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Updated: Jul 3, 2026
An Adipocyte Cell Culture Model to Study the Impact of Protein and Micro-RNA Modulation on Adipocyte Function
Published on: May 4, 2021
Small-interference RNA-mediated knock-down of aldehyde oxidase 1 in 3T3-L1 cells impairs adipogenesis and adiponectin
Johanna Weigert1, Markus Neumeier, Sabrina Bauer
1Department of Internal Medicine I, Regensburg University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Aldehyde oxidase 1 (AOX1) is highly abundant in the liver and oxidizes aldehydes thereby generating reactive oxygen species. Enzymes involved in detoxification of aldehydes are expressed in adipocytes and alter adipogenesis, therefore the functional role of AOX1 in adipocytes was analyzed. AOX1 mRNA was higher in visceral compared to subcutaneous human adipose tissue but AOX1 protein was detected in both fat depots. AOX1 expression in adipocytes was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and immunoblot. AOX1 was induced during adipocytic differentiation and was downregulated by fenofibrate in differentiated cells. Knock-down of AOX1 in preadipocytes led to impaired lipid storage and adiponectin release in the differentiated cells. These data indicate that AOX1 is essential for adipogenesis and may link energy and drug metabolism.
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02:15Experimental RNAi
01:23RNA Interference
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...