Role of growth differentiation factor 15 in mouse adipose tissue homeostasis

Recent research has identified growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) as a crucial factor in various physiological and pathological processes, particularly in energy balance regulation. We here investigated the role of GDF15 in adipose tissue physiology and metabolism by performing an RNA-Seq analysis of subcutaneous adipose tissue (sWAT) of 20 week old male and female Gdf15-KO mice compared to their WT littermates. Our study revealed a broad downregulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism and furthermore, it uncovered sex-specific effects, with females being more affected by GDF15 loss than males. These insights enhance our understanding of GDF15's functions in adipose tissue physiology and underscore its potential as a therapeutic target for metabolic disorders. Overall design: Subcutaneos adipose tissue of 20 week old, male and female wildtype (WT) and Gdf15 knockout (Gdf15-KO) mice fed ad libitum was dissected and RNA-Seq analyses were performed (n=6).