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Understanding the molecular networks that regulate adipogenesis is crucial for gaining insight into obesity and identifying medicinal targets thereof is necessary for pharmacological interventions. However, the identity and molecular actions of activators that promote the early development of adipocytes are still largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate a novel role for phosphoprotein phosphatase 1CB (PPP1CB) as a potent adipogenic activator that promotes adipocyte differentiation. PPP1CB expression increased in vitro during the early phase of 3T3-L1 adipogenesis and in the murine model of high-fat diet-induced obesity. Depletion of PPP1CB dramatically suppressed the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into mature adipocytes, with a concomitant change in adipocyte marker genes and significantly inhibited clonal expansion. We also showed that knockdown of PPP1CB caused a significant decrease in C/EBPδ expression, which in turn resulted in attenuation of PPARγ, C/EBPα, adiponectin, and aP2. In addition, we elucidated the functional significance of PPP1CB by linking p38 activation to C/EBPδ expression in early adipogenesis. Overall, our findings demonstrate a novel function of PPP1CB in promoting adipogenesis and suggest that PPP1CB may be a promising therapeutic target for treatment of obesity and obesity-related diseases.

Previously, we identified proteins showing a differential acetylation pattern during adipogenic differentiation. Here, we examined the role of malate dehydrogenase 2 (MDH2) acetylation in the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The acetylation level of MDH2 showed a dramatic increase during adipogenesis. The overexpression of wild-type MDH2 induced the significant acceleration of adipogenic differentiation. On the other hand, the acetylation-block mutant MDH2 showed significantly reduced adipogenic differentiation compared to the wild type. MDH2 acetylation enhances its enzymatic activity and consequently intracellular NADPH level. These results suggest that the acetylation of MDH2 was affected by the cellular energy state and subsequently regulated adipogenic differentiation.

Abnormal adipocyte differentiation is implicated in the development of metabolic disorders such as obesity and type II diabetes. Thus, an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with adipocyte differentiation is the first step in overcoming obesity and its related metabolic diseases. Here, we examined the role of c-Jun as a transcription factor in adipocyte differentiation. c-Jun overexpression in murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes significantly inhibited adipocyte differentiation. In addition, the expression level of KLF15, an upstream effector of the key adipogenic factors C/EBPα and PPARγ, was decreased upon the ectopic expression of c-Jun. We found that c-Jun inhibited basal and glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-induced promoter activities of KLF15. c-Jun directly bound near the glucocorticoid response element (GRE) sites in the KLF15 promoter and inhibited adjacent promoter occupancies of GR. Furthermore, the restoration of KLF15 expression in 3T3-L1 cells with the stable ectopic expression of c-Jun partially rescued adipocyte differentiation. Our results demonstrate that c-Jun can suppress adipocyte differentiation through the down-regulation of KLF15 at the transcriptional level. This study proposes a novel mechanism by which c-Jun regulates adipocyte differentiation.