Differential Activation of Adipogenesis by Multiple PPAR Isoforms

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is a nuclear hormone receptor expressed predominantly in adipose tissue, where it plays a central role in the control of adipocyte gene expression and differentiation. Because there are two additional PPAR isoforms, PPARalpha and PPARdelta, and these are also expressed at some level in certain adipose depots, we have compared directly the adipogenic potential of all three receptors. Ectopically expressed PPARgamma powerfully induces adipogenesis at a morphological and molecular level in response to a number of PPARgamma activators. PPARalpha is less adipogenic but is able to induce significant differentiation in response to strong PPARalpha activators. Expression and activation of PPARdelta did not stimulate adipogenesis. Of the three PPARs, only PPARgamma can cooperate with C/EBPalpha in the promotion of adipogenesis. To begin to investigate the functional basis for the differential adipogenic activity of the PPAR isoforms, we have examined their ability to bind to several PPAR DNA response sequences. Compared with PPARalpha and PPARdelta, PPARgamma shows preferential binding to two well-characterized regulatory sequences derived from a fat-specific gene, ARE6 and ARE7. These data strongly suggest that PPARgamma is the predominant receptor regulating adipogenesis; however, they also suggest that PPARalpha may play a role in differentiation of certain adipose depots in response to a different set of physiologic activators or in certain disease states.