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Updated: May 21, 2026
Adipocyte-Specific ATAC-Seq with Adipose Tissues Using Fluorescence-Activated Nucleus Sorting
Published on: March 17, 2023
Selection of aptamers specific for adipose tissue
Jun Liu1, Huixia Liu, Kwame Sefah
1Division of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Background:
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions, affecting more than one tenth of the world's population. As such, adipose tissue is being increasingly recognized as an important therapeutic target for obesity and related metabolic disorders. While many potential targets of adipose tissue have been established and drugs developed, very few of those drugs specifically target adipose tissue without affecting other tissue. This results from a limited knowledge of both cell-surface markers and physicochemical traits specific to adipocytes that might otherwise be exploited by circulating drugs.
Methodology/Principal Findings:
Here we report the use of cell-SELEX technology to select two aptamers that can specifically recognize mature adipocytes: adipo-1 and adipo-8. Adipo-8 shows high affinity for differentiated, mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes with a K(d) value of 17.8±5.1 nM. The binding was sustained upon incubation at 37°C and insulin stimulation, but was lost upon trypsin treatment. The binding ability was also verified on frozen tissue slides with low background fluorescence and isolated adipocytes.
Conclusions/Significance:
Aptamer adipo-8 selected from a random library appears to bind to mature differentiated adipocytes specifically. This aptamer holds great promise as a molecular recognition tool for adipocyte biomarker discovery or for targeted delivery of molecules to adipocytes.
Insights
Researchers identified aptamer adipo-8, which specifically binds to mature fat cells (adipocytes). This discovery offers a new tool for targeting adipose tissue in obesity and metabolic disorder treatments.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Obesity is a global epidemic, with adipose tissue a key therapeutic target.
- Current drugs lack specificity for adipose tissue due to limited knowledge of adipocyte markers.
- Targeting adipocytes is crucial for treating obesity and related metabolic disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific molecular targets on mature adipocytes.
- To develop tools for selective drug delivery to adipose tissue.
- To advance therapeutic strategies for obesity and metabolic diseases.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cell-SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) technology.
- Selected and characterized aptamers, specifically adipo-1 and adipo-8.
- Assessed aptamer binding affinity and specificity to differentiated adipocytes.
Main Results:
- Identified two aptamers, adipo-1 and adipo-8, that specifically recognize mature adipocytes.
- Aptamer adipo-8 demonstrated high affinity (K(d) = 17.8±5.1 nM) for differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
- Binding was stable under physiological conditions and confirmed on tissue slides and isolated cells.
Conclusions:
- Aptamer adipo-8 specifically binds to mature, differentiated adipocytes.
- This aptamer is a promising tool for adipocyte biomarker discovery.
- Potential applications include targeted delivery of therapeutic molecules to adipocytes.
