title: Transcriptional repression of pref-1 by glucocorticoids promotes 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation.
abstract: Pref-1 is an epidermal growth factor-like domain-containing transmembrane protein that is cleaved to generate a soluble factor. It is abundant in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes but absent in mature adipocytes. Constitutive expression of pref-1 or the addition of its ectodomain inhibits adipogenesis. We find that the pref-1 gene is an early target of dexamethasone, a component of the dexamethasone/methylisobutylxanthine differentiation mixture used routinely for adipoconversion. The time course of the decrease in pref-1 mRNA by dexamethasone reflected the pref-1 mRNA half-life determined by actinomycin D treatment. Nuclear run-on assays showed that dexamethasone attenuates pref-1 transcription. We demonstrate a correlation between pref-1 down-regulation and adipoconversion by varying the time period and concentration of dexamethasone. Increasing the dexamethasone treatment from 2 to 4 days resulted in a time-dependent pref-1 down-regulation and increased differentiation as measured by adipocyte marker mRNAs. The dexamethasone concentration between 1 and 10 nM showed a dose-dependent decrease in pref-1 mRNA and an enhancement of adipogenesis. To test the hypothesis that dexamethasone initiation of adipoconversion may be via down-regulation of pref-1, we lowered endogenous pref-1 mRNA levels by stably transfecting 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with antisense pref-1. At 1 microM, antisense cells had enhanced adipose conversion; a similar degree of differentiation occurred with 2 nM dexamethasone, a concentration that does not support differentiation of control 3T3-L1 cells. We conclude that dexamethasone-mediated repression of pref-1 contributes to the mechanisms whereby glucocorticoids promote adipogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Smas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Latasa
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sul
mesh_terms: D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine / Q000494:pharmacology; D016475:3T3 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007700:Kinetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C512925:Dlk1 protein, mouse; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D003907:Dexamethasone; D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine