Bone morphogenetic protein 2 is a depot-specific regulator of human adipogenesis.
Denton NF., Eghleilib M., Al-Sharifi S., Todorčević M., Neville MJ., Loh N., Drakesmith A., Karpe F., Pinnick KE.
BACKGROUND: Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) regulate adipogenesis but it is not clear whether they influence regional adipose tissue (AT) development in humans. OBJECTIVE: To characterise BMP2 expression, BMP2-SMAD1/5/8 signalling, and BMP2's potential effect on proliferation and adipogenesis in human subcutaneous abdominal and gluteal AT and its constituent preadipocytes. METHODS: BMP2 expression was measured in whole AT and immortalised preadipocytes via qPCR and Western blot; secreted/circulating BMP2 was measured by ELISA. The effect of BMP2 on preadipocyte proliferation was evaluated using a fluorescent assay. BMP2's effect on adipogenesis in immortalised preadipocytes was determined via qPCR of adipogenic markers and cellular triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation. BMP2-SMAD1/5/8 signalling was assessed in immortalised preadipocytes via Western blot and qPCR of ID1 expression. RESULTS: BMP2 was expressed and released by abdominal and gluteal AT and preadipocytes. Exogenous BMP2 dose dependently promoted adipogenesis in abdominal preadipocytes only; 50 ng/ml BMP2 increased PPARG2 expression (10-fold compared to vehicle, p 90% inhibition of TAG accumulation (p