PPIA is a novel adipogenic factor implicated in obesity.

Abstract

To assess the role of peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase a (PPIA) in adipogenesis and obesity. Fat mass and adipocyte sizes of PPIA-/- and wild-type mice were compared. The role of PPIA in adipocyte differentiation of 3T3L1 and MEFs cells was analyzed by gene silencing and overexpression. The roles of PPIA in obesity were observed on a high-fat diet obesity model and a gestational diabetes obesity model. PPIA-/- mice had significantly less fat than PPIA+/+ mice. The adipocyte size of PPIA-/- mice was significantly smaller than wild type. Silencing PPIA in 3T3L1 cells significantly impaired its adipocyte differentiation ability. Similarly, MEFs from PPIA-/- mice differentiated less than wild type, while their differentiation ability was restored by PPIA overexpression. PPIA-silenced 3T3L1 cells had significantly lower expression of PPARG, C/EBPA, and C/EBPB at late stage of adipocyte differentiation, which was the same in PPIA-/- MEFs. When fed a high-fat diet, PPIA-/- mice gained significantly less weight than wild type, accompanied by reduced PPARG, C/EBPA, and C/EBPB expression. PPIA expression was significantly higher in adipose tissue of gestational diabetes rat offspring, which had higher inguinal fat/body weight ratios than normal rat offspring. PPIA was a novel adipogenic factor important in obesity.