title: Stimulation of adipogenesis in fibroblasts by PPAR gamma 2, a lipid-activated transcription factor.
abstract: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 (PPAR gamma 2) is an adipocyte-specific nuclear hormone receptor that has recently been identified as a key regulator of two fat cell enhancers. Transcriptional activation by PPAR gamma 2 is potentiated by a variety of lipids and lipid-like compounds, including naturally occurring polyunsaturated fatty acids. We demonstrate here that retroviral expression of PPAR gamma 2 stimulates adipose differentiation of cultured fibroblasts. PPAR activators promote the differentiation of PPAR gamma 2-expressing cells in a dose-dependent manner. C/EBP alpha, a second transcription factor induced during adipocyte differentiation, can cooperate with PPAR gamma 2 to stimulate the adipocyte program dramatically. Our results suggest that the physiologic role of PPAR gamma 2 is to regulate development of the adipose lineage in response to endogenous lipid activators and that this factor may serve to link the process of adipocyte differentiation to systemic lipid metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tontonoz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Spiegelman
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000502:physiology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors