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Fatty acid binding protein 4 expression marks a population of adipocyte progenitors in white and brown adipose tissues
Author(s) -
Shan Tizhong,
Liu Weiyi,
Kuang Shihuan
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fj.12-211516
Subject(s) - adipose tissue , progenitor cell , adipocyte , biology , adipogenesis , stromal vascular fraction , microbiology and biotechnology , population , white adipose tissue , adipose tissue macrophages , stem cell , cellular differentiation , endocrinology , genetics , medicine , environmental health , gene
Adipose tissues regulate metabolism, reproduction, and life span. The development and growth of adipose tissue are due to increases of both adipocyte cell size and cell number; the latter is mediated by adipocyte progenitors. Various markers have been used to identify either adipocyte progenitors or mature adipocytes. The fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), commonly known as adipocyte protein 2 (aP2), has been extensively used as a marker for differentiated adipocytes. However, whether aP2 is expressed in adipogenic progenitors is controversial. Using Cre/LoxP‐based cell lineage tracing in mice, we have identified a population of aP2‐expressing progenitors in the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of both white and brown adipose tissues. The aP2‐lineage progenitors reside in the adipose stem cell niche and express adipocyte progenitor markers, including CD34, Sca1, Dlk1, and PDGFRα. When isolated and grown in culture, the aP2‐expressing SVF cells proliferate and differentiate into adipocytes upon induction. Conversely, ablation of the aP2 lineage greatly reduces the adipogenic potential of SVF cells. When grafted into wild‐type mice, the aP2‐lineage progenitors give rise to adipose depots in recipient mice. Therefore, the expression of aP2 is not limited to mature adipocytes, but also marks a pool of undifferentiated progenitors associated with the vasculature of adipose tissues. Our finding adds to the repertoire of adipose progenitor markers and points to a new regulator of adipose plasticity.—Shan, T., Liu, W., Kuang, S. Fatty acid‐binding protein 4 expression marks a population of adipocyte progenitors in white and brown adipose tissues. FASEB J. 27, 277–287 (2013). www.fasebj.org