Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
Regulation of MKL1 via actin cytoskeleton dynamics drives adipocyte differentiation
Hiroyuki Nobusue1, Nobuyuki Onishi2, Takatsune Shimizu3
11] Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Biology, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan [2] Division of Gene Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
Abstract:
Cellular differentiation is regulated through activation and repression of defined transcription factors. A hallmark of differentiation is a pronounced change in cell shape, which is determined by dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton. Here we show that regulation of the transcriptional coactivator MKL1 (megakaryoblastic leukemia 1) by actin cytoskeleton dynamics drives adipocyte differentiation mediated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), a master transcriptional regulator of adipogenesis. Induction of adipocyte differentiation results in disruption of actin stress fibres through downregulation of RhoA-ROCK signalling. The consequent rapid increase in monomeric G-actin leads to the interaction of G-actin with MKL1, which prevents nuclear translocation of MKL1 and allows expression of PPARγ followed by adipogenic differentiation. Moreover, we found that MKL1 and PPARγ act in a mutually antagonistic manner in the adipocytic differentiation programme. Our findings thus provide new mechanistic insight into the relation between the dynamics of cell shape and transcriptional regulation during cellular differentiation.
More Related Videos
06:08Author Spotlight: Semi-Automated Isolation of the Stromal Vascular Fraction from Murine White Adipose Tissue Using a Tissue Dissociator
Published on: May 19, 2023
09:20An Adipocyte Cell Culture Model to Study the Impact of Protein and Micro-RNA Modulation on Adipocyte Function
Published on: May 4, 2021
Related Concept Videos
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation
Master Transcription Regulators
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...