lou; Isha Lokurkar; Wendy Baur; John J Castellot Jr; Evan D Rosen; Bruce M Spiegelman

doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2014.03.025

A smooth muscle-like origin for beige adipocytes

Cell Metab. 2014 May 6;19(5):810-20. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2014.03.025. Epub 2014 Apr 4.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
² Division of Endocrinology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
³ Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
⁴ Division of Endocrinology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
⁵ Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Electronic address: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Abstract

Thermogenic UCP1-positive cells, which include brown and beige adipocytes, transform chemical energy into heat and increase whole-body energy expenditure. Using a ribosomal profiling approach, we present a comprehensive molecular description of brown and beige gene expression from multiple fat depots in vivo. This UCP1-TRAP data set demonstrates striking similarities and important differences between these cell types, including a smooth muscle-like signature expressed by beige, but not classical brown, adipocytes. In vivo fate mapping using either a constitutive or an inducible Myh11-driven Cre demonstrates that at least a subset of beige cells arise from a smooth muscle-like origin. Finally, ectopic expression of PRDM16 converts bona fide vascular smooth muscle cells into Ucp1-positive adipocytes in vitro. These results establish a portrait of brown and beige adipocyte gene expression in vivo and identify a smooth muscle-like origin for beige cells.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acid Phosphatase / genetics
Acid Phosphatase / metabolism
Adipocytes / metabolism*
Adipose Tissue, Brown / metabolism*
Animals
Cells, Cultured
DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
Female
Gene Expression / genetics
Ion Channels / genetics
Ion Channels / metabolism
Isoenzymes / genetics
Isoenzymes / metabolism
Mice
Mitochondrial Proteins / genetics
Mitochondrial Proteins / metabolism
Muscle, Smooth / metabolism*
Myosin Heavy Chains / genetics
Myosin Heavy Chains / metabolism
Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase
Thermogenesis / genetics
Transcription Factors / genetics
Transcription Factors / metabolism
Uncoupling Protein 1

Substances

DNA-Binding Proteins
Ion Channels
Isoenzymes
Mitochondrial Proteins
Prdm16 protein, mouse
Transcription Factors
Ucp1 protein, mouse
Uncoupling Protein 1
myosin 11, mouse
Acid Phosphatase
Acp5 protein, mouse
Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase
Myosin Heavy Chains

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding