Distinct transcriptional profiles of adipogenesis in vivo and in vitro

Obesity, defined as an increase in adipose tissue mass, is the most prevalent nutritional disorder in industrialized countries and is a growing problem in developing countries. An increase in adipose tissue mass can be the result of the production of new fat cells through the process of adipogenesis and/or the deposition of increased amounts of cytoplasmic triglyceride per cell. Although much has been learned about the differentiation of adipocytes in vitro, less is known about the molecular basis for the mechanisms regulating adipogenesis in vivo. Here oligonucleotide microarrays have been used to compare the patterns of gene expression in preadipocytes and adipocytes in vitro and in vivo. These data indicate that the cellular programs associated with adipocyte differentiation are considerably more complex than previously appreciated and that a greater number of heretofore uncharacterized gene regulatory events are activated during this process in vitro. In addition, the gene expression changes associated with adipocyte development in vivo and in vitro, while overlapping, are in some respects quite different. These data further suggest that one or more transcriptional programs are activated exclusively in vivo to generate the full adipocyte phenotype. This gene expression survey now sets the stage for further studies to dissect the molecular differences between in vivo and in vitro adipocytes.