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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.09.27.615547

Redox Signaling Mediates Differentiation of Adipose Progenitors in Response to Inflammatory Cytokines in the Adipose Tissue Secretome

Wager, J. L.·Baker, L. G.·Scheidl, T.·Yonan, S. Z.·Colarusso, P.·Dufour, A.·Thompson, J.
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Abstract

Adipogenesis, the terminal differentiation of adipose progenitor cells (APCs), is critical in maintaining the functional integrity of adipose depots under obesogenic conditions. It is thought that a signal arising from the adipose microenvironment triggers APC differentiation; yet the identity and source of the signal remains unknown. This study sought to uncover the signal responsible for activating adipogenesis. Redox signaling was shown to influence adipogenesis in primary murine APCs treated with pharmacologic agents to manipulate the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Increased generation of superoxide (O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via redox cyclers amplified both early and late APC differentiation, while ROS scavengers and antioxidants blunted differentiation. The impact of specifically targeting H2O2 with the antioxidant, catalase, or a catalase inhibitor, was restricted to lipid accumulation in late adipogenesis. Protein was concentrated from conditioned media of adipose tissue explants cultured ex vivo to capture signals within the adipose secretome. Differentiation was enhanced in APCs cultured in the presence of the adipose secretome, an effect that was diminished with scavenging of ROS and amplified when the secretome was collected from mice fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks. Proteomic analysis revealed that the adipose secretome from animals on a high fat diet was enriched in pathways related to immune cell-mediated inflammation, with interleukin 6 (IL-6) as a central regulator of differentially expressed proteins. A multiplex assay to measure cytokines confirmed higher IL-6 in the adipose secretome of high fat-fed animals. Exposure of APCs to IL-6 increased adipogenesis, while treatment of APCs with an IL-6 blocking antibodies diminished the adipogenic effect of the adipose secretome. Together, these findings substantiate a role for redox signaling in the regulation of adipogenesis and identify IL-6 as a novel activator of adipogenesis that may mediate APC differentiation via generation of ROS under obesogenic conditions.

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Wager, J. L., Baker, L. G., Scheidl, T., Yonan, S. Z., Colarusso, P., Dufour, A., Thompson, J.. 2024-09-30. Redox Signaling Mediates Differentiation of Adipose Progenitors in Response to Inflammatory Cytokines in the Adipose Tissue Secretome. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.27.615547

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