The Fat Controller: Adipocyte Development

Obesity is a condition characterized by excess adipose tissue that results from positive energy balance and is the most common metabolic disorder in the industrialized world. The obesity epidemic shows no sign of slowing, and it is increasingly a global problem. Serious clinical problems associated with obesity include an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Hence, understanding the origin and development of adipocytes and adipose tissue will be critical to the analysis and treatment of metabolic diseases. Historically, albeit incorrectly, adipocytes were thought to be inert cells whose singular function was lipid storage. It is now known that adipocytes have other critical functions; the most important include sensitivity to insulin and the ability to produce and secrete adipocyte-specific endocrine hormones that regulate energy homeostasis in other tissues. Today, adipocytes are recognized as critical regulators of whole-body metabolism and known to be involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of metabolic diseases. All cells come from other cells and many cells arise from precursor cells. Adipocytes are not created from other adipocytes, but they arise from precursor cells. In the last two decades, scientists have discovered the function of many proteins that influence the ability of precursor cells to become adipocytes. If the expansion of the adipose tissue is the problem, it seems logical that adipocyte development inhibitors could be a viable anti-obesity therapeutic. However, factors that block adipocyte development and limit adipocyte expansion also impair metabolic health. This notion may be counterintuitive, but several lines of evidence support the idea that blocking adipocyte development is unhealthy. For this reason it is clear that we need a better understanding of adipocyte development.     

Intermediary metabolism of adipose tissue.

Metabolism of ruminant adipocytes involves the synthesis and mobilization of lipids. Rates of lipid synthesis from the uptake of preformed fatty acids (via lipoprotein lipase) and de novo synthesis of fatty acids are related to the energy balance. Acetate is the major carbon source for fatty acid synthesis with NADPH originating from the pentose cycle and the isocitrate cycle. Ruminant adipose tissue lacks the ability to utilize for lipogenesis those substrates that generate mitochondrial acetyl CoA because of an absence of ATP citrate-lyase and NADP-malate dehydrogenase. Lipid mobilization in ruminant adipocytes is apparently regulated via cAMP levels and a summary of the compounds investigated for lipolytic responses is presented. The control of lipid synthesis and mobilization is interrelated in ruminant adipose tissue. The coordinated manner in which these two functions are regulated is examined with regard to adipocyte responses to insulin and epinephrine. In both lipid synthesis and lipid mobilization, ruminant adipocytes are uniquely different from nonruminant adipose tissue. The physiological significance and possible basis for these species differences in adipose metabolism are discussed.     

GULP1 deficiency reduces adipogenesis and glucose uptake via downregulation of PPAR signaling and disturbing of insulin/ERK signaling in 3T3-L1 cells

Obesity and metabolic disorders caused by alterations in lipid metabolism are major health issues in developed, affluent societies. Adipose tissue is the only organ that stores lipids and prevents lipotoxicity in other organs. Mature adipocytes can affect themselves and distant metabolism-related tissues by producing various adipokines, including adiponectin and leptin. The engulfment adaptor phosphotyrosine-binding domain-containing 1 (GULP1) regulates intracellular trafficking of glycosphingolipids and cholesterol, suggesting its close association with lipid metabolism. However, the role of GULP1 in adipocytes remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the function of GULP1 in adipogenesis, glucose uptake, and the insulin signaling pathway in adipocytes. A 3T3-L1 cell line with Gulp1 knockdown (shGulp1) and a 3T3-L1 control group (U6) were established. Changes in shGulp1 cells due to GULP1 deficiency were examined and compared to those in U6 cells using microarray analysis. Glucose uptake was monitored via insulin stimulation in shGulp1 and U6 cells using a 2-NBDG glucose uptake assay, and the insulin signaling pathway was investigated by western blot analysis. Adipogenesis was significantly delayed, lipid metabolism was altered, and several adipogenesis-related genes were downregulated in shGulp1 cells compared to those in U6 cells. Microarray analysis revealed significant inhibition of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling in shGulp1 cells compared with U6 cells. The production and secretion of adiponectin as well as the expression of adiponectin receptor were decreased in shGulp1 cells. In particular, compared with U6 cells, glucose uptake via insulin stimulation was significantly decreased in shGulp1 cells through the disturbance of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. This is the first study to identify the role of GULP1 in adipogenesis and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by adipocytes, thereby providing new insights into the differentiation and functions of adipocytes and the metabolism of lipids and glucose, which can help better understand metabolic diseases.     

Dichotomous roles of leptin and adiponectin as enforcers against lipotoxicity during feast and famine

Science is marked by the death of dogmas; the discovery that adipocytes are more than just lipid-storing cells but rather produce potent hormones is one such example that caught physiologists by surprise and reshaped our views of metabolism. While we once considered the adipocyte as a passive storage organ for efficient storage of long-term energy reserves in the form of triglyceride, we now appreciate the general idea (once a radical one) that adipocytes are sophisticated enough to have potent endocrine functions. Over the past two decades, the discoveries of these adipose-derived factors (“adipokines”) and their mechanistic actions have left us marveling at and struggling to understand the role these factors serve in physiology and the pathophysiology of obesity and diabetes. These hormones may serve an integral role in protecting nonadipose tissues from lipid-induced damage during nutrient-deprived or replete states. As such, adipocytes deliver not only potentially cytotoxic free fatty acids but, along with these lipids, antilipotoxic adipokines such as leptin, adiponectin, and fibroblast growth factor 21 that potently eliminate excessive local accumulation of these lipids or their conversion to unfavorable sphingolipid intermediates.     

Brite/beige fat and UCP1 — is it thermogenesis?

The presence of two distinct types of adipose tissue, which have opposing functions, has been known for decades. White adipose tissue (WAT) is the main tissue of energy storage, while brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates energy as heat and is required for non-shivering thermoregulation. In the last few years, a third type of adipocyte was identified, termed the brite (“brown and white”) or beige adipocyte. Their physiological control and role, however, are not fully clarified. Brite/beige adipocytes have a positive impact on systemic metabolism that is generally explained by the thermogenesis of brite/beige adipocytes; although thermogenesis has not been directly measured but is mostly inferred by gene expression data of typical thermogenic genes such as uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Here we critically review functional evidence for the thermogenic potential of brite/beige adipocytes, leading to the conclusion that direct measurements of brite/beige adipocyte bioenergetics, beyond gene regulation, are pivotal to quantify their thermogenic potential. In particular, we exemplified that the massive induction of UCP1 mRNA during the browning of isolated subcutaneous adipocytes in vitro is not reflected in significant alterations of cellular bioenergetics. Herein, we demonstrate that increases in mitochondrial respiration in response to beta-adrenergic stimulus can be independent of UCP1. Using HEK293 cells expressing UCP1, we show how to directly assess UCP1 function by adequate activation in intact cells. Finally, we provide a guide on the interpretation of UCP1 activity and the pitfalls by solely using respiration measurements. The functional analysis of beige adipocyte bioenergetics will assist to delineate the impact of browning on thermogenesis, possibly elucidating additional physiological roles and its contribution to systemic metabolism, highlighting possible avenues for future research. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 18th European Bioenergetic Conference.     

White and brown adipose stem cells: From signaling to clinical implications

Epidemiological studies estimate that by the year 2030, 2.16 billion people worldwide will be overweight and 1.12 billion will be obese [1]. Besides its now established function as an endocrine organ, adipose tissue plays a fundamental role as an energy storage compartment. As such, adipose tissue is capable of extensive expansion or retraction depending on the energy balance or disease state of the host, a plasticity that is unparalleled in other organs and – under conditions of excessive energy intake – significantly contributes to the afore mentioned obesity pandemic. Expansion of adipose tissue is driven by both hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adipocytes, which can renew frequently to compensate for cell death. This underlines the importance of adipocyte progenitor cells within the distinct adipose tissue depots to control both energy storage and endocrine functions of adipose tissue. Here we summarize recent findings on the identity and plasticity of adipose stem cells, the involved signaling cascades, and potential clinical implications of these cells for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction in obesity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Brown and White Fat: From Signaling to Disease.     

Adipose tissue and the immune system

Adipocytes anatomically associated with lymph nodes (and omental milky spots) have many special properties including fatty acid composition and the control of lipolysis that equip them to interact locally with lymphoid cells. Lymph node lymphocytes and tissue dendritic cells acquire their fatty acids from the contiguous adipocytes. Lymph node-derived dendritic cells suppress lipolysis in perinodal adipocytes but those that permeate the adipose tissue stimulate lipolysis, especially after minor, local immune stimulation. Inflammation alters the composition of fatty acids incorporated into dendritic cells, and that of node-containing adipose tissue, counteracting the effects of dietary lipids. Thus these specialised adipocytes partially emancipate the immune system from fluctuations in the abundance and composition of dietary lipids. Prolonged, low-level immune stimulation induces the local formation of more adipocytes, especially adjacent to the inflamed lymph node. This mechanism may contribute to hypertrophy of the mesentery and omentum in chronic inflammatory diseases such as HIV-infection, and in smokers. Paracrine interactions between adipose and lymphoid tissues are enhanced by diets rich in n-6 fatty acids and attentuated by fish oils. The latter improve immune function and body conformation in animals and people. The partitioning of adipose tissue in many depots, some specialised for local, paracrine interactions with other tissues, is a fundamental feature of mammals.     

Ins and Outs of Interpreting Lipidomic Results

Membrane lipids are essential for life; however, research on how cells regulate cell lipid composition has been falling behind for quite some time. One reason was the difficulty in establishing analytical methods able to cope with the cell lipid repertoire. Development of a diversity of mass spectrometry-based technologies, including imaging mass spectrometry, has helped to demonstrate beyond doubt that the cell lipidome is not only greatly cell type dependent but also highly sensitive to any pathophysiological alteration such as differentiation or tumorigenesis. Interestingly, the current popularization of metabolomic studies among numerous disciplines has led many researchers to rediscover lipids. Hence, it is important to underscore the peculiarities of these metabolites and their metabolism, which are both radically different from protein and nucleic acid metabolism. Once differences in lipid composition have been established, researchers face a rather complex scenario, to investigate the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms accounting for their results. Thus, a detail often overlooked, but of crucial relevance, is the complex networks of enzymes involved in controlling the level of each one of the lipid species present in the cell. In most cases, these enzymes are redundant and promiscuous, complicating any study on lipid metabolism, since the modification of one particular lipid enzyme impacts simultaneously on many species. Altogether, this review aims to describe the difficulties in delving into the regulatory mechanisms tailoring the lipidome at the activity, genetic, and epigenetic level, while conveying the numerous, stimulating, and sometimes unexpected research opportunities afforded by this type of studies.     

Intracellular role of exchangeable apolipoproteins in energy homeostasis,obesity and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease

Exchangeable apolipoproteins play an important role in systemic lipid metabolism, especially for lipoproteins with which they are associated. Recently, emerging evidence has suggested that exchangeable apolipoproteins, such as apolipoprotein A4 (apoA4), apolipoprotein A5 (apoA5), apolipoprotein C3 (apoC3) and apolipoprotein E (apoE), also exert important effects on intracellular lipid homeostasis. There is a close link between lipid metabolism in adipose tissue and liver because the latter behaves as the metabolic sensor of dysfunctional adipose tissue and is a main target of lipotoxicity. Given that the energy balance between these two major lipogenic organs is intimately involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), we here review recent findings concerning the intracellular function of exchangeable apolipoproteins in triglyceride metabolism in adipocytes and hepatocytes. These apolipoproteins may act as mediators of crosstalk between adipose tissue and liver, thus influencing development of obesity and hepatosteatosis. This review provides new insights into the physiological role of exchangeable apolipoproteins and identifies latent targets for therapeutic intervention of obesity and its related disorders.     

Shotgun lipidomics-based characterization of the landscape of lipid metabolism in colorectal cancer

Solid tumors are characterized by global metabolic alterations which contribute to their growth and progression. Altered gene expression profiles and plasma lipid composition suggested a role for metabolic reprogramming in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. However, a conclusive picture of CRC-associated lipidome alterations in the tumor tissue has not emerged. Here, we determined molar abundances of 342 species from 20 lipid classes in matched biopsies of CRC and adjacent normal mucosa. We demonstrate that in contrast to previous reports, CRC shows a largely preserved lipidome composition that resembles that of normal colonic mucosa. Important exceptions include increased levels of lyso-phosphatidylinositols in CRC and reduced abundance of ether phospholipids in advanced stages of CRC. As such, our observations challenge the concept of widespread alterations in lipid metabolism in CRC and rather suggest changes in the cellular lipid profile that are limited to selected lipids involved in signaling and the scavenging of reactive oxygen species.     

Pharmacological and nutritional agents promoting browning of white adipose tissue

The role of brown adipose tissue in the regulation of energy balance and maintenance of body weight is well known in rodents. Recently, interest in this tissue has re-emerged due to the realization of active brown-like adipose tissue in adult humans and inducible brown-like adipocytes in white adipose tissue depots in response to appropriate stimuli (“browning process”). Brown-like adipocytes that appear in white fat depots have been called “brite” (from brown-in-white) or “beige” adipocytes and have characteristics similar to brown adipocytes, in particular the capacity for uncoupled respiration. There is controversy as to the origin of these brite/beige adipocytes, but regardless of this, induction of the browning of white fat represents an attractive potential strategy for the management and treatment of obesity and related complications. Here, the different physiological, pharmacological and dietary determinants that have been linked to white-to-brown fat remodeling and the molecular mechanisms involved are reviewed in detail. In the light of available data, interesting therapeutic perspectives can be expected from the use of specific drugs or food compounds able to induce a program of brown fat differentiation including uncoupling protein 1 expression and enhancing oxidative metabolism in white adipose cells. However, additional research is needed, mainly focused on the physiological relevance of browning and its dietary control, where the use of ferrets and other non-rodent animal models with a more similar adipose tissue organization and metabolism to humans could be of much help. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Brown and White Fat: From Signaling to Disease.     

The emergence of yeast lipidomics

The emerging field of lipidomics, driven by technological advances in lipid analysis, provides greatly enhanced opportunities to characterize, on a quantitative or semi-quantitative level, the entire spectrum of lipids, or lipidome, in specific cell types. When combined with advances in other high throughput technologies in genomics and proteomics, lipidomics offers the opportunity to analyze the unique roles of specific lipids in complex cellular processes such as signaling and membrane trafficking. The yeast system offers many advantages for such studies, including the relative simplicity of its lipidome as compared to mammalian cells, the relatively high proportion of structural and regulatory genes of lipid metabolism which have been assigned and the excellent tools for molecular genetic analysis that yeast affords. The current state of application of lipidomic approaches in yeast and the advantages and disadvantages of yeast for such studies are discussed in this report.     

Energy metabolism of adipose tissue--physiological aspects and target in obesity treatment

Body fat content is controlled, at least in part, by energy charge of adipocytes. In vitro studies indicated that lipogenesis as well as lipolysis depend on cellular ATP levels. Respiratory uncoupling may, through the depression of ATP synthesis, control lipid metabolism of adipose cells. Expression of some uncoupling proteins (UCP2 and UCP5) as well as other protonophoric transporters can be detected in the adipose tissue. Expression of other UCPs (UCP1 and UCP3) can be induced by pharmacological treatments that reduce adiposity. A negative correlation between the accumulation of fat and the expression of UCP2 in adipocytes was also found. Ectopic expression of UCP1 in the white fat of aP2-Ucp1 transgenic mice mitigated obesity induced by genetic or dietary factors. In these mice, changes in lipid metabolism of adipocytes were associated with the depression of intracellular energy charge. Recent data show that AMP-activated protein kinase may be involved in the complex changes elicited by respiratory uncoupling in adipocytes. Changes in energy metabolism of adipose tissue may mediate effects of treatments directed against adiposity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance.     

Adipose tissue secretory function: implication in metabolic and cardiovascular complications of obesity

The adipose tissue exerts a double function that is crucial for energy homeostasis. On the one hand, it is the only organ suited to stock triglycerides in highly specialized cells, the adipocytes. On the other hand, the adipose tissue produces biologically active molecules, collectively named "adipokines", which have been implicated in energy balance and glucose and lipid metabolism. Both adipocytes and cells of the stromal fraction participate in this function of secretion. The adipokines acts locally, in an autocrine or paracrine manner, and distantly (endocrine), on various targets, including muscles, the liver and the hypothalamus. Some adipokines, as TNFalpha and IL6, promote insulin resistance and inflammation, whereas others, as leptin and adiponectin, are required for energy and glucose homeostasis. In obesity, adipose cell hypertrophy and the recruitment of macrophages alter the secretory function and induce an inflammatory profile in the adipose tissue. Analyses of gene expression suggest that hypoxia is one of the factors favoring the attraction of the macrophages. The local and systemic consequences of interactions between macrophages and adipocytes are currently actively studied, to understand their potential implication in the metabolic and cardiovascular complications associated with obesity.     

Biology and pathological implications of brown adipose tissue: promises and caveats for the control of obesity and its associated complications

The discovery of metabolically active brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans has fuelled the research of diverse aspects of this previously neglected tissue. BAT is solely present in mammals and its clearest physiological role is non‐shivering thermogenesis, owing to the capacity of brown adipocytes to dissipate metabolic energy as heat. Recently, a number of other possible functions have been proposed, including direct regulation of glucose and lipid homeostasis and the secretion of a number of factors with diverse regulatory actions. Herein, we review recent advances in general biological knowledge of BAT and discuss the possible implications of this tissue in human metabolic health. In particular, we confront the claimed thermogenic potential of BAT for human energy balance and body mass regulation, mostly based on animal studies, with the most recent quantifications of human BAT.     

Adipose tissue expandability,lipotoxicity and the Metabolic Syndrome — An allostatic perspective

While the link between obesity and type 2 diabetes is clear on an epidemiological level, the underlying mechanism linking these two common disorders is not as clearly understood. One hypothesis linking obesity to type 2 diabetes is the adipose tissue expandability hypothesis. The adipose tissue expandability hypothesis states that a failure in the capacity for adipose tissue expansion, rather than obesity per se is the key factor linking positive energy balance and type 2 diabetes. All individuals possess a maximum capacity for adipose expansion which is determined by both genetic and environmental factors. Once the adipose tissue expansion limit is reached, adipose tissue ceases to store energy efficiently and lipids begin to accumulate in other tissues. Ectopic lipid accumulation in non-adipocyte cells causes lipotoxic insults including insulin resistance, apoptosis and inflammation. This article discusses the links between adipokines, inflammation, adipose tissue expandability and lipotoxicity. Finally, we will discuss how considering the concept of allostasis may enable a better understanding of how diabetes develops and allow the rational design of new anti diabetic treatments.