title: Postnatal expression of zinc-alpha2-glycoprotein in rat white and brown adipose tissue.
abstract: Zinc-alpha(2)-glycoprotein (ZAG), a lipid-mobilizing factor, is a novel adipokine which may act locally to influence adipose tissue metabolism. This study examined the ontogeny of ZAG expression in adipose tissue during postnatal development. White (subcutaneous, gonadal, and perirenal) and brown (interscapular) fat was collected from rats aged 1-32 days. ZAG mRNA was detected from day 1 in subcutaneous fat, which appears the key site of synthesis postnatally. ZAG was detected in perirenal (day 5) and in gonadal (day 7) fat when the tissue was sufficient for analysis. ZAG mRNA and protein levels fell significantly at weaning (day 21) and thereafter. ZAG was also detected in brown fat at day 1 but it fell significantly afterwards. The downregulated ZAG expression in white fat depots at weaning, when fat mass is expanded substantially, suggests that ZAG might be involved in the postnatal development of adipose tissue mass.
authors.affiliation: Obesity Biology Unit, Division of Metabolic & Cellular Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK.
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tzanavari
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bing
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trayhurn
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D000090203:Zn-Alpha-2-Glycoprotein
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D020738:Leptin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; D000090203:Zn-Alpha-2-Glycoprotein