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Updated: Oct 13, 2025

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
C/EBPZ modulates the differentiation and proliferation of preadipocytes
Yuechan Chen1,2, Lingyu Gao1,2, Tao Lin1,2
1NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases of First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.
Background/Objectives:
This study investigated the functions of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein zeta (C/EBPZ; Gene ID: 10153) in adipose tissue.
Subjects/Methods:
Bioinformatics analysis were used to study the expression pattern of C/EBPZ in human adipose tissue. The expression and function of C/EBPZ in adipose tissue were further studied using chicken as animal model in vivo and in vitro.
Results:
The human C/EBPZ transcripts were greater and more stable in subcutaneous adipose tissue than in visceral adipose tissue (P < 0.01), and they were increased with age in adipose tissue (P < 0.05). In addition, the chicken C/EBPZ transcripts (C/EBPZ /ACTB) of visceral (abdominal) adipose tissue were significantly different between fat and lean broilers and decreased with age during development (P < 0.01). RNA-seq analysis showed that the C/EBPZ overexpression associated with adipose tissue development and DNA replication in chicken preadipocytes (P < 0.05). Additionally, overexpression of chicken C/EBPZ inhibited preadipocytes differentiation and promoted preadipoytes proliferation in vitro (P < 0.05). In addition, C/EBPZ overexpression suppressed the promoter activities of PPARγ, C/EBPα, FASN and LPL, and promoted the promoter activities of GATA2 and FABP4 in chicken preadipocytes (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
C/EBPZ modulated the differentiation and proliferation of preadipocytes, and it might be a new negative regulator of adipogenesis.
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