A combined transcriptomics and lipidomics analysis of subcutaneous, epididymal and mesenteric adipose tissue reveals marked functional differences

PLoS One. 2010 Jul 12;5(7):e11525. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011525.

Abstract

Depot-dependent differences in adipose tissue physiology may reflect specialized functions and local interactions between adipocytes and surrounding tissues. We combined time-resolved microarray analyses of mesenteric- (MWAT), subcutaneous- (SWAT) and epididymal adipose tissue (EWAT) during high-fat feeding of male transgenic ApoE3Leiden mice with histology, targeted lipidomics and biochemical analyses of metabolic pathways to identify differentially regulated processes and site-specific functions. EWAT was found to exhibit physiological zonation. De novo lipogenesis in fat proximal to epididymis was stably low, whereas de novo lipogenesis distal to epididymis and at other locations was down-regulated in response to high-fat diet. The contents of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in EWAT were increased compared to other depots. Expression of the androgen receptor (Ar) was higher in EWAT than in MWAT and SWAT. We suggest that Ar may mediate depot-dependent differences in de novo lipogenesis rate and propose that accumulation of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in EWAT is favored by testosterone-mediated inhibition of de novo lipogenesis and may promote further elongation and desaturation of these polyunsaturated fatty acids during spermatogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipocytes / metabolism
  • Adipose Tissue / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • Epididymis / metabolism*
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / metabolism
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / metabolism
  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling / methods*
  • Lipogenesis / genetics
  • Lipogenesis / physiology*
  • Male
  • Mesentery / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Subcutaneous Tissue / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-6
  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
  • Mlxipl protein, mouse
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Transcription Factors

Grants and funding

This project was funded by the Nutrigenomics Organisation (www.nugo.org/), EC-funded Network of Excellence, grant number FOOD-2004-506360. Financial support was also obtained from the Johan Throne Holst Foundation for Nutrition Research and the Freia Medical Research Fund. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.