Transcription Suppression of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ2 Gene Expression by Tumor Necrosis Factor α via an Inhibition of CCAAT/ Enhancer-binding Protein δ during the Early Stage of Adipocyte Differentiation

TNFα is known to inhibit adipocyte differentiation and induce insulin resistance. Moreover, TNFα is known to down-regulate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ2, an adipocyte-specific nuclear receptor of insulin-sensitizer thiazolidinediones. To clarify molecular mechanisms of TNFα- mediated PPARγ2 down-regulation, we here examined the effect of TNFα on transcription regulation of PPARγ2 gene expression during the early stage of adipocyte differentiation. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes (2 d after 100% confluent) were incubated in a differentiation mixture (dexamethasone, insulin, 3-isobutyl-1-methlxanthine), with or without 50 ng/ml TNFα, for 24 h. TNFα significantly decreased PPARγ2 expression both at mRNA and protein levels (to ∼40%), as well as aP2 mRNA expression. The mouse PPARγ2 gene promoter region (2.2-kb) was isolated and was used for luciferase reporter assays by transient transfection. TNFα significantly suppressed PPARγ2 gene transcription (to ∼50%), and deletion analyses demonstrated that...