Human brown and white preadipocyes clonal dynamics predict themorgenic potential and function

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) holds therapeutic potential for obesity and metabolic syndrome via increasing energy expenditure. Both inter- and intra-individual differences contribute to heterogeneity in human BAT and potentially to differential thermogenic capacity in human populations. Here, we demonstrated the generation of brown and white preadipocyte clones from human neck fat and characterized their adipogenic differentiation and thermogenic function. Combining a UCP1 reporter system and gene expression profiling, we defined novel sets of gene signatures in human preadipocytes that could predict the thermogenic potential of mature adipocytes. Knocking out the positive UCP1 regulators, PREX1 and EDNRB, in brown preadipocytes by CRISPRs markedly abolished the high level of UCP1 in mature brown adipocytes. Finally, we showed the ability to prospectively isolate adipose progenitors with great thermogenic potential. These data provide new insights into the cellular heterogeneity in human fat and offer clinically relevant gene targets that mark thermogenically competent preadipocytes. Highly adipogenic clonal white and brown cell lines