Abstract
Brown adipose has the potential to counteract obesity, and thus, identifying signaling pathways that regulate the activity of this tissue is of great clinical interest. PRDM16 is a transcription factor that activates brown fat-specific genes while repressing white fat and muscle-specific genes in adipocytes. Whether PRDM16 also controls other gene programs to regulate adipocyte function was unclear. Here, we identify a novel role for PRDM16 in suppressing type I interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs), including Stat1, in adipocytes in vitro and in vivo Ectopic activation of type I IFN signaling in brown adipocytes induces mitochondrial dysfunction and reduces uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression. Prdm16-deficient adipose displays an exaggerated response to type I IFN, including higher STAT1 levels and reduced mitochondrial gene expression. Mechanistically, PRDM16 represses ISGs through binding to promoter regions of these genes and blocking the activating function of IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF1). Together, these data indicate that PRDM16 diminishes responsiveness to type I IFN in adipose cells to promote thermogenic and mitochondrial function.
Original language | English |
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Journal | E M B O Journal |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 11 |
Pages (from-to) | 1528-1542 |
Number of pages | 15 |
ISSN | 0261-4189 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Adipocytes/physiology
- Animals
- DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Interferon Regulatory Factor-1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Interferon Type I/metabolism
- Mice
- Mitochondria/metabolism
- STAT1 Transcription Factor/antagonists & inhibitors
- Thermogenesis
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Uncoupling Protein 1/metabolism