Research Article 889 PKB␣ is required for adipose differentiation of mouse embryonic fibroblasts Anne Baudry, Zhong-Zhou Yang and Brian A. Hemmings* Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstr. 66, CH-4058, Basel, Switzerland *Author for correspondence (e-mail:
[email protected]) Accepted 14 November 2005 Journal of Cell Science 119, 889-897 Published by The Company of Biologists 2006 doi:10.1242/jcs.02792 Summary Protein kinase B␣ (PKB␣) is a key regulator of metabolism, downregulated in PKB␣-deficient MEFs but could be proliferation and differentiation. We have explored the role restored by expressing an active PKB␣ in the deficient cells. of PKB␣ in adipogenesis using wild-type and PKB␣- The level of lipocalin 2, renin 1 and receptor-activity- knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and show modifying protein 3 genes expressed by adipose cells was that lack of PKB␣ prevents MEF differentiation into also decreased in PKB␣-deficient MEFs, and are inhibited adipocytes. Expression of ectopic PKB␣ in PKB␣-deficient by LY294002 treatment during early adipocyte cells restores adipogenesis. We identified 80 genes whose differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. The results underscore an expression was upregulated in wild-type MEFs during essential role for PKB␣ in the transcriptional program adipogenesis but whose expression was significantly required for adipogenesis. reduced in PKB␣-deficient MEFs under the same conditions. Significantly, the regulator of adipogenesis Key words: PKB␣, Adipocyte differentiation, Mouse embryonic Krüppel-like transcription factor 15 gene expression was fibroblasts, Microarray analysis Introduction many cellular processes stimulated by insulin and growth Adipogenesis is a complex process with multiple steps factors (Brazil and Hemmings, 2001; Lawlor and Alessi, 2001; including growth arrest, clonal expansion, withdrawal from the Whiteman et al., 2002).