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Intra- and interindividual variation in gene expression in human adipose tissue

  • Endocrinology
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Abstract

Adipose tissue is a highly plastic tissue with an important endocrine and metabolic function. To understand its role in human health and disease, it is necessary to understand the extent of variation and the specific differences within and between different depots and subjects. We employed cDNA microarray analysis to investigate this in human subjects ranging from lean to mildly obese. We observe (1) high similarity between different samples of one adipose depot, (2) only small differences between the subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue depot and (3) larger differences in gene expression between different individuals (per depot). The major variation within adipose depots can be attributed to differences in the non-adipocyte component of adipose tissue. Using only non-obese subjects, we identified genes that were consistently differentially expressed between subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue, despite the variation in gene expression between these subjects. Using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), vimentin (Vim), four and a half LIMs domains (FHL1), CD36 (all higher in subcutaneous adipose tissue) and Matrix Gla protein (MGP; lower in subcutaneous adipose tissue) were confirmed to be significantly differentially expressed between depots.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Nicole L.W. Franssen-van Hal, Evelien H. M. Kramer and Evert van Schothorst for help in array construction and constructive discussions. The research reported in this paper was supported by the ZonMW program Diet and Chronic diseases (VCZ 980-10-012) and by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Food Quality (803-71-54701).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioactives group, RIKILT- Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen, P.O. Box 230, 6700AE, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Esther A. van Beek & Jaap Keijer

  2. Department of Molecular Genetics, University Maastricht, P.O. Box 616, 6200MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Arjen H. Bakker & Marten H. Hofker

  3. Department of Human Biology, University Maastricht, P.O. Box 616, 6200MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Arjen H. Bakker & Wim H. Saris

  4. Hospital Gelderse Vallei, P.O. Box 9025, 6710HN, Ede, The Netherlands

    Philip M. Kruyt

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  1. Esther A. van Beek
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Correspondence to Jaap Keijer.

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van Beek, E.A., Bakker, A.H., Kruyt, P.M. et al. Intra- and interindividual variation in gene expression in human adipose tissue. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 453, 851–861 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-006-0164-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-006-0164-4

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