Protein kinase A suppresses the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes

cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA) are widely known as signaling molecules that are important for the induction of adipogenesis. Here we show that a strong increase in the amount of cAMP inhibits the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 fibroblast cells. Stimulation of PKA activity suppresses adipogenesis and, in contrast, inhibition of PKA activity markedly accelerates the adipogenic process. As adipogenesis progresses, there is a significant increase in the expression level of PKA regulatory subunits and a corresponding decrease in PKA activity. Moreover, treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates PKA activity and blocks adipogenesis. Inhibition of PKA activity abolishes this suppressive effect of EGF on adipogenesis. Moreover, activation of PKA induces serine/threonine phosphorylation, reduces tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and the association between PKA and IRS-1. Taken together, our study demonstrates that PKA has a pivotal role in the suppression of adipogenesis. cAMP at high concentrations can suppress adipogenesis through PKA activation. These findings could be important and useful for understanding the mechanisms of adipogenesis and the relevant physiological events.