The effect of triiodothyronine on fatty acid synthetase activity and content in differentiating ob17 preadipocytes

The effect of triiodothyronine on the activity and amount of the key lipogenic enzyme fatty acid synthetase was studied in differentiating preadipocyte cells (ob17) isolated from ob/ob mouse epididymal fat pad. In the presence of physiological concentrations of insulin, the acquisition of adipose morphology was accompanied by a parallel increase (10--15-fold) in synthetase specific activity and radioimmunoassayable amount relative to soluble cellular proteins. Inclusion of T3 at confluence significantly enhanced synthetase activity and content, with a maximum of 1.5--2-fold above controls at the physiological 1.5 nM concentration, whether insulin is present or not. During adipose conversion, T3 increased the development of enzyme activity and after a longer lag period, the accumulation of the synthetase. Our results suggest that the stimulating effect of T3 upon synthetase activity could involve as a first step the activation of preexisting inactive synthetase molecules and as a second one an increased accumulation of activable synthetase. After longer culture periods, inactive radioimmunoassayable synthetase accumulated.