title: The inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding protein Gi2alpha induces and potentiates adipocyte differentiation.
abstract: The present study further elucidates the involvement of the alpha-subunit of the GTP-binding protein Gi2 in the differentiation of murine 3T3-L1 cells. Control and vector-transfected cells attained a fully differentiated adipocyte phenotype showing ample lipid droplets. Cells expressing wild type (WT)-Gi2alpha or the constitutively active R179E-Gi2alpha, however, became enlarged, less confluent, and produced large amounts of lipids. Differentiation consistently increased the triglyceride (TAG) content in control cells. In both WT-Gi2alpha and R179E-Gi2alpha clones, a marked increase in TAG could be detected even prior to insulin/dexamethasone/isobutyl methylxanthine exposure. The activity of palmitoyl-CoA synthetase (PCS) and glycerophosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) also increased upon differentiation. WT-Gi2alpha and R179E-Gi2alpha overexpression also enhanced PCS and GPAT activities even before differentiation medium was added. The total amount of phospholipids (PL) generally increased upon differentiation; however, pre- and postdifferentiation values were insignificantly different in cells expressing WT-Gi2alpha and R179E-Gi2alpha. Differentiation altered the PL profile with a relative shift from phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylinositol (PI) in differentiated cells. Finally, differentiation yielded a general increase in the activity of basal PI-phospholipase-C activity. Again, cells expressing WT-Gi2alpha and R179E-Gi2alpha demonstrated elevated enzyme activity and enhanced second messenger accumulation subsequent to differentiation. In summary, cells with the R179E-mutants of Gi2alpha exhibited stimulated lipid turnover and accumulation in both undifferentiated and differentiated cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biochemistry, University of Oslo, Norway. kjerstin.hovik@basalmed.uio.no
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Høvik
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Gordeladze
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D017931:DNA Primers; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go