Presence of adipose differentiation-related protein in rat meibomian gland cells.

Adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) is an intrinsic lipid storage protein found in lipid droplets of different type of cells. ADRP has been recognized to be a specific marker of lipid accumulation and a marker of differentiated adipocytes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ADRP was present in the cells of the meibomian gland. The expression of the mRNA of ADRP was determined by RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis of the meibomian gland and other rat tissues. A newly generated polyclonal antibody against rat ADRP was used for Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining to determine whether ADRP was expressed in the rat meibomian gland. Meibomian gland acinar cells were isolated to determine when ADRP was expressed during cell differentiation in vitro. Northern blot analysis and Western analysis showed that ADRP was expressed in the meibomian gland. Immunoreactivity to ADRP was observed in the lobules of acinar cells in the meibomian gland, and was preferentially located adjacent the vacuolated cytoplasm. In culture, the meibocytes began to store lipid droplets in the cytoplasm as they became confluent, and the immunoreactivity for ADRP was found at the margins of the oil droplets. Our results suggest that ADRP can serve as a new marker for the identification of differentiated meibocytes containing lipid droplets.

Expression of perilipin A on the surface of lipid droplets increases along with the differentiation of hamster sebocytes in vivo and in vitro.

To clarify the involvement of perilipin, a lipid-droplet-surface protein associated with adipocytes and steroidogenic cells, in the differentiation of sebocytes, we investigated the expression of perilipin in sebaceous glands in vivo and in vitro. Perilipin was expressed in sebaceous glands of the hamster auricle in vivo and was localized at the surface of intracellular lipid droplets in differentiated hamster sebocytes in vitro. Western blot analysis showed that perilipin with a molecular weight of approximately 57 kDa, which was identical to that in differentiated mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes, was detected in cultured sebocytes, indicating that sebaceous glands expressed perilipin A. In addition, the production of perilipin A in cultured sebocytes was transcriptionally augmented by sebocytic-lipogenesis stimulators, insulin, and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone, whereas it was decreased by a suppressor of sebocytic differentiation, epidermal growth factor. Furthermore, hamster sebocytes were found to express peroxisome proliferation-activating receptor alpha and gamma1, the activation of which by WY14643 and troglitazone, respectively, caused the transcriptional augmentation of perilipin A expression along with an increase in levels of triacylglycerols in lipid droplets in sebocytes. Therefore, these results provide novel evidence that the expression of perilipin A increases on the surface of intracellular lipid droplets augmented along with the differentiation of hamster sebocytes.

Isolation and identification of histone H3 protein enriched in microvesicles secreted from cultured sebocytes.

Secretion of microvesicles, defined as sebosomes, containing lipid particles were discovered for the first time in cultured sebocytes. After reaching confluency, hamster-cloned sebocytes released bubble-like microvesicles with a diameter range of 0.5-5.0 microm. They had a complex structure containing multiple Oil Red O-stainable particles. The lipid components of the microvesicles were large amounts of squalene both of hamster-cloned and rat primary cultured sebocytes. The microvesicles contained a concentrated 17-kDa cationic protein, which was soluble in sulfate buffer including Nonidet P-40 at pH 1.5. As the protein bound tightly to heparin-Sepharose and eluted with 1.5 M NaCl, it was further purified from a SDS-PAGE gel. Peptide sequencing identified the protein to be histone H3. Polyclonal antibodies against the purified protein detected the antigen in the microvesicles both in the hamster-cloned and rat primary cultured sebocytes. The antibodies demonstrated a distribution of the protein within the nucleus, cytoplasm, and precursor microvesicles. When a gene construct encoding histone H3-enhanced green fluorescent protein was transfected to the sebocytes, fluorescence of the fusion proteins was detected within both the nucleus and the precursor microvesicles of the cytoplasm. The distribution of heparan sulfate was evident in the microvesicles, and it suggested the possibility that the histone H3 protein was recruited and then condensed to the secreted microvesicles by the molecules. In addition, the 14-3-3 protein, which was detected in the microvesicles, also may help incorporate the histone H3 protein in the microvesicles because it can bind to both histone and lipid particles.

Mechanism of adult primitive mesenchymal ST-13 preadipocyte differentiation.

Convincing evidence supports the idea that adipogenesis occurs throughout the life of organisms. However, little is known about the adipogenesis program for adult adipocytes. We examine this issue using mouse adult primitive mesenchymal ST-13 preadipocytes that express the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) gene while in a predifferentiated state. The gene expression of PPARgamma was sustained throughout differentiation when ST-13 preadipocytes were induced to become adipocytes by a PPARgamma ligand. However, the differentiation of pluripotent C3H10T1/2 stem cells and 3T3-L1 embryonic fibroblastic cells was associated with enhanced expression of the PPARgamma gene. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that C3H10T1/2 and 3T3-L1 cells expressed low levels of PPARgamma1 from the early stage, and the amount increased during differentiation, whereas PPARgamma2 appeared at the late stage. In contrast, ST-13 preadipocytes expressed an appreciable amount of PPARgamma1 that significantly decreased on differentiation, and a small amount of PPARgamma2 appeared late in the differentiation process. Furthermore, the standard hormone cocktail containing dexamethasone, methylisobutylxanthine, and insulin induced an increase in PPARgamma1 protein only at the early stage, and a low level of PPARgamma2 protein appeared late in ST-13 cells. However, levels of both PPARgamma1 and PPARgamma2 proteins were significantly induced within 2 d in 3T3-L1 cells in this hormonal adipogenesis. Moreover, exposing ST-13 preadipocytes to dexamethasone and insulin induced differentiation, but failed to induce adipogenesis in 3T3-L1. Adipogenesis in adult rat primary preadipocytes was also induced in a similar manner to that of ST-13. Our results indicate that ST-13 cells and primary preadipocytes derived from adults possess an adipogenesis program distinct from that of 3T3-L1 and C3H10T1/2 cells, and that it may represent the adipogenesis program for adult-specific adipocytes.