C/EBPZ modulates the differentiation and proliferation of preadipocytes

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 523 - 534
• Main Authors: Chen, Yuechan, Gao, Lingyu, Lin, Tao, Pei, Xuelian, Gao, Qin, Chen, Jingjing, Zhang, Yi, Wu, Xiangqi, Li, Zequan, Zhang, Zhiwei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-03-2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13; 13/109; 13/44; 14/63; 38/1; 38/77; 38/91; 631/208/135; 692/163/2743/2037; Adipocytes - metabolism; Adipogenesis; Adipogenesis - genetics; Adipose tissue; Animal models; Animals; Bioinformatics; Body fat; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha - genetics; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha - metabolism; CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein; Cell Differentiation; Cell Proliferation; Chickens; Chickens - genetics; Chickens - metabolism; Differentiation; DNA biosynthesis; Epidemiology; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors; Poultry; PPAR gamma - metabolism; Preadipocytes; Public Health
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/s41366-021-01020-z

Background/Objectives
This study investigated the functions of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein zeta (C/EBPZ; Gene ID: 10153) in adipose tissue.
Subjects/methods
Bioinformatics analysis were used to study the expression pattern of
C/EBPZ
in human adipose tissue. The expression and function of
C/EBPZ
in adipose tissue were further studied using chicken as animal model in vivo and in vitro.
Results
The human
C/EBPZ
transcripts were greater and more stable in subcutaneous adipose tissue than in visceral adipose tissue (
P
 < 0.01), and they were increased with age in adipose tissue (
P
 < 0.05). In addition, the chicken
C/EBPZ
transcripts (
C/EBPZ /ACTB
) of visceral (abdominal) adipose tissue were significantly different between fat and lean broilers and decreased with age during development (
P
 < 0.01). RNA-seq analysis showed that the C/EBPZ overexpression associated with adipose tissue development and DNA replication in chicken preadipocytes (
P
 < 0.05). Additionally, overexpression of chicken C/EBPZ inhibited preadipocytes differentiation and promoted preadipoytes proliferation in vitro (
P
 < 0.05). In addition, C/EBPZ overexpression suppressed the promoter activities of
PPARγ
,
C/EBPα, FASN
and
LPL
, and promoted the promoter activities of
GATA2
and
FABP4
in chicken preadipocytes (
P
 < 0.05).
Conclusions
C/EBPZ modulated the differentiation and proliferation of preadipocytes, and it might be a new negative regulator of adipogenesis.