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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #140746
Title: EXPRESSION OF PORCINE ADIPOCYTE TRANSCRIPTS DURING DIFFERENTIATION IN VITRO AND IN VIVO

Author
item MCNEEL, RONALD - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item DING, SHIH-TORNG - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item SMITH, E. O'BRIAN - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item Mersmann, Harry

Submitted to: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/25/2000
Publication Date: 2/25/2000
Citation: MCNEEL, R.L., DING, S., SMITH, E., MERSMANN, H.J. EXPRESSION OF PORCINE ADIPOCYTE TRANSCRIPTS DURING DIFFERENTIATION IN VITRO AND IN VIVO. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 2000.

Interpretive Summary: This study deals with a process in pig fat cells in which forerunner cells are transformed into full-fledged adipocytes (fat cells) by transcription factors, which make the genes turn off and on. We investigated this differentiation process and these control factors in cultures and in live animals, in pig fat tissue, during the growth period shortly after birth. During the progression to fat cells, the transcription factors increased in a pattern that suggested control of fat cell differentiation. The progression to fat cells in culture was similar in many ways to that observed in pigs from birth to 28 days of age. The culture system is more controlled, but does not exactly predict the progression to fat cells observed in the young pig. By their varying concentrations during differentiation, specific transcription factors indicated their relative importance in this process. The results of this work contribute important information to the body of scientific literature regarding the development of fat cells and fat tissue in the young pig, a model for the human infant.

Technical Abstract: Transcript concentrations for the transcription factors, CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta and alpha (C/EBPbeta and C/EBPalpha), plus the adipocyte-characteristic proteins, fatty acid synthase (FAS), glucose transporter 4 (Glut 4), hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), insulin receptor (InsR), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and leptin were measured during differentiation of porcine stromal-vascular (S/V) cells in vitro. These same transcripts, excluding FAS and InsR, were measured in porcine adipose tissue from birth to 7 weeks of age. In S/V cells, C/EBPbeta and InsR were continuously elevated. At day 0, C/EBPalpha was approximately 20% of the day 9 value. The LPL increased gradually from day 0 to 9, whereas most other transcripts had a lag period of several days. In tissue, C/EBPbeta was substantial at birth and increased gradually. The C/EBPalpha was relatively low at birth and increased at day 17. The LPL and leptin increased continuously. The Glut 4 was low a birth and increased at day 28. The HSL was relatively low at birth, increased at day 10, and plateaued at day 28. Transcripts in porcine S/V cells develop somewhat differently from adipocyte differentiation models established in clonal cells, but the porcine cells represent a model that should be more applicable to pigs.