The 3D epigenetic control of the white / beige adipocyte identity

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  • The 3D epigenetic control of the white / beige adipocyte identity
  • Project leader:Nolwenn Briand (adipose biology), Philippe Collas (nuclear biology)
  • Info:Human fat tissue stores energy in the form of lipids in white adipocytes and dissipates energy by heat in brown and beige (thermogenic) adipocytes. The beneficial effect of thermogenic adipocytes in maintaining body weight and protecting against metabolic diseases prompts studies of their origin and mechanisms of activation in response to stimuli such as exposure to cold. A key link between environment and phenotype is the epigenome, the record of chemical modifications on chromosomes which, in specific 3D contexts, regulate gene expression and cell fate. We are investigating the 3D epigenetic mechanisms underlying the formation and activation of thermogenic beige adipocytes in response to stimuli that mimic cold exposure (beiging). We are exploring how this plasticity is encoded at the epigenetic level and by the 3D architecture of genes and control elements involved in beiging.

Project participants

Nolwenn Briand, Julia Madsen Østerbye, Natalia Galigniana, Negar Nahali, Sarah Hazel Pickering,  Mohamed Abdelhalim, Anita Sørensen, Kristin Vekterud; collaborations with Jonas Paulsen, Institute of Biosciences, University of Oslo; Owen Marshall, University of Tasmania, Hobart

Ongoing research

  • Chromatin conformation changes and transcription factor dynamics during white and beige adipogenesis, using human cell culture model
  • Interplay between the nuclear lamina, LADs and TADs in the differentiation of adipose stem cells
  • Regulation of gene expression at the nuclear lamina
  • Role of nuclear lamins on the white / beige lineage-specific differentiation of adipose stem cells
  • Computational methods for 3D genome modeling

Recent findings