First Author | Rajakumari S | Year | 2013 |
Journal | Cell Metab | Volume | 17 |
Issue | 4 | Pages | 562-74 |
PubMed ID | 23499423 | Mgi Jnum | J:198125 |
Mgi Id | MGI:5495569 | Doi | 10.1016/j.cmet.2013.01.015 |
Citation | Rajakumari S, et al. (2013) EBF2 determines and maintains brown adipocyte identity. Cell Metab 17(4):562-74 |
abstractText | The master transcription factor Ppargamma regulates the general differentiation program of both brown and white adipocytes. However, it has been unclear whether Ppargamma also controls fat lineage-specific characteristics. Here, we show that early B cell factor-2 (Ebf2) regulates Ppargamma binding activity to determine brown versus white adipocyte identity. The Ebf DNA-binding motif was highly enriched within brown adipose-specific Ppargamma binding sites that we identified by genome-wide ChIP-Seq. Of the Ebf isoforms, Ebf2 was selectively expressed in brown relative to white adipocytes and was bound at brown adipose-specific Ppargamma target genes. When expressed in myoblasts or white preadipose cells, Ebf2 recruited Ppargamma to its brown-selective binding sites and reprogrammed cells to a brown fat fate. Brown adipose cells and tissue from Ebf2-deficient mice displayed a loss of brown-specific characteristics and thermogenic capacity. Together, these results identify Ebf2 as a key transcriptional regulator of brown fat cell fate and function. |