Patent ID: 11414469

Abstract:
Here we show that epigenetic control of Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) affects adipose differentiation of stem cells in vitro. Building on this finding, we established a model in which NRG1 is a white adipose tissue (WAT) specific regulator analogous to the role of NRG4 in black adipose tissue (BAT). In this light, NRG1 functions in a paracrine or autocrine manner to regulate formation of new adipocytes from stem populations, both in vitro and in vivo. In neurons, NRG1 has been shown already to play a similar role, promoting neuronal cell differentiation from progenitors in the vertebrate cortex and retina and even promoting neuronal differentiation in vitro. Similarly, in the heart, NRG1 promotes differentiation of cardiomyocytes from their stem cell progenitors both in vivo and in vitro and for this reason has been successfully tested in clinical trials for heart failure. Our model extends these findings to adipose biology and indicates that epigenetic control of NRG1 may constitute an intrinsic mechanism limiting the expansion of WAT depots, potentially elucidating important health implications for the comorbidities of obesity and providing treatment for obesity-related diseases.