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Brief Report

3T3-L1 adipocytes display phenotypic characteristics of multiple adipocyte lineages

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Pages 295-302 | Received 20 Jan 2015, Accepted 07 Apr 2015, Published online: 19 Jun 2015
 

Abstract

Differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes are a widely used in vitro model of white adipocytes. In addition to classical white and brown adipocytes that are derived from different cell lineages, beige adipocytes have also been identified, which have characteristics of both white and brown adipocytes. Here we show that 3T3-L1 adipocytes display features of multiple adipocytes lineages. While the gene expression profile and basal bioenergetics of 3T3-L1 adipocytes was typical of white adipocytes, they responded acutely to catecholamines by increasing oxygen consumption in an UCP1-dependent manner, and by increasing the expression of genes enriched in brown but not beige adipocytes. Chronic exposure to catecholamines exacerbated this phenotype. However, a beige adipocyte differentiation procedure did not induce a beige adipocyte phenotype in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. These multiple lineage features should be considered when interpreting data from experiments utilizing 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Funding

This research was supported by the Deakin University Molecular and Medical Research Strategic Research Center. SLM is supported by a Career Development Fellowship from the NHMRC (1030474).

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