Faculty Affairs and Academic Programs
Joni Nikkanen Jonikkan
Life Sciences; Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences
Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology
UC Berkeley
The Role of Hepatic Soluble Leptin Receptor in Controlling Female Adipose Tissue
Women preferentially store fat in subcutaneous depots, while men accumulate visceral fat. Yet, what drives these patterns remain largely unknown. To fill this gap, we aim to identify regulators controlling the expansion of subcutaneous fat in females but not in males. To do this, we will identify signals that control the proliferation and differentiation of pre- adipocytes across the feeding-fasting cycle. In our preliminary studies, we found that female, but not male mice, secrete soluble leptin receptor (sLEPR) from the liver during fasting. Furthermore, we found that liver-derived sLEPR might suppress adipocyte proliferation and differentiation in subcutaneous white adipose tissue during fasting. To follow up on these findings and to continue our exciting work at UC Berkeley, we seek $50,000 from the UC’s Office of the President (UCOP) through the Early Career Faculty Research Excellence Award mechanism. With this support we aim to dissect the role of hepatic sLEPR in controlling 1) adipose stromal and progenitor cells (ASPCs) transcriptional responses during fasting and 2) ASPC proliferation and differentiation in culture. Understanding the signals that shape depot-specific fat growth in females may uncover novel mechanisms of adipose tissue plasticity and inform strategies to improve female metabolic health.