Transcriptome analysis in adipose tissues of BAF60a knockout mice. Transcriptome analysis in adipose tissues of BAF60a knockout mice

Brown and beige fat share a remarkably similar transcriptional program that supports fuel oxidation and thermogenesis. The chromatin-remodeling machinery that governs genome accessibility and renders adipocytes poised for thermogenic activation remains elusive. BAF60a serves an indispensable role in cold-induced thermogenesis in brown fat. Surprisingly, fat-specific BAF60a inactivation triggers more pronounced browning of inguinal white adipose tissue. These results suggest a dichotomous role of BAF60a-mediated chromatin remodeling in transcriptional control of brown and beige gene programs. To elucidate the mechanism, we performed microarray annalysis in inguinal white adipose tissues from mice after chronic cold exposure. Overall design: Adipose-specific Baf60a knockout (AKO) and control (flox) mice of 9 month old were subjected to either ambient temperature (RT) or chronic cold exposure (Cold). For mice under cold challenge, they went through a gradual adaptation. After reaching 10oC, the mice were maintained for another 7 days before euthanization. Inguinal white adipose tissues were havested for RNA isolation. After quantification, equal amount of RNA from 1 or 2 mice were pooled for microarray analysis.