Mitofusin 2 in Mature Adipocytes Controls Adiposity and Body Weight

Publication date: 12 March 2019Source: Cell Reports, Volume 26, Issue 11Author(s): Giacomo Mancini, Kevin Pirruccio, Xiaoyong Yang, Matthias Blücher, Matthew Rodeheffer, Tamas L. HorvathSummaryWe found that exposure of adult animals to calorie-dense foods rapidly abolished expression of mitofusin 2 (Mfn2), a gene promoting mitochondrial fusion and mitochondrion-endoplasmic reticulum interactions, in white and brown fat. Mfn2 mRN was also robustly lower in obese human subjects compared with lean controls. Adipocyte-specific knockdown of Mfn2 in adult mice led to increased food intake, adiposity, and impaired glucose metabolism on standard chow as well as on a diet with high calorie content. The body weight and adiposity of mature adipocyte-specific Mfn2 knockout mice on a standard diet were similar to those of control mice on a high-fat diet. The transcriptional profile of the adipose tissue in adipocyte-specific Mfn2 knockout mice was consistent with adipocyte proliferation, increased lipogenesis at the tissue level, and decreased glucose utilization at the systemic level. These observations suggest a possible crucial role for mitochondrial dynamics in adipocytes in initiating systemic metabolic dysregulation.Graphical Abstract

Source: Cell Reports - March 14, 2019 Category: Cytology Source Type: research