title: Sterol regulatory element binding proteins: relationship of adipose tissue gene expression with obesity in humans.
abstract: Sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) are transcription factors that are involved in adipogenesis and regulate the expression of genes controlling cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthesis. Animal experiments indicate that SREBP-1a, -1c, and -2 have distinct functions despite overlapping specificities for target genes. To study the possible relationships of SREBPs with obesity, we determined their expression levels in intra- and extraperitoneal adipose tissue samples of obese, post-obese and never-obese humans. We furthermore investigated possible associations of SREBP gene expression with mRNA levels of key enzymes of fatty acid and cholesterol biosynthesis. SREBP-1c was the most abundant SREBP mRNA isoform in human adipose tissue. mRNA levels of SREBP-1a and -1c correlated within tissues whereas no correlations were observed between SREBP-1a or -1c and SREBP-2 mRNA abundance. SREBP-1c and -2 mRNA levels were significantly lower in obese than in never-obese and post-obese subjects. SREBP-1c, but not -1a or -2 gene expression was associated with fatty acid synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha gene expression in the intraperitoneal adipose tissue of obese humans. Our results suggest that common mechanisms are involved in the regulation of SREBP-1a and -1c expression in human adipose tissues and imply distinct functions of SREBP isoforms in the regulation of lipid and cholesterol biosynthesis. The reduction in SREBP-1c and -2 mRNA expression in obese humans and their upregulation after weight loss provides new insight into the relationship of these transcription factors with obesity in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Landeskliniken, Müllner Hauptstrasse 48, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Hannes
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oberkofler
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Esterbauer
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Krempler
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Patsch
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051780:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1; D051782:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C497387:SREBF1 protein, human; C497390:SREBF2 protein, human; D051780:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1; D051782:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2; D014157:Transcription Factors