Exploring a novel mechanism regulating differentiation into beige adipocytes

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26660291
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied molecular and cellular biology
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Kioka Noriyuki 京都大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (90234179)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 脂肪細胞 / コラーゲン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been revealed that white adipocytes can transdifferentiate into beige adipocytes, which consume lipids and generate heat. Stiffness of extracellular matrix affects cell fate and behaviors. In this research, we examined the effect of stiffness on the differentiation into beige adipocytes. We found that after induction of the differentiation, white adipocytes on gel substrates (soft) expressed more UCP1 mRNA, beige adipocyte maker, than those on plastic dishes (very rigid). This supports the hypothesis that stiffness affects the differentiation of white adipocytes into beige adipocytes.

Free Research Field

応用細胞生物化学