An inhibitory role of progerin in the gene induction network of adipocyte differentiation from iPS cells

Aging (Albany NY). 2013 Apr;5(4):288-303. doi: 10.18632/aging.100550.

Abstract

Lipodystrophies, characterized by partial or complete loss of adipose tissue, have been associated with mutations in the lamin A gene. It remains unclear how lamin A mutants interfere with adipose tissue formation. Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) presents the most severe form of lamin A-associated diseases, whose patients show a complete loss of subcutaneous fat. Using iPSCs reprogrammed from HGPS fibroblasts, we induced adipocyte formation from iPSC derived embryoid bodies or from iPSC derived mesenchymal stem cells. Both approaches revealed a severe lipid storage defect in HGPS cells at late differentiation stage, faithfully recapitulating HGPS patient phenotype. Expression analysis further indicated that progerin inhibited the transcription activation of PPARγ2 and C/EBPα, but had little effects on the early adipogenic regulators. Our experiments demonstrate two comparable approaches of in vitro modeling lipodystrophies with patient-specific iPSCs, and support a regulatory role of lamin A in the terminal differentiation stage of adipogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipocytes / cytology*
  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology
  • Lamin Type A
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Protein Precursors / genetics
  • Protein Precursors / metabolism*

Substances

  • Lamin Type A
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Protein Precursors
  • prelamin A