A methyltransferase EHMT1 controls brown adipose cell fate and adaptive thermogenesis through a PRDM16 complex. A methyltransferase EHMT1 controls brown adipose cell fate and adaptive thermogenesis through a PRDM16 complex

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates chemical energy in the form of heat, as a defense against hypothermia and obesity. Current evidence indicates that brown adipocytes arise from Myf5+-dermotomal precursors through the action of a PRDM16-C/EBP-_ transcriptional complex; however, the underlying mechanisms that determine lineage specification and maintenance of brown adipose cells remain poorly understood. Here we study the role of euchromatic histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 1 (EHMT1), a brown fat-enriched lysine methyltransferase, as an essential enzymatic component of the PRDM16 transcriptional complex and controls brown adipose cell fate. To identify targets and function of EHMT1, we performed genome-wide gene expression profiling of BAT from control mouce (Ehmt1flox/flox), Ehmt1Myf5 KO mouse (Myf5-Cre+/-; Ehmt1flox/flox) and Ehmt1adipo KO mouse (Adipo-Cre+/-; Ehmt1flox/flox). Loss of EHMT1 in Myf5+ lineage causes a near total loss of brown fat characteristics and induces muscle-selective gene program in vivo. In addition, adipose-specific deletion of EHMT1 by Adipo-Cre leads to a marked reduction of the thermogenic and fat oxidation genes.