RNA binding protein Ybx2 regulates RNA stability during cold-induced brown fat activation

Dan Xu, Shaohai Xu, Aung Maung Maung Kyaw, Yen Ching Lim, Sook Yoong Chia, Diana Teh Chee Siang, Juan R. Alvarez-Dominguez, Peng Chen, Melvin Khee-Shing Leow, Lei Sun

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent years have seen an upsurge of interest in brown adipose tissue (BAT) to combat the epidemic of obesity and diabetes. How its development and activation are regulated at the posttranscriptional level, however, has yet to be fully understood. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) lie in the center of posttranscriptional regulation. To systemically study the role of RBPs in BAT, we profiled >400 RBPs in different adipose depots and identified Y-box binding protein 2 (Ybx2) as a novel regulator in BAT activation. Knockdown of Ybx2 blocks brown adipogenesis, whereas its overexpression promotes BAT marker expression in brown and white adipocytes. Ybx2-knockout mice could form BAT but failed to express a full thermogenic program. Integrative analysis of RNA sequencing and RNA-immunoprecipitation study revealed a set of Ybx2's mRNA targets, including Pgc1a, that were destabilized by Ybx2 depletion during cold-induced activation. Thus, Ybx2 is a novel regulator that controls BAT activation by regulating mRNA stability.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2987-3000
Number of pages14
JournalDiabetes
Volume66
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2017
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

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