Depletion of Adipocyte Becn1 Leads to Lipodystrophy and Metabolic Dysregulation.

Diabetes 2021 Jan

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Becn1/Beclin-1 is a core component of the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase required for autophagosome formation and vesicular trafficking. Although Becn1 has been implicated in numerous diseases such as cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative disease, the role of Becn1 in white adipose tissue and related metabolic diseases remains elusive. In this study, we show that adipocyte-specific Becn1 knockout mice develop severe lipodystrophy, leading to adipose tissue inflammation, hepatic steatosis, and insulin resistance. Ablation of Becn1 in adipocytes stimulates programmed cell death in a cell-autonomous manner, accompanied by elevated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress gene expression. Furthermore, we observed that Becn1 depletion sensitized mature adipocytes to ER stress, leading to accelerated cell death. Taken together, these data suggest that adipocyte Becn1 would serve as a crucial player for adipocyte survival and adipose tissue homeostasis. © 2020 by the American Diabetes Association.

Citation

Young Jin, Yul Ji, Yaechan Song, Sung Sik Choe, Yong Geun Jeon, Heeju Na, Tae Wook Nam, Hye Jeong Kim, Hahn Nahmgoong, Sung Min Kim, Jae-Woo Kim, Ki Taek Nam, Je Kyung Seong, Daehee Hwang, Chan Bae Park, In Hye Lee, Jae Bum Kim, Han-Woong Lee. Depletion of Adipocyte Becn1 Leads to Lipodystrophy and Metabolic Dysregulation. Diabetes. 2021 Jan;70(1):182-195