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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

An Adipocyte Cell Culture Model to Study the Impact of Protein and Micro-RNA Modulation on Adipocyte Function
Published on: May 4, 2021
Schnurri-2 controls BMP-dependent adipogenesis via interaction with Smad proteins
Wanzhu Jin1, Tsuyoshi Takagi, Shin-nosuke Kanesashi
1Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, RIKEN Tsukuba Institute, 3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan.
Abstract:
Adipocyte differentiation is an important component of obesity, but how hormonal cues mediate adipocyte differentiation remains elusive. BMP stimulates in vitro adipocyte differentiation, but the role of BMP in adipogenesis in vivo is unknown. Drosophila Schnurri (Shn) is required for the signaling of Decapentaplegic, a Drosophila BMP homolog, via interaction with the Mad/Medea transcription factors. Vertebrates have three Shn orthologs, Shn-1, -2, and -3. Here, we report that Shn-2(-/-) mice have reduced white adipose tissue and that Shn-2(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts cannot efficiently differentiate into adipocytes in vitro. Shn-2 enters the nucleus upon BMP-2 stimulation and, in cooperation with Smad1/4 and C/EBPalpha, induces the expression of PPARgamma2, a key transcription factor for adipocyte differentiation. Shn-2 directly interacts with both Smad1/4 and C/EBPalpha on the PPARgamma2 promoter. These results indicate that Shn-2-mediated BMP signaling has a critical role in adipogenesis.
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