miR-33a Inhibits the Differentiation of Bovine Preadipocytes through the IRS2-Akt Pathway

Wenzhen Zhang; Sayed Haidar Abbas Raza; Bingzhi Li; Bing Sun; Sihu Wang; Sameer D Pant; Nouf S Al-Abbas; Nehad A Shaer; Linsen Zan

doi:10.3390/genes14020529

miR-33a Inhibits the Differentiation of Bovine Preadipocytes through the IRS2-Akt Pathway

Genes (Basel). 2023 Feb 20;14(2):529. doi: 10.3390/genes14020529.

Authors

Wenzhen Zhang¹, Sayed Haidar Abbas Raza^{1

2}, Bingzhi Li¹, Bing Sun¹, Sihu Wang¹, Sameer D Pant³, Nouf S Al-Abbas⁴, Nehad A Shaer⁵, Linsen Zan^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
² Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
³ Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Boorooma Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia.
⁴ Department of Biology, Jamoum University College, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Al Lieth University College, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ National Beef Cattle Improvement Center, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.

Abstract

Several microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to participate in adipogenesis. However, their role in this process, especially in the differentiation of bovine preadipocytes, remains to be elucidated. This study was intended to clarify the effect of microRNA-33a (miR-33a) on the differentiation of bovine preadipocytes by cell culture, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR), Oil Red staining, BODIPY staining, and Western blotting. The results indicate that overexpression of miR-33a significantly inhibited lipid droplet accumulation and decreased the mRNA and protein expression of adipocyte differentiation marker genes such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1), and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4). In contrast, the interference expression of miR-33a promoted lipid droplet accumulation and increased the expression of marker genes. Additionally, miR-33a directly targeted insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) and regulated the phosphorylation level of serine/threonine kinase (Akt). Furthermore, miR-33a inhibition could rescue defects in the differentiation of bovine preadipocytes and the Akt phosphorylation level caused by small interfering IRS2 (si-IRS2). Collectively, these results indicate that miR-33a could inhibit the differentiation of bovine preadipocytes, possibly through the IRS2-Akt pathway. These findings might help develop practical means to improve the quality of beef.

Keywords: Akt pathway; IRS2; bovine; miR-33a; preadipocyte differentiation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adipogenesis / genetics
Animals
Cattle
Cell Differentiation
Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins
MicroRNAs* / genetics
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt* / metabolism

Substances

Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins
MicroRNAs

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31972994), Shaanxi Livestock and Poultry Breeding Double-chain Fusion Key Project (2022GD-TSLD-46-0102), Special Project for the Central Government to Guide Local Science and Technology Development (2060404-51301) the National Beef and Yak Industrial Technology System (CARS-37), and the Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi Province (2022NY-050, 2022ZDLNY01-01).