DIDO is necessary for adipogenesis promoting diet-induced obesity [I]

Rates of overweight and obesity continue to rise in the population worldwide. Obesity reduces life expectancy because it is an important predisposing factor for cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. Adipose tissue (AT), the main organ for fat storage with endocrine capacity, plays fundamental roles in systemic metabolism and in obesity-related diseases. Adiposity and lipodystrophy are associated with metabolic disorders, indicating that normal AT function is required for metabolic health. Dido1 is a marker gene for stemness and gene-targeting experiments compromised several functions from cell division to embryonic stem cell differentiation, in vivo and in vitro. Using animals carrying a DIDO mutant without the N-terminal, we report that these mice display a lean phenotype with reduced adipose tissue and hypolipidemia even when fed with an obesogenic diet. The phenotype related to impaired adipogenesis, partially corrected by transcription factors C/EBPa or PPAR? expression and to hypothermia subsequent to dermal fat thinning. Deep sequencing of the epididymal white fat (Epi WAT) transcriptome shows the role of Dido1 in the control of cellular lipases. The molecular analysis involves Dido1 in orchestrating adipogenesis and altogether offers a model different from described lipodystrophies in mice and pioneers a new path to understand obesity and identify mechanism for obesity intervention. Overall design: List of mRNA profiles of Dido1 wild type and mutants