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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #103921
Title: EXPRESSION OF PORCINE ADIPOCYTE TRANSCRIPTS DURING DIFFERENTIATION IN VITROAND IN VIVO

Author
item MCNEEL, RONALD - BAYLOR COLL. OF MEDICINE
item DING, SHIH-TORNG - BAYLOR COLL. OF MEDICINE
item SMITH, E - BAYLOR COLL. OF MEDICINE
item Mersmann, Harry

Submitted to: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/25/2000
Publication Date: 8/1/2000
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: We wanted to study changes in the expression of genes and patterns in adipose (fat) tissue during the growth of pigs from birth to 7 weeks of age. As the piglet aged and the body weight increased, we found that the size of the fat cells also increased. We looked at transcription factors, which are regulators of RNA synthesis, and their concentrations in pig fat tissue during this period of development. These factors included regulator of this differentiation process and others which are indicators of differentiation. Some concentrations increased gradually, while others did not increase until weeks later. The values provided by this study, using pigs, are different from those which were previously reported and which were based on rat cells cloned in the laboratory. The divergence of the developmental patterns for various transcripts among species suggests different possibilities; for example, the control mechanisms modulating expression of a particular transcript may differ among species. This study provides valuable information on fat cells during a critical period of growth in the piglet, which is a model for the human infant.

Technical Abstract: Transcript concentrations of the transcription factors, CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta and alpha (C/EBP beta and C/EBP alpha), plus the adipocyte-characteristic proteins, lipoprotein lipase (LPL), leptin, glucose transporter 4(Glut 4), and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) were measured during development of porcine adipose tissue from birth to 7 weeks sof age. Body weight increased 14-fold and adipocyte volume increased 10- fold from birth to 7 weeks of age. Relative to the day 28 value, C/EBP beta transcript concentration was substantial at birth and increased gradually during the postnatal period. The C/EBP alpha transcript concentration was relatively low at birth and began to increase at 17 days of age. The LPL and leptin transcript concentrations increased continuously over the entire 7 weeks. The Glut 4 transcript concentrations were low at birth and did not increase markedly until day 28. The HSL transcript concentrations were relatively low at birth, increased beginning at day 10, and reached a plateau at day 28. The detailed developmental patterns of some of these porcine adipocyte transcripts differ from those of the adipocyte differentiation models primarily established using rodent-derived clonal cells in vitro.