Transcriptome and fatty-acid signatures of adipocyte hypertrophy and its non-invasive MR-based characterization in human adipose tissue.

Julius Honecker, Stefan Ruschke, Claudine Seeliger, Samantha Laber, Sophie Strobel, Priska Pröll, Christoffer Nellaker, Cecilia M Lindgren, Ulrich Kulozik, Josef Ecker, Dimitrios C Karampinos, Melina Claussnitzer, Hans Hauner

Journal: EBioMedicine 2022;79():104020

PMID: 35490555

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The adipocyte-hypertrophy associated remodeling of fat cell function is considered causal for the development of metabolic disorders. A better understanding of transcriptome and fatty acid (FA) related alterations with adipocyte hypertrophy combined with less-invasive strategies for the detection of the latter can help to increase the prognostic and diagnostic value of adipocyte size and FA composition as markers for metabolic disease.

METHODS

To clarify adipocyte-hypertrophy associated transcriptomic alterations, fat cell size was related to RNA-Seq data from white adipose tissue and size-separated adipocytes. The relationship between adipocyte size and adipose tissue FA composition as measured by GC-MS was investigated. MR spectroscopy (MRS) methods for clinical scanning were developed to characterize adipocyte size and FA composition in a fast and non-invasive manner.

FINDINGS

With enlarged adipocyte size, substantial transcriptomic alterations of genes involved in mitochondrial function and FA metabolism were observed. Investigations of these two mechanisms revealed a reciprocal relationship between adipocyte size and estimated thermogenic adipocyte content as well as depot-specific correlations of adipocyte size and FA composition. MRS on a clinical scanner was suitable for the in-parallel assessment of adipose morphology and FA composition.

INTERPRETATION

The current study provides a comprehensive overview of the adipocyte-hypertrophy associated transcriptomic and FA landscape in both subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue. MRS represents a promising technique to translate the observed mechanistic, structural and functional changes in WAT with adipocyte hypertrophy into a clinical context for an improved phenotyping of WAT in the context of metabolic diseases.

FUNDING

Competence network for obesity (FKZ 42201GI1128), ERC (No 677661, ProFatMRI; No 875488, FatVirtualBiopsy), Else Kröner-Fresenius-Foundation.

Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Address: Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Chair of Nutritional Medicine, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].; Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.; Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Chair of Nutritional Medicine, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.; Food- and Bioprocess Engineering, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Weihenstephaner Berg 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.; Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, United Kingdom; Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, United Kingdom.; ZIEL - Institute for Food and Health, Research Group Lipid Metabolism, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.; Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Munich Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Center for Genomic Medicine and Endocrine Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.; Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Chair of Nutritional Medicine, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany; Institute for Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 62, Munich 80992, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].
Bant logo

© Copyright 2026, Nutrition Evidence

NED wishes to thank the following organisations for their support:

We use cookies to improve your experience and analyze site traffic with Google Analytics. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more.