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Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
PARP-1 Controls the Adipogenic Transcriptional Program by PARylating C/EBPβ and Modulating Its Transcriptional
Xin Luo1, Keun Woo Ryu1, Dae-Seok Kim2
1Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Program in Genetics, Development, and Disease, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
Abstract:
Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) is a post-translational modification of proteins mediated by PARP family members, such as PARP-1. Although PARylation has been studied extensively, few examples of definitive biological roles for site-specific PARylation have been reported. Here we show that C/EBPβ, a key pro-adipogenic transcription factor, is PARylated by PARP-1 on three amino acids in a conserved regulatory domain. PARylation at these sites inhibits C/EBPβ's DNA binding and transcriptional activities and attenuates adipogenesis in various genetic and cell-based models. Interestingly, PARP-1 catalytic activity drops precipitously during the first 48 hr of differentiation, corresponding to a release of C/EBPβ from PARylation-mediated inhibition. This promotes the binding of C/EBPβ at enhancers controlling the expression of adipogenic target genes and continued differentiation. Depletion or chemical inhibition of PARP-1, or mutation of the PARylation sites on C/EBPβ, enhances these early adipogenic events. Collectively, our results provide a clear example of how site-specific PARylation drives biological outcomes.
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