Browning of human adipocytes requires KLF11 and reprogramming of PPARγ super-enhancers

Here we have characterized the transcriptional processes underlying the formation of human brown in white (i.e. brite) adipocytes using a genome-wide approach. We show that the browning process is associated with reprogramming of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) binding to form brite adipocyte-selective PPARγ super-enhancers that appear to play a key role in activation of brite adipocyte-selective genes. We identify the KLF11 gene based on its association with a PPARγ super-enhancer and show that KLF11 is a novel browning factor directly induced by rosiglitazone and required for the activation of brite adipocyte-selective gene program by rosiglitazone. Genome-wide profiling of Dnase I hypersenstive (DHS) sites, epigenomic marks, transcription factor and co-factor binding, and gene expression in hMADS white and brite adipocytes