Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jiwon Lim, Yerim Heo, Sun Shim Choi
Summary: DNAm is important for regulating cellular activities, and this study investigated its alterations in obesity. Using methylome and transcriptome data, differentially methylated probes (DMPs) were identified between adipocytes and preadipocytes, as well as between obese and lean adipocytes. The study also examined the impact of hyper and hypomethylation on gene expression changes. Interestingly, greater DNAm alterations were observed during adipocyte differentiation under lean conditions compared to obese conditions. Overall, complex methylation changes affected adipogenesis-related genes, leading to differences in gene expression between lean and obese adipocytes.
Article
Cell Biology
Hui Peng, Qi Guo, Tian Su, Ye Xiao, Chang-Jun Li, Yan Huang, Xiang-Hang Luo
Summary: The study identified the potential role of SCARA3 in obesity-related disorders and metabolic diseases, and suggested that SCARA3 may be associated with age-related metabolic dysfunction. The findings provide new insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of obesity and other obesity-associated metabolic complications.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Elaheh Mirzaeicheshmeh, Carlos Zerrweck, Federico Centeno-Cruz, Paulina Baca-Peynado, Angelica Martinez-Hernandez, Humberto Garcia-Ortiz, Cecilia Contreras-Cubas, Maria Guadalupe Salas-Martinez, Yolanda Saldana-Alvarez, Elvia C. Mendoza-Caamal, Francisco Barajas-Olmos, Lorena Orozco
Summary: This study identified altered DNA methylation profiles in diabetic obese patients throughout adipocyte differentiation stages, with significant impact on gene expression related to adipogenesis and T2D. The findings suggest that epigenetic markers persisting through adipogenesis stages may contribute to cellular metabolic memory involved in T2D.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lucas Massier, Jutta Jalkanen, Merve Elmastas, Jiawei Zhong, Tongtong Wang, Pamela A. Nono A. Nankam, Scott Frendo-Cumbo, Jesper Backdahl, Narmadha Subramanian, Takuya Sekine, Alastair G. G. Kerr, Ben T. P. Tseng, Jurga Laurencikiene, Marcus Buggert, Magda Lourda, Karolina Kublickiene, Nayanika Bhalla, Alma Andersson, Armand Valsesia, Arne Astrup, Ellen E. E. Blaak, Patrik L. L. Stahl, Nathalie Viguerie, Dominique Langin, Christian Wolfrum, Matthias Blueher, Mikael Ryden, Niklas Mejhert
Summary: Single-cell studies are conducted on human white adipose tissue (WAT) to understand the different cell types in the tissue. By analyzing multiple datasets, the authors create a comprehensive cellular map of white adipose tissue that includes over 60 subpopulations of adipocytes, fibroblast and adipogenic progenitors, vascular, and immune cells. They also discover associations between specific cell subtypes and metabolic states such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, adipocyte volume, and lipolysis. Overall, this meta-map provides valuable information about the cellular and microarchitectural landscape of human WAT.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Berta Mas-Pares, Silvia Xargay-Torrent, Ariadna Gomez-Vilarrubla, Gemma Carreras-Badosa, Anna Prats-Puig, Francis De Zegher, Lourdes Ibanez, Judit Bassols, Abel Lopez-Bermejo
Summary: Excessive gestational weight gain during pregnancy has negative effects on the health of offspring, which is mediated by epigenetic modifications and changes in gene expression. This study investigated the association between gestational weight gain and DNA methylation in umbilical cord tissue, and examined whether DNA methylation and the expression of corresponding genes were related to obesity-related parameters in 6-year-old children. The results showed that certain methylated CpG sites in umbilical cord tissue were associated with gestational weight gain, and higher levels of methylation in SETD8 and RPTOR genes and lower levels of methylation in SLIT3 gene were associated with an increased risk of obesity in offspring. The findings suggest that epigenetic changes in umbilical cord tissue could be potential early biomarkers for preventing childhood overweight and obesity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Josefin Henninger, Bjorn Eliasson, Ulf Smith, Aidin Rawshani
Summary: The study utilized a multi-modal machine learning approach to investigate markers of adipose tissue morphology, insulin and glucose metabolism in non-obese male individuals. Different serum metabolites were found to be associated with various physiological markers, enhancing our understanding of type 2 diabetes.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yong Zhang, Fancheng Chen, Fangxue Zhang, Xiaowei Huang
Summary: This study used bioinformatics methods to analyze epigenetic changes during adipogenesis at the level of miRNA expression and DNA methylation. The results identified several genes and miRNAs that are involved in the regulation of adipogenesis, as well as potential therapeutic drugs for adipogenesis. The findings suggest that CANX, HNRNPA1, MCL1, and PPIF may play key roles in the epigenetic regulation of adipogenesis and could serve as biomarkers for abnormal methylation or miRNA targeting.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Whitney L. Do, Steve Nguyen, Jie Yao, Xiuqing Guo, Eric A. Whitsel, Ellen Demerath, Jerome I. Rotter, Stephen S. Rich, Leslie Lange, Jingzhong Ding, David van den Berg, Yongmei Liu, Anne E. Justice, Weihua Guan, Steve Horvath, Themistocles L. Assimes, Parveen Bhatti, Kristina Jordahl, Aladdin Shadyab, Celina I. Valencia, Aryeh D. Stein, Alicia Smith, Lisa R. Staimez, Karen Conneely, K. M. Venkat Narayan
Summary: This study identified differential associations between DNA methylation and BMI based on metabolic health status at 22 CpG sites, with one site validated and three sites predictive of incident coronary heart disease (CHD). These findings suggest a potential role for inflammation in the relationship between DNA methylation and BMI-related metabolic health.
CLINICAL EPIGENETICS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Meng-Hao Pan, Cheng-Cheng Zhu, Jia-Qian Ju, Yi Xu, Shi-Ming Luo, Shao-Chen Sun, Xiang-Hong Ou
Summary: The study suggests that obesity affects early embryonic development in mice by inducing DNA damage, aberrant histone methylation, and changes in autophagy levels.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Benjamin P. Larkin, Long T. Nguyen, Miao Hou, Sarah J. Glastras, Hui Chen, Rosy Wang, Carol A. Pollock, Sonia Saad
Summary: The study found that offspring exposed to maternal obesity or diet-induced obesity had significantly increased renal global DNA methylation, along with other adverse renal effects. However, offspring exposed to gestational hydralazine had significantly reduced renal global DNA methylation, suggesting a potential renoprotective effect of hydralazine in preventing CKD in offspring.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Ayala Tovy, Jaime M. Reyes, Linda Zhang, Yung-Hsin Huang, Carina Rosas, Alexes C. Daquinag, Anna Guzman, Raghav Ramabadran, Chun-Wei Chen, Tianpeng Gu, Sinjini Gupta, Laura Ortinau, Dongsu Park, Aaron R. Cox, Rachel E. Rau, Sean M. Hartig, Mikhail G. Kolonin, Margaret A. Goodell
Summary: DNMT3A plays a crucial role in the differentiation of embryonic and hematopoietic stem cells. Heterozygous mutations in DNMT3A lead to Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, characterized by obesity and excessive height. This study shows that DNMT3A affects feeding behavior and adipocyte progenitor differentiation, contributing to the development of inflammatory obesity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiahao Shao, Meigui Wang, Anjing Zhang, Zheliang Liu, Genglong Jiang, Tao Tang, Jie Wang, Xianbo Jia, Songjia Lai
Summary: This study found that a circular RNA called mmu_circ_0001874 is abnormally highly expressed in the white adipose tissue and liver of mice with obesity. Interfering with mmu_circ_0001874 reduced lipid accumulation in the obese mice's WAT and liver tissues. Mechanistically, miR-24-3p interacts with mmu_circ_0001874 to affect lipid metabolism, and it also targets Igf2/PI3K-AKT-mTOR axis to participate in adipogenesis and lipid accumulation. Additionally, mmu_circ_0001874 binds to Igf2bp2, leading to up-regulation of Ucp1 translation and increased thermogenesis, which helps decrease lipid accumulation. Overall, this study highlights the physiological role of circRNA in lipid metabolism reprogramming and proposes potential mechanisms involving mmu_circ_0001874/miR-24-3p/Igf2/PI3K-AKT-mTOR and mmu_circ_0001874/Igf2bp2/Ucp1 axis in controlling lipid accumulation in obesity.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Han-Ning Wang, Jin-Zhu Xiang, Zhi Qi, Min Du
Summary: Obesity is a global issue, with Western high energy diet being a major contributing factor. Plant extracts containing polyphenols, alkaloids, and terpenoids have been shown to have anti-obesity effects through various signaling pathways and gut microbiota. These extracts have the potential to be preventive or therapeutic agents for obesity and its related metabolic diseases.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Aino Heikkinen, Sailalitha Bollepalli, Miina Ollikainen
Summary: DNA methylation, as an epigenetic modification, has been consistently associated with various human traits and diseases. It has the potential to serve as a disease biomarker by reflecting environmental exposures and predicting disease onset. DNA methylation patterns are more stable and easier to measure compared to transcriptomic or proteomic patterns, making them ideal for tracking different environments and risk factors. DNA methylation-based predictors have shown promise in being more accurate than self-reported or measured phenotypes, and may have applications in clinics.
JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Siresha Bathina, Reina Armamento-Villareal
Summary: Fractures associated with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are a public health concern in an obese and aging population. Patients with T2DM have normal or better bone mineral density but are at a higher risk for fractures. The main issue in T2DM is a reduction in bone formation due to dysfunction in osteoblast differentiation and survival. Obesity and T2DM are also associated with increased adipogenesis, potentially at the expense of reduced osteogenesis and myogenesis. Understanding the complex mechanisms involved in bone pathophysiology in obesity and T2DM is important for developing pharmacological targets to improve bone health.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)