ASC-1, PAT2, and P2RX5 are cell surface markers for white, beige, and brown adipocytes

Sci Transl Med. 2014 Jul 30;6(247):247ra103. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3008490.

Abstract

White, beige, and brown adipocytes are developmentally and functionally distinct but often occur mixed together within individual depots. To target white, beige, and brown adipocytes for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, a better understanding of the cell surface properties of these cell types is essential. Using a combination of in silico, in vitro, and in vivo methods, we have identified three new cell surface markers of adipose cell types. The amino acid transporter ASC-1 is a white adipocyte-specific cell surface protein, with little or no expression in brown adipocytes, whereas the amino acid transporter PAT2 and the purinergic receptor P2RX5 are cell surface markers expressed in classical brown and beige adipocytes in mice. These markers also selectively mark brown/beige and white adipocytes in human tissue. Thus, ASC-1, PAT2, and P2RX5 are membrane surface proteins that may serve as tools to identify and target white and brown/beige adipocytes for therapeutic purposes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipocytes, Brown / drug effects
  • Adipocytes, Brown / metabolism*
  • Adipocytes, White / drug effects
  • Adipocytes, White / metabolism*
  • Adrenergic beta-3 Receptor Agonists / pharmacology
  • Amino Acid Transport System y+ / genetics
  • Amino Acid Transport System y+ / metabolism*
  • Amino Acid Transport Systems, Neutral / genetics
  • Amino Acid Transport Systems, Neutral / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / drug effects
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism*
  • Cold Temperature
  • Computational Biology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, 129 Strain
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Obesity / genetics
  • Obesity / metabolism
  • Receptors, Purinergic P2X5 / genetics
  • Receptors, Purinergic P2X5 / metabolism*
  • Symporters / genetics
  • Symporters / metabolism*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Adrenergic beta-3 Receptor Agonists
  • Amino Acid Transport System y+
  • Amino Acid Transport Systems, Neutral
  • Biomarkers
  • P2RX5 protein, human
  • P2rx5 protein, mouse
  • Receptors, Purinergic P2X5
  • SLC36A2 protein, human
  • SLC7A10 protein, human
  • Slc36a2 protein, mouse
  • Slc7a10 protein, mouse
  • Symporters