Bromodomain-containing protein 4 regulates a cascade of lipid-accumulation-related genes at the transcriptional level in the 3T3-L1 white adipocyte-like cell line.

Our previous study demonstrated that the transfection of a short hairpin (sh)RNA targeting bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), a member of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family of proteins, into 3T3-L1 cells, a white adipocyte-like cell line, reduced the expression of insulin sensitivity genes, such as Adipoq, Fabp4, Lpl, Slc2a4 and Dgat1, and that BRD4 directly bound to the Adipoq, Slc2a4 and Lpl genes. In the present study, we aimed to identify other target genes of BRD4 by microarray analysis of Brd4 shRNA- and control shRNA-transfected cells. We found that the expression of many genes related to fat metabolism, and particularly those involved in fat accumulation in the glycolytic pathway, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and triacylglycerol synthesis, such as Dgat2, Gpd1, Acsl1, Pnpla2, Pgkfb3, Pcx, Fasn, Acacb and Cidec, was reduced by Brd4 shRNA transfection 2 and 8 days after the end of adipocyte differentiation. The binding of BRD4 at the 2-day and histone acetylation at the 8-day time point, in the vicinity of the Dgat2, Gpd1, Acsl1 and Cidec genes, was also reduced by Brd4 shRNA transduction. Treatment with low doses (10–100 nM) of the BET family inhibitor (+)-JQ-1 for 2, 4 or 8 days also reduced the expression of Dgat2, Gpd1, Fasn, Acab, Acsl1, Pnpla2 and Cidec in 3T3-L1 white adipocyte-like cells. These results indicate that BRD4 regulates the expression of numerous genes involved in lipid accumulation at the transcriptional level in a white adipocyte-like cell line.